Delta to Reinvent the Dining Experience at New York's LaGuardia Airport

NEW YORK, Aug. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced it will reinvent the customer dining experience at New York's LaGuardia Airport with the introduction of 13 new food and beverage concepts throughout its main terminal facility beginning this fall.  Developed exclusively for Delta by airport restaurateur, OTG Management, the LaGuardia upgrade reinforces Delta's commitment to customer service and is one of several major investments being made by the airline in New York.

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Along with adding more than 40 new destinations from LaGuardia and JFK combined, Delta, during the last four years, has expanded its award-winning BusinessElite service to transcontinental flights from JFK to Los Angeles and San Francisco, reintroduced "Red Coat" customer service ambassadors at LaGuardia and JFK, added 2,000 jobs across New York state, and recently announced new First Class service to six mid-sized cities in the Southeast and Midwest.

"As part of our aggressive plan to invest and improve our main terminal at LaGuardia, Delta is fully committed to enhancing the experience for our New York customers with superior amenities that include outstanding food and beverage choices," said Gail Grimmett, Delta's senior vice president —New York.  "We're confident that the unique concepts we're developing with OTG at LaGuardia will reinforce our efforts to become New York's preferred airline, offering our passengers the best customer experience available in airport dining."

OTG Management will own and operate each of the new dining establishments and has assembled a group of New York City's top chefs – including Riad Nasr, Lee Hanson, Michael Lomonaco, Dominick DeMarco, Jamison Blankenship, Jim Lahey and Jason Denton -- as well as restaurateurs Chris Cannon and Garrett Oliver to create restaurant concepts that are exclusive to Delta's main terminal at LaGuardia. 

The new dining experience will include 13 distinct food and beverage concepts and brands, an expansive gourmet food hall, coffee bars and a wine bar.  The redesign will launch in phases, starting Aug. 21, with full redevelopment of the space expected to be complete by summer 2011.

"OTG is committed to reinventing the airport dining experience and establishing a new, higher standard for food and beverage that is offered to travelers," said Rick Blatstein, CEO, OTG Management.  "At Delta's LaGuardia facility, we will deliver an authentic New York culinary experience with offerings created by the city's top chefs for all of Delta's customers."  

Delta's LaGuardia Main Terminal dining experience will feature:

Full Serve Restaurants/Bars/Cafes

• Bisoux™:  A bistro inspired by Provencal cuisine, the menu has been created by Chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson – the dynamic duo behind New York classics Balthazar, Pastis, Schiller's and Minetta Tavern – and features the flavors and textures of simple French country cooking.   The restaurant will offer classic dishes such as French onion soup, croque monsieur, tuna nicoise and crispy duck confit. The Bisoux Market will offer the entire menu to-go in addition to traditional French gourmet offerings and selections from Cibo Express Gourmet Markets.
• World Bean™: OTG has created an authentic coffee experience with World Bean, offering unique seasonal blends from select micro-roasters that feature only fair trade beans grown in season.  Customers may choose from an expansive menu of coffee and espresso beverages, as well as a wide assortment of loose leaf teas that are steeped to perfection.
• Prime Tavern:  Renowned chef Michael Lomonaco, of the famous Porterhouse restaurant, developed the menu for this modern American steakhouse.   Prime Tavern is an updated version of the classic restaurant with a menu that features steaks, chops, burgers, fresh salads and fish. 
• Crust: Featuring thin-crust, Neapolitan-style pizzas with artisanal toppings, the individually sized pies at Crust are baked at nearly 700 degrees for the perfect crunch.  Crust's menu was developed by New York baker Jim Lahey (Co. and Sullivan St. Bakery), whose bread is famous throughout the city.  Diners may choose from a list of composed pies or build their own, as well as a selection of antipasti and salads. Crust will also have a full selection of wines, beers and cocktails as well as breakfast options for morning travelers.
• wibar™: wibar is the ultimate wine bar with 101 premium wines by the glass. Customers may also enjoy tasting pours, flights, and full-bottles. The wine list, curated by New York restaurateur and wine aficionado Chris Cannon, wine visionary behind Alto, Convivio, and Marea, features a wide range of wines from all over the globe. The beer list, carefully selected by Garrett Oliver, brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery and author of The Brewmaster's Table, features local favorites and hand-picked beers from around the world. A menu of small bites, cheese and meats complements the seasonal varietal wine offerings, along with a full selection of beer, spirits, and illy coffee and espresso beverages. To enhance the experience, each bar seat has a touch screen where customers may learn more about the wine offerings and pairings and even place their order.
• Minnow: Minnow is a seafood and raw bar that will serve the best selections of fresh fish and shellfish.  The menu, developed by Andrew Carmellini – from the renowned Locanda Verde and author of Urban Italian -- is complemented by an expansive wine and craft beer list. From raw options to chowders, salads and sandwiches, the menu celebrates the flavors and versatility of fresh fish and shellfish.  
• Bar Brace™: Bar Brace is Italian road food at its best, featuring homemade panini and bruschetta with bold flavors from both classic Italian ingredients and more inventive combinations. Jason Denton, New York restaurateur (Lupa and Inoteca) and author of Simple Italian Sandwiches, composed the menu based on his extensive travels through Italy.

