Press Room

Posted on: Thu, 04/25/2024 - 12:21

(Ontario, California – April 25, 2024) – Ontario International Airport (ONT) on Thursday (April 25) celebrated the grand opening of its newest restaurant, Mi Casa Cantina, part of the popular Southern California airport’s transformation of its food and beverage concessions in partnership with SSP America.

Located in Terminal 4, Mi Casa Cantina offers ONT travelers original, authentic and innovative Mexican cuisine in a lively environment. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner menus featuring scratch-made salsas, and salads, a variety of quesadillas, bowls, burritos, guacamole, and Mexican small-plate dishes.

Thursday’s grand opening is the latest in an aggressive rollout of food and beverage concessions since the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) entered into a formal partnership with SSP America early last year. The contract is expected to bring in $66 million in non-aeronautical revenue to OIAA over the initial 20-year term – dollars that support airport operations, help to reduce landing fees and other airline costs and ultimately provide an enhanced experience for our customers. Other recent openings include Einstein Bros. (Terminal 4) and Pizza Vino (Terminal 2), and renovations are underway at Urban Crave (T4) and Tap & Pour (T2).

“We are proud to partner with SSP America in this critical part of the ONT travel experience. These enhanced concessions delight travelers with a variety of food and beverage options, providing jobs for local residents and generating millions of dollars a year in revenues to support ONT’s mission of connecting people and places,” said Elisa Grey, OIAA’s chief revenue management officer.

“ONT is one of the fastest growing airports in the U.S., and the SSP America team led by our Director of Operations Tina Dungan is delighted to be part of the airport community. We fully support the airport’s efforts to elevate the culinary program with memorable experiences for travelers to enjoy before their departure,” said Oscar Hernandez, regional vice president of SSP America.

In addition to these more recent updates, OIAA’s Revenue Management team has helped attract such popular establishments as Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’ Donuts, Brewery X and the first-ever Top Golf Swing Suite to be located at an airport. In March, a national study by Upgraded Points ranked ONT as the third best airport in the U.S. for fast food accessibility.

In the meantime, ONT remains one of the aviation industry’s great success stories, achieving 37 consecutive months of year-over-year passenger gains. Through the first three months of 2024, ONT passenger volumes were 10% above year-ago levels, which puts it on pace to approach its annual record of 7.2 million, set before the Great Recession in 2007.

 

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About Ontario International Airport

Ontario International Airport (ONT) is the fastest growing airport in the United States, according to Global Traveler, a leading publication for frequent fliers. Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a full-service airport which offers nonstop commercial jet service to two dozen major airports in the U.S., Mexico, Central America and Taiwan. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com. Follow @flyONT on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram

 

About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA)

The OIAA was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport's four-county catchment area. OIAA leaders include Ontario City Council Member Alan D. Wapner (President), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Vice President), Ontario City Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).

 

About SSP America

SSP America is a division of SSP Group, a leading operator of food and beverage concessions in travel locations, operating restaurants, bars, cafés, food courts, lounges and convenience stores in airports, train stations, motorway service stations and other leisure locations. We operate in approximately 600 travel locations and manage more than 550 international, national, and local brands across our 2,900 units. The SSP America team is driven by a shared vision to bring authentic restaurant experiences to every airport in North America. Our employees have a passion for exceptional food served by people who believe in heartfelt hospitality. Our airport partners trust SSP America to deliver a world-class portfolio of brands with broad passenger appeal and lasting commercial viability. Our brand heroes trust us to bring a taste of place to their hometown airport. To learn more about SSP America, visit us at: www.foodtravelexperts.com/america.