SSP America

06/05/2023

Walk into our job fair and get a job offer--the same day! Join us June 6th at John F. Kennedy International Airport from 10 am to 4 pm.

Now hiring passionate people: cashiers, line cooks, prep cooks, porters, bartenders, servers, food service workers, warehouse personnel, shift supervisors, and assistant restaurant managers.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to make a change, we offer great pay and benefits.

To learn more or to apply, contact Stephaney Shettlesworth at [email protected] or call 561.595.2348.

Don't miss out on the chance to join our team. We can't wait to meet you!

06/05/2023

SSP America's Business Development team will have an incredibly busy month of June, as a string of industry conferences are scheduled ahead. This past weekend, they learned, networked, and connected at the 95th American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) Conference & Exposition, whose central theme was 'Growth Through Infrastructure and Opportunity.'

BD team, drink water and snag some rest here and there. You've got a long month ahead. Represent!

06/02/2023

1. Donut take today so seriously - get the one with sprinkles.

2. Donut worry. Be happy.

3. What did the donut say on his first day as part of the SSP America team? This is a hole lot of fun!

At SSP America, we donut know what we'd do without our passionate team members.

06/01/2023

05/31/2023

National Smile Day

At SSP America, our smiles are as big as our PASSION!

05/29/2023

Today, we're remembering those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. SSP America wishes everyone a safe and relaxing Memorial Day.

05/28/2023

That's right—it's National Hamburger Day. And America's most iconic food remains an essential part of the ever-evolving airport experience. SSP America is cranking out local burgers, national burgers, classic burgers, craft burgers, grass-fed burgers, impossible burgers—futuristic burgers from the multi-verse—like nobody's business.

05/27/2023

With crowd restrictions lifted for the first time since 2019, the Hoosier anthem 'Back Home Again in Indiana' will be sung to the 33 drivers and a crowd of over 300,000 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Sunday. This year's Indianapolis 500 marks the 107th edition of 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,' and the Indianapolis Airport Authority is welcoming thousands of fans through its gates and into Indiana.

And you can throw your money on the odds SSP America's IND team is getting in on the fun. Senior Manager, Marketing Melissa Gaus coordinated and envisioned our initiative for the race, and as she explains, “One of SSP America's fundamental principles is bringing a taste of place to our airports. When something as exciting as the Indy 500 comes around, we would be remiss if we didn’t mark such an important legacy event with a celebration for passengers travelling to and from the great city of Indianapolis.”

Director of Operations Lamont Harris says his team has been bringing a whole lot of PASSION all week. "We've got a great team in Indy, and we're really happy to be investing the time and energy into making the lead up to the race extra special for passengers. They're giving our team members and their checkered uniforms extra looks, saying they look sharp—and they do!"

Good luck to all the drivers Sunday! And cheers team!

05/26/2023

This past month marked Todd Kaufman's 15th year at SSP America. He started as 1 of 2 members in our young IT Department, and as Vice President, Information and Technology Solutions, he now heads a department of 30 strong.

Todd is husband to his wife Lynn, and he is the proud parent of Becker—a candidate for his master’s degree in international politics at the SOAS University of London—and Eve—a talented young goalkeeper for Marymount University's women's soccer team. Todd's a die-hard Nats and Commanders fan, and it seems to have rubbed off on the rest of the Kaufman crew.

He's proud to be a part of a big and ever-growing company that still acts like a small company; treats its people like a small company. SSP America is incredibly proud to acknowledge Todd's 15 years of dedication—and the grit and PASSION that went into it.

05/25/2023

Co-owner and Chief Brand Officer of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines Cynthia Lohr is celebrating National Wine Day with a toast to SSP America's partnership. We are proud to offer selections from the J. Lohr portfolio in restaurants across our operations. Cheers, Cynthia!

05/24/2023

A group of PASSIONATE food travel experts completed an advanced 2 ½ day training on food safety with hands-on applied exercises led by our Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance Vanessa Cranford. The training is called PCQI and is the FDA recognized training for Preventive Controls Qualified Individual.

The training further strengthens our commitment to creating a food safety system and exemplifies one of our PASSION Principles in particular—PASSION for every detail.

Safety first. And second.

Congrats to all the participants!

Cody Hubbard (SFB)
William Minogue (TPA)
Viadel-Hernandez Torres (TPA)
Jose Blanco (PIE)
Michael Diraddo (JFK)
Louis DiGiovanni (JFK)
Jacqueline Genao (BOS)
Thomas Romig, Regional Vice President
Martin Block (PHX)
Rafael Bringas (MCO)
Geoffrey Lentz, Regional Vice President
Christopher Fulcher (JFK)
Paul Hermano (JFK)
Frederick Wolken (JFK)
Trish Singh (LGA)

05/23/2023

SSP America

Robert Rambharose is originally from Queens, New York. He began working for SSP America nearby as a cashier at JFK International Airport, and 14 years later, Rob is working one of the coolest jobs SSP has to offer as a Traveling Operations Manager. He spends 100% of his working time traveling and managing restaurant operations in airports across the country. We had to ask Rob how in the world he moves from Phoenix to Dallas to Montreal and is still able to help run the show.

