The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and JFK Millennium Partners (JMP), the company selected to build and operate the new $4.2 billion Terminal 6 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, today announced that a dozen local and diverse businesses, including four from southeast Queens, are among the first partners chosen to operate concessions at the terminal, which will also include national retail shops and food and beverage operators. Local and diverse businesses, such as Di Fara Pizza, Alidoro Café, Fuku, Hanoi House, and Brooklyn Blend, will provide an authentic taste of New York, while several Queens business owners will co-manage and own parts of the Terminal 6 retail program as joint venture partners, creating economic opportunities for businesses that call this region home.
Terminal 6 is a key component of the Port Authority’s $19 billion transformation of JFK Airport into a world-class gateway. The Port Authority and the airport’s private terminal developers and operators, including JMP, are working closely with the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council to ensure that this historic investment generates economic and educational opportunities for the communities surrounding the airport.
The council, led by U.S. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., has prioritized minority—and women-owned business enterprises’ participation in the overall JFK redevelopment project. That effort has set a New York state record of $2.3 billion in contract awards to MWBE firms to date.
The Port Authority, JMP, and the advisory council have engaged in various initiatives to expand and increase participation by local, diverse, and disadvantaged businesses in the airport’s concessions program, one of which is the Institute of Concessions (IOC). Launched in 2023, the IOC is a training and mentoring program designed to equip local and diverse businesses with the skills and competencies to compete for and successfully operate at the world-class JFK Airport.
More than 25 local businesses have completed training through the IOC. Additionally, the Port Authority and the JFK terminal developers, including JMP, have engaged in extensive community outreach to recruit local and diverse businesses for concessions opportunities at the airport in partnership with local elected officials and community partners.
“We welcome the dozen local business owners joining us at Terminal 6, where travelers will enjoy authentic products and dining experiences that represent the best of what our region has to offer,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “Not only are we elevating the customer experience, but we are leveraging our historic investment in our airports to create generational wealth for these diverse and local business owners.”
“From the outset of the $19 billion transformation of JFK International Airport, our goal has been to create an airport that is among the best in the world, with a customer experience that is world-class,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “By incorporating diverse, high-quality local businesses alongside national brands at JFK’s terminals, we are creating a unique New York sense of place that will hugely enhance travelers’ airport experience, while generating real and significant economic opportunities for communities neighboring the airport.”
“We are honored to collaborate with a diverse and dynamic group of small businesses and local brands to launch our Terminal 6 concessions program,” said Steve Thody, CEO of JFK Millennium Partners. “Many of these businesses connected with us for the first time at one of our numerous community outreach events last summer, illustrating the success of our efforts to ensure JFK’s surrounding community benefits economically from Terminal 6’s redevelopment. By helping diverse business owners create generational wealth and advance local economic prosperity, we aim to make a lasting positive impact on the community. We look forward to continuing our community outreach this fall as we launch the next phase of our concessions procurement, which will have a central focus on attracting additional local retail partners.”
The new Terminal 6 concessions program is expected to achieve more than 35 percent participation from companies certified as airport concessions disadvantaged business enterprises (ACDBE) under federal guidelines. The Port Authority has mandated a minimum of 30 percent ACDBE participation for the Terminal 6 concessions program.
Also announced today, Avolta companies Hudson and Dufry have been selected to open duty-free, travel convenience and specialty retail stores in the new terminal in partnership with seven ACDBE firms, including three from Queens. The seven businesses will join Avolta’s retail program as joint-venture partners. The local firms will invest in the retail businesses and share management responsibility for the various shops.
All of the local concession partners selected for Terminal 6 were evaluated by Eagle Consulting Advisors, an independent company following a comprehensive procurement process that began in September 2023 and was preceded by six community outreach events hosted by JMP throughout Queens, in partnership with local elected officials and the Port Authority. Businesses participate in the program in one of two ways – either as a concessions operator or as a joint venture partner that co-owns a percentage of the business.
Additional opportunities for small, local businesses to be involved in the Terminal 6 concessions program are still available as JMP prepares to launch the next phase of its concessions procurement in the fall. These opportunities will be presented to the local community in October 2024.
“The four local businesses from southeast Queens opening concessions at Terminal 6 is substantial because small businesses serve as the backbone of our economy,” said U.S. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks of New York. “This is a historic investment in our community providing economic opportunities for residents of Queens who are beginning their concessionaire partnership leading to financial independence. As co-chair of the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council, we strive to provide local business owners with the resources needed to excel all while maintaining the diversity represented in New York, particularly in my area of Queens. I look forward to continuing my work with the Queens borough president, the governor, and other stakeholders in transforming JFK into a world-class global gateway.”