Cibo Express Gourmet Food Hall

A gourmet food hall will enable travelers to mix and match menu items from four quick-serve eateries, self-serve hot and cold food bars, a soup station, sundae station, bakery, gourmet market and other delicious options, to create the perfect meal:

• Tagliare™: Classic New York-style pizza composed by Dominick DeMarco is served piping hot at Tagliare.  The DeMarco family – who have been operating arguably one of the best pizza joints in New York for generations, DiFara Pizza in Brooklyn – are now bringing their famous recipes to the Delta Terminal at LaGuardia. 
• Pat LaFrieda Burger: OTG is working with Pat LaFrieda -- one of the top meat purveyors in New York -- to create a burger blend specifically for this quick serve eatery.  Burgers, featuring unique and classic burger combinations, are grilled to order and served with all the fixings.  Customers may also order house-made milkshakes as a perfect complement to a Pat LaFrieda burger.
• Shiso: Shiso is an Asian noodle and sandwich shop serving authentic cuisine from Vietnam, Japan and China created by Chef Jamison Blankenship (Morimoto).  The quick-serve menu includes bahn mi, a popular type of Vietnamese sandwich, as well as noodles, soups and dim sum.
• Harry's Deli™: Harry's Deli is a true New York style Jewish deli serving traditional favorites such as Nova lox, matzo ball soup and knishes. Using the freshest meats and cheeses, sandwiches are made to order on a choice of breads and rolls, with ingredients and other offerings sourced from some of New York's best local purveyors, including Russ & Daughters, Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery and Eli Zabar.
• Cibo Express Gourmet Markets™:  OTG has created the first genuine airport gourmet market, offering over 1,000 different products and beverages, all pre-packaged and on-board ready. The Markets offers something for everyone, including organics, vegan, Kosher, all-natural, no-sugar, gluten-free, heart healthy and other distinctive products. Cibo is a popular OTG brand with 34 outlets at airports throughout the country.
• Imbibe:  Customers will find the perfect beverage (from infused cocktails to wines and beers) to complement their meal.

The new restaurants replace mainstream airport concepts that have existed at the terminal for more than a decade.  In addition to new cuisine, each new restaurant will feature inviting design, lighting and music created by New York-based design firm ICRAVE and custom music provider EL Media Group.

About Delta

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. With its unsurpassed global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 368 destinations in 66 countries on six continents. Delta employs more than 70,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France KLM. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, the world's largest airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 45 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com

About OTG

OTG Management is an award-winning airport restaurateur with more than 80 restaurants and eateries in eight airports, including New York's LaGuardia, New York's JFK, Boston's Logan, Tucson, Washington National, Orlando, Chicago O'Hare and Philadelphia.  Since its entry into airports in 1996, OTG has been recognized throughout the industry for its strong customer focus and innovation and has become a pioneer of the industry with their hallmark programs focused around sustainability and customer-friendly technologies.  

SOURCE Delta Air Lines

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