"I stay flexible as a manager. I know my basic responsibility is to provide support to different Ops Teams, and over the years I've developed a holistic understanding of how restaurants operate within an airport. I'm able to come in, contribute, and provide a second perspective on different systems in place, whether it be managing procurement, labor, productivity, or conducting quality assessments and safety measures."" Rob's certainly seen a lot throughout his time working in different airports and he has plenty to say about the people he's worked with.

"I've worked with a lot of strong individuals. Everybody stays positive and is willing to help, making them all crucial pieces to the puzzle. There's plenty of work to do, and I'm excited to keep going."" Thanks for your word, Rob. SSP America is happy to have you, and we're all looking forward to what your future holds.

We're passionate about bringing cool, authentic restaurants to airports that reflect a taste of place

05/22/2023

SSP America has proudly achieved Certified Green Restaurant certifications for all SSP restaurants at John F. Kennedy International Airport - JFK Terminal 4, helping JFK T4 become the Green Restaurant Association’s Greenest Airport Terminal for 2023.

The award is a testament to our shared commitment to driving positive change across the travel sector—and to our team members' success in putting that commitment into practice.

Founded in 1990, the Green Restaurant Association is an international non-profit organization that pioneered the Green Restaurant® movement. As the leading voice within the industry, the organization encourages restaurants to green their operations using transparent, science-based certification standards.

Read more about the award here: Announcing The 2023 Green Restaurant Awards (dinegreen.com)

05/19/2023

The SSP America team was in Edmonton, AB this week to attend the Airports Council International - North America, Airports Canada Conference and Exhibition. Thank you, ACI-NA, for hosting such a great conference—our team at Edmonton International Airport can confirm that Canadians have indeed returned to the skies! The Conference theme, Rising Above, was spot on and the sessions were incredibly informative. The SSP America team was joined at the event we hosted by sommeliers Zach Olson and Bram Bolwijn who always dazzle our attendees with their knowledge and expertise.

John Clark
Pat Murray
Jenn Juul
Bob Stanton
Rich Wilson
Scott Welding
Harry Steele"

05/18/2023

Our Support Center team swung into action this week with a welcome party at TopGolf to celebrate our newest food travel experts! Post a comment welcoming this month’s orientation group to SSP America!

Allison Mogrovejo, Legal Administrative Assistant
Andres Ruvalcaba, Regional People Leader
Annette Mingo, Sr. Manager, Payroll
April Hong, Graphic Designer (Contractor)
Bakhtiar Aleef, Regional IT Support Specialist
Bradley Mayhew, Regional IT Support Specialist
Chad Haga, Commercial Pricing Coordinator
Daniel Lange, People Data Specialist
Dileepa Weejakoon, Manager, Marketing (Canada)
Jake Asuncion, Licensing Coordinator
Peter Yang, Analyst, Payroll
Roxane Tran, People Data Specialist
Yasmin Senatus, Payroll Administrative Assistant

05/17/2023

In celebration of World Baking Day, we're taking a trip out to British Columbia and the Vancouver International Airport to show off the delightful goodies being served at Chef David Robertson's The Dirty Apron restaurant. The chef-driven concept offers a whole host of pastries baked in-house by our crafty team, including Pan Au Chocolat, killer Butter Croissants, a Vegan Double Chocolate Brownie, and a Good Morning Glory Bran Muffin.

Born out of a passion for great food, the original Dirty Apron in downtown Vancouver is owned by husband and wife team David and Sarah Robertson. The two head up the operation of the cooking school, specialty catering company, and delicatessen trifecta.

05/15/2023

As the busy summer traveling season is beginning to ramp up, it is even more important that we continue to go above and beyond for our customers—delivering service from the heart and being sincere every step of the way. And to that point, we recently received a voicemail from a traveler complementing our server Edwin Raul Hernandez Jr. Here's the transcript:

"Hey there. I'm calling into say I recently had a great experience at the Brooklyn Diner in LaGuardia Airport's Terminal B. The view was lovely, the atmosphere was lovely, but in particular, I wanted to point your attention to the valiant work of our server Edwin. Just exceptional. I've been to a lot of restaurants in my time, but very few times have I been paid such good attention. He is absolutely fantastic. From the moment we came in, he was joking with us. He made us feel right at home. You know, and he just made us want to stay. Normally, I’m the type that just wants to rush over to the gate, but we ended up staying there about 2-3 hours. Edwin just, again he hooked us up, made us feel right at home, service was excellent, made us feel very much at home, very kind. Definitely give that man a raise, make him a manager matter of fact. Thank you, God bless. Bye."

