Pappas Restaurants Starts Petition to Fight Ousting from Hobby Airport
Pappas Restaurants, the longstanding, family-owned business that operates numerous restaurants across Houston, including Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, Pappadeaux, Delta Blues and Pappasito’s Cantina, has posted an Instagram plea for support. The company is asking people to sign a petition protesting an impending decision by the City of Houston to replace its restaurants at Hobby Airport with those from an out-of-town company.
The post, which can be seen below, reads, “We have been feeding you and your family at @HobbyAirport for years but the City of Houston wants to replace our local business for a company with no ties to our city. Sign our petition to help #KeepHobbyAirportLocal with the link in our bio to #SaveOurPappas”. As of press time, the petition has over 8,000 signatures.
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The company that the City plans to replace Pappas with is called Areas HOU JV, LLC, and according to the Houston Chronicle, is a subsidiary of a business called Areas SAU, which is based in Spain. According to the company website, it specializes in food and beverage concepts “designed to meet the expectations of both travelers and landlords in airports, highway service plazas and railway stations”, and brands shown on the website include national chains such as Subway, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut and Peet’s Coffee. The City of Houston is planning on giving Areas a 10-year contract worth $470 million, a decision that comes after three bidding rounds spanning three years.
A statement from Christina Pappas, director of marketing for Pappas Restaurants, reads:
“As a company that has invested in the City of Houston for decades, creating thousands of jobs and serving our community with a track record of charitable giving and goodwill, we are using the platform we have to demand what all constituents of Houston deserve from our leaders: transparency. The process for businesses to land city contracts requires so much openness and communication, and we have spent more than three years working with The City of Houston through a series of last-minute cancellations, sudden requirement changes, and, at times, complete silence. We are eager to keep serving the people who know and love our brands and will do so regardless of developments related to this proposal process. Our hope is that March 1st brings a conclusion that honors the commitment we’ve shown to the City of Houston.”
This follows an appearance at a city council meeting by Pappas Restaurants’ CEO, Chris Pappas, on Tuesday, February 23, which can be viewed in the city council meeting video archive. (Click “Public Speakers” under Video Index to go directly to his statement.) The following day, city council members voted to delay the vote on awarding the contract to Areas until March 1.
If the Pappas Restaurants bid was selected, there were plans to bring in one of its additional brands, Delta Blues Barbeque, as well as The Original Kolache Shoppe, The Hangar Kitchen and others. Under a different contract that was approved on January 4, LaTrelle’s Management, a Houston company that qualifies for the FAA’s Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Program, is bringing in other local businesses such as Fat Cat Creamery (teamed with Dunkin Donuts, Common Bond Bistro and Bakery, Velvet Taco, Pinks Pizza and Dish Society.
Should the Areas contract be finalized, it opens the door for other local food and drink businesses to have a presence at Hobby Airport, including Killen’s Barbecue and SpindleTap Brewery.
We’ve requested a statement and additional information from Mayor Sylvester Turner’s office and will update this article if we receive a response.
The post Pappas Restaurants Starts Petition to Fight Ousting from Hobby Airport appeared first on Houston Food Finder.
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