By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Services
In recent years, those of you flying out of Shreveport Regional Airport knew better than to show up hungry.
And if you were flying into Shreveport Regional, you knew you better eat those pretzels on the plane.
The airport pickings were slim when it came to getting something to eat.
But that ended yesterday (Sunday, July 28th).
Tacomania Cantina & Grill, a popular local Mexican restaurant until its owners retired in 2022, and the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, with more than 1,100 stores in 23 countries, are now open in the airport’s TSA checkpoint atrium.
“Previous food offerings at the airport were kind of generic,” Mark Crawford, Airport Business and Development Manager for the Shreveport Airport Authority, told the Shreveport-Bossier Journal. “It was the basic burger. The basic salad. A basic pizza. Basic sandwiches. Having brands that local people, and people visiting the area, are familiar with is certainly going to be an upgrade.”
It has been a two-year effort to bring these eateries to the airport. Crawford, who was a frequent Tacomania customer at its Kings Highway location, approached the owners about their interest in licensing the restaurant’s name and recipes to Tailwinds, the airport’s concessionaire.
“Maria, who was the chef at Tacomania, has been in the kitchen the last week teaching all of the Tailwinds staff the exact way to make all of the food. I had lunch there today, and can attest the sour cream enchiladas, and rice and beans, are exactly the same as they were in the restaurant. It was delicious.”
Airport management thought it was important to have a local brand. Also, in surveys, Mexican food was the number one requested food type.
“The trend in airports all across the country is veering away from the Taco Bells, the Burger Kings, and the McDonalds, and going with local flair,” Crawford said. “That resonates with people who are from an area.”
Tacomania, which serves breakfast items in addition to several lunch and dinner items from its old menu, is open from 6am until the last scheduled departure, seven days a week.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf originated in southern California more than 60 years ago. It serves a variety of coffee, espresso, ice blended drinks, teas, breakfast muffins, salads, and sandwiches.
“We wanted a brand that you couldn’t get anywhere else in Shreveport-Bossier,” Crawford said. “Thirty percent of the people flying in are not from Shreveport-Bossier. They may not be familiar with Tacomania. But The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is a brand that is in many, many places, and may be a brand people are familiar with. So, they are more likely to purchase from that store, rather than from a generic coffee place like we had before.”
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is open from 30 minutes prior to the airport’s first scheduled departure, until the last scheduled departure, seven days a week.
This isn’t the end of new airport food choices. Crawford said more places are coming, hopefully by the end of the year.
“There will be a new restaurant by the Delta gate. There will be a new concept by the American gate. There will be a retail store that will open in the TSA checkpoint area. Pre-security, (on the first level near the escalators and the baggage claim area), there will be a Southern Maid Donuts kiosk that will serve The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf drinks, as well as a variety of Southern Maid Donuts menu options.
Since Tacomania, and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, are inside the TSA security checkpoint, you can only visit them if you are a ticketed passenger. However, that may soon change.
“We’re working with TSA to opt into a program they offer which allows the airport to issue gate passes to people who are not flying,” Crawford said. “People will be able to request a visitor pass from the airport that they can pick up at the airport, then go through the TSA checkpoint like they would if they were a passenger. That way, you can come eat at the new restaurants.”
And that would not be the only advantage to the pass.
“You can wait at the gate for someone who is flying in – greet them at the gate like you used to be able to do. Also, where you usually send family members off at the checkpoint, this will allow you to come through the checkpoint and stay at the gate until your family or loved ones actually get on the plane.”
Contact Tony at SBJTonyT@gmail.com.
