April 15--Food and retail sales are soaring at O'Hare International Airport's international terminal, once dubbed an embarrassment, a year after a $26 million renovation was completed. And employment has nearly doubled.
The international terminal, Terminal 5, saw sales rise 69 percent since redevelopment began in 2011, according to city data.
Passengers also are spending more, an average last year of $23.32, up from $15.49 in 2010, according to Westfield Concession Management, a major developer of shopping malls and airport concessions including those at O'Hare.
A small portion of the sales growth was likely due to more passengers moving through the terminal. From 2010 to 2014, international passenger traffic at O'Hare grew 3.3 percent, according to data from the Chicago Department of Aviation.
Last year, Terminal 5 sales topped $43 million, generating about $6.5 million in revenue for the city of Chicago. The city's share is more than double its 2010 revenue, the year before the start of the terminal's redevelopment, Westfield said.
The renovation, the first since the terminal was built in 1993, included 24 new upscale retail shops and restaurants, some of which are Chicago originals, including Tortas Frontera by chef Rick Bayless, Hub 51, Wow Bao, Big Bowl and Tocco of Wicker Park.
Airport officials conceded Terminal 5 for years was a "nightmare" for international travelers and an "embarrassment" for the city of Chicago because it was the first impression overseas tourists had of the city. Travelers couldn't even get a cup of coffee after passing through the security checkpoint, the former aviation commissioner was fond of saying.
Besides the restaurants and retailers at Terminal 5, new amenities include upgraded dining areas, lighting and restrooms, along with additional power outlets to recharge laptops and portable electronic devices. And renovations include a redesigned TSA security checkpoint, which officials say is more efficient.
Westfield nearly doubled retail and dining space at the terminal to nearly 30,000 square feet, up from 16,349 square feet. Westfield said three additional spaces in the terminal, totaling 3,800 square feet, are in development.
Record sales from 2011 to 2014 included food and beverage sales up 94 percent, duty-free sales up 61 percent and retail sales up 65 percent.
Since 2011, concession jobs at the terminal have nearly doubled, to 330 from 180 before the redevelopment. About 70 percent of concession workers are city residents, Westfield said.
The city in 2011 awarded Westfield Concession Management a 25-year contract to manage concessions in Terminal 5.
gkarp@tribpub.com