“The defining legacy of the Kennedy Airport redevelopment project is not the number of new gates or the sparkling new terminals. It’s the many pathways to prosperity created for countless Queens families and local small businesses whose futures are about to take off,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “Today’s selection of four southeast Queens businesses as concessionaire partners within the $4.2 billion new Terminal 6 is a historic moment for our borough and the realization of our pledge to ensure that this development project delivers real, tangible benefits for the communities surrounding the airport. I couldn’t be prouder to serve as co-chair of the JFK Redevelopment Advisory Council and to work alongside Gov. Hochul, the Port Authority, Rep. Greg Meeks and others to make victories like these possible.”
“With each new development at JFK Airport, I urge the Port Authority to remain mindful of the diverse communities that make New York a true melting pot, especially in concessions,” said N.Y. state Sen. Leroy Comrie. “The variety of food in Queens should reflect the rich cultures of our districts. I appreciate the Port Authority’s continued engagement with a new JFK, as shown by the selection of four southeast Queens operators for Terminal 6 concessions, and look forward to more opportunities for small businesses.”
“As we continue to invest in the future of our great city, it is critical that we uplift local businesses and ensure that they have a meaningful stake in these transformative projects,” said N.Y. state Sen. James Sanders Jr. “The selection of diverse and community-rooted partners for Terminal 6 reflects our commitment to inclusive growth, creating lasting economic opportunities for all. These businesses represent the spirit of New York—bold, innovative, and resilient—and I am proud to see them leading the charge as we build a world-class gateway to the city.”
“We are excited by the efforts of JFK Airport’s Institute of Concessions for ensuring that local and diverse business have a full and fair opportunity to participate in the concession program at Terminal 6,” said N.Y. state Assemblyman Clyde Vanel. “We look forward to continuing these efforts and expanding opportunities for our community.”
“Throughout the redevelopment of JFK International Airport, it has always been important that local small businesses, M/WBE firms, and southeast Queens residents can contribute and benefit from the opportunities generated by this $19 billion project,” said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “It is encouraging that local businesses have been selected to operate concessions at the new Terminal 6, including four from southeast Queens. These opportunities will allow travelers from around the world to experience the authentic flavors and cultures that make up our wonderfully diverse city. While this progress is welcome, more small businesses in the surrounding neighborhoods are still awaiting opportunities to participate and benefit. It is critical for the investments of this project to expand even greater throughout our southeast Queens community.”
“By bringing diverse, local entrepreneurs into this world-class travel hub, the Port Authority and JFK Millennium Partners are not only enhancing the passenger experience but also creating meaningful economic opportunities for our neighborhoods. This is a powerful example of how public-private partnerships can promote equity, celebrate our city’s rich cultural diversity, and empower small businesses to thrive. I look forward to seeing these businesses flourish and contribute to the vibrant future of JFK Airport,” said New York City Council Member Dr. Nantasha Williams.
“We are thrilled and proud that southeast Queens small businesses will be among the concessionaires at the new JFK T6,” said Justin Rodgers, president & CEO of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation. “The borough is the most diverse in all of New York and is only fitting to have locally based food purveyors feeding the appetites of international travelers passing through the terminal. Thank you to the Port Authority and our elected officials for creating opportunities for our area mom and pop businesses.”
The selected ACDBE joint venture partners include:
- Baked Cravings (Harlem – duty-free joint venture partner)
- Neir’s Tavern (southeast Queens – duty-free joint venture partner)
- Tsion Café (Harlem, duty-free joint venture partner)
- The Nourish Spot (southeast Queens – travel convenience and specialty retail joint venture partner)
- ‘Sullivan-Hernandez Group (Long Island/Nassau County) – travel convenience and specialty retail joint venture partner
- Samantha Alexis Consulting (southeast Queens) – specialty retail joint venture partner)
- Kellee Communications (Atlanta, Ga.) – longtime ACDBE operator and partner that will also mentor newer partners
Local eateries whose brands will be featured in the new Terminal 6 include:
- Di Fara Pizza (Brooklyn) and Alidoro Cafe (New York City) in partnership with M&R Concessions (southeast Queens – local ACDBE operator);
- BKLYN Blend (Brooklyn); Fuku (New York City), and Hanoi House (New York City) in partnership with Olympic Supply (ACDBE operator)
BKLYN Blend and Tsion Café are graduates of the Port Authority’s Institute of Concessions.
Together, the selected concessionaires will offer both domestic and international travelers premium, New York City-inspired shopping and dining experiences when the first gates open to passengers in early 2026. To lower the barrier of entry and to support small businesses, JMP will design and build several dedicated spaces at its own cost for local retailers and graduates of the Port Authority’s Institute of Concessions (IOC) program to sell their products, thereby advancing their future growth and success.
Interested businesses should check www.anewjfk.com/jmp-terminal6/ for additional information, including how to register for upcoming outreach events.
“We are thrilled to be partners in the new Terminal 6 at JFK Airport, which marks a significant milestone in the trajectory of Baked Cravings,” said Craig Watson, founder and CEO of Baked Cravings. “The partnership and opportunity is a testament to the commitment to partner with minority-owned businesses that share the same vision of innovation and excellence.”
“This is an exciting full-circle moment for me, having migrated to Queens through JFK as a 10-year-old Jamaican immigrant, to now being part of the world-renowned team selected to invest in the build-out of JFK Terminal 6. Having saved Historic Neir’s Tavern 15 years ago, battle a global pandemic and now returning Neir’s to its iconic status, the success of this partnership will add another layer of resilience to Neir’s Tavern as we journey toward 200 years in 2029,” said Loycent Gordon, CEO and owner of Neir’s Tavern. “On behalf of Historic Neir’s Tavern and our local community, I am thankful for JFK Millennium Partners, the Port Authority, and our fellow ACDBE partners for their commitment to Neir’s Tavern’s road to 200 journey.”
“I am thrilled and honored to be part of this partnership,” said Samantha Sanchez of Samantha Alexis Consulting. “JFK Airport serves as a beacon and a gateway to countless travelers, and I am privileged to contribute to its legacy.”
“We are very excited to be joining in this joint venture. As a graduate of the JFK Airport Institute of Concessions, we feel well prepared to take on this opportunity,” said Chef Beejhy Barhany of Tsion Café. “We would especially like to thank the Port Authority, JFK Millennium Partners (JMP), and partners for committing to investing in minority and women-owned businesses to open such opportunities.”
“Brooklyn Blend has been known for providing fresh juices, smoothies, shakes, and healthy food with a Caribbean flair. All of our menu items, such as our Park Slope Salmon Sandwich and our Fulton Street Shake, pay homage to streets, landmarks, and areas of Brooklyn,” said Keishon Warren, Founder, Brooklyn Blend. “It is our continued mission to serve our communities’ nutrition with kindness.”
“As a New York-born and -raised brand, Fuku, from David Chang, is honored to bring our fried chicken concept to JFK Terminal 6,” said Claudia Lezcano, CEO of Fuku. “The guest experience at JFK 6 will be transformed and we are delighted to offer our Asian American-inspired menu offerings to domestic and international guests.”
“M&R Concessions is grateful to be included in the T6 concessions program and bring these iconic local brands to what will surely be an iconic new terminal,” said Monisha & Rajiv Singla, owners of M&R Concessions. “As a local business from southeast Queens, we look forward to continuing our family’s legacy of serving JFK’s customers.”
“My father, Domenico (Dom), opened Di Fara Pizza in 1965 after emigrating to Brooklyn from Caserta, Italy. He spent 55 years perfecting his recipes, which our loyal New York customers and visitors alike have enjoyed over the years – from A street to South Street Seaport,” said Maggie Mieles, owner of Di Fara Pizza. “Now a new destination is calling — JFK Terminal 6 — and our family couldn’t be any prouder to honor my father’s legacy by sharing our iconic recipes with the world.”
“As a local Jamaica, Queens, community-based business, we are delighted that we and the other partners have been selected for this extraordinary opportunity,” said Dawn Kelly, founder and CEO of The Nourish Spot.
Redeveloping JFK Airport in Lockstep with the Local Community
In 2018, the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council was formed. Co-chaired by Meeks and Richards, it comprises elected officials, community boards, business and nonprofit organizations, civic organizations, and clergy leaders from the targeted local communities of southeast Queens, southwest Queens, the Rockaways, and western portions of Nassau County.
Since its inception, the council has been working with the Port Authority and its private partners to expand community outreach efforts and develop community-focused programs, ensuring that this ambitious project solicits ongoing feedback from local stakeholders and provides meaningful opportunities for local businesses, MWBEs, students, and job seekers. This includes programming to advance the Port Authority’s commitment to a 30 percent MWBE contracting goal in all categories of work and a special focus on opportunities for local businesses across all aspects of the redevelopment of JFK, including terminal projects, which will be built by union labor under project-labor agreements.
Other community development initiatives prioritized by the council focus on job opportunities and workforce development programs for residents in southeast Queens, small business outreach and development, and educational programming for local students. Specifically, the Council for Airport Opportunity Rockaway Career Center is a job recruiting and referral program to match qualified job seekers with construction and airport operations jobs focused on the Far Rockaway community. The Office of Second Chance Employment helps connect formerly incarcerated individuals and others with past involvement in the criminal justice system to jobs associated with both airport construction and airport operations. The Institute of Concessions is a specialized training program offering extensive training and mentoring to small, local, and diverse businesses intended to increase the number of local and diverse airport concessionaires. The Aviation and Aeronautics Academy provides an aviation-focused weekend and summer education and enrichment program in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for up to 700 students from grades 1 through 12 annually. In partnership with York College/City University of New York, it introduces students from communities surrounding JFK to career opportunities in aviation, airport management, and aerospace technology.