You're the man, Edwin! That's what I'm talking about! Cheers to your PASSION!

05/14/2023

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to ALL the moms out there!

05/12/2023

SSP America

The culinary team convened at the Support Center this week! They cooked up new menu ideas while they explored training, recipes and more! Always great to see our gastronomic gurus assemble!

Robert Maluso
Michael Sledge
Louis Digiovanni
Amy Cho
Kevin Gaskin
Angel Cervante
Kyle Ritter
Amado Rodriquez
Scott Brown
Chuck Hatfield"

We're passionate about bringing cool, authentic restaurants to airports that reflect a taste of place

05/11/2023

Regional Support Chef Michael Sledge whips up the Chinese-Thai brand Big Bowl's signature Orange Chicken

Regional Support Chef Michael Sledge whips up the Chinese-Thai brand Big Bowl's signature Orange Chicken dish at the Chicago Midway International Airport.

Sledge fries boneless chicken thighs coated in corn starch slurry and finishes them in a sweet, spicy, and sour orange sauce along with roasted red peppers and a perfectly plated side of white rice. Enough said, Chef. . . Heard!

05/10/2023

“The espresso machine stopped working.”

“It’s hot in here.”

“This handle fell off.”

“This drain, well, it’s not draining.”

For our facilities team, these statements are calls to action.

And they answer the call because otherwise our entire operation will not function properly. Our culinary teams need grills that fire up, walk-ins that stay cold, and complete confidence in their facilities. Our service teams need effective dishwashers, crystal clear glassware, and functioning beer taps that pour the perfect pints. And most importantly, we need to be certain that our team works in a safe environment where they can provide our passengers with service from the heart.

Our facilities crew are the behind-the-scenes heroes who answer the call so we can serve thousands of passengers every day.

Thank you to our facilities management team for keeping our restaurants healthy, safe and productive. Your PASSION and considerable skills inspire us!





Maurizzio Leon-Braga
Jozef Hajnrych
Terry Menzies
Imamudeen Khan
Premnarine Cheta
Wazir Ally
Wazim Bacchus
Errol McKenzie
Navindra Singh
Nicholas Pabarroo
Robert Bussard
Ryan Bussard
Raj Mehta

05/09/2023

Originally from Chicago, Marisa Abinnante got her start at Midway International Airport about six years ago as a cash room attendant. SSP America took over business in MDW shortly thereafter, and Marisa was a huge part of that famous flip. Now she's a Cash Manager—traveling from airport to airport providing support to SSP America's teams. Marisa is responsible for managing property safes, preparing bank deposits, catching cash discrepancies, training on cash handling procedures, and reporting on a long list of financials.

Here she is doing "Glory training," as she explains: "Glory Safes are our smart safes that we use in a majority of our properties that help with cash control. I go to sites for the installation and the trainings for employees and cashroom staff. It's so much fun, so amazing and so rewarding to be able to interact with everyone from all over—to teach and show them all the great functions that the safes have. It's hard not to always have a smile on your face!"

05/08/2023

SSP America's Director, Information Technology Support, Stephen Schwartz is our Support Center Team Member of the Quarter. As Regional Vice President of Operations Geoffrey Lentz states, ""We all know Steve as a man of many talents and abilities; someone whose expertise serves all of our IT needs. Through the myriad situations Steve has engineered solutions to, he has earned not only the respect of our entire team, but also their trust and faith to find resolutions quickly and efficiently. With a server down, and the weekend in full tilt, Steve once again showed why he is a bedrock upon which our culture and organization are built."

Throughout the night of Saturday March 25th, Steve drove the four and a half hours from his home in Maryland to New York City with a server in his back seat. At 3 AM Sunday morning, he successfully installed the server so our JFK team members could take on the early morning rush with full technological support. Later that day, Steve was back in Terminal 4 ensuring kiosks, Order At the Table systems, and all Point of Sale systems were running per usual. How about that for PASSION?

"Just another day in the life of an IT professional," replies Steve.

05/05/2023

The SSP America team was proud to attend the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) Women in Aviation Luncheon this week. Special thanks as always to Todd Hauptli and Jacky Sher Raker for a great event and leadership.

And special thanks to Sylvia and Oris Dunham for the invite as well! We were pleased to represent Sylvia!

Michael Svagdis
Erin Humphreys
Lana Cramer
Sarah Porwick
George Mboya
Bob Stanton
Stacey Rush
Hannah D’Arezzo
Rose Awuah

05/05/2023

Cinco De Mayo

Oh and by the way. . . behave yourselves! ;)


"

05/04/2023

It's National Small Business Week! We reached out to a select few of SSP America's brand partners to reflect on our partnerships, commemorate our collaboration, and to recognize their respective local success. Karen and Patrick Dains opened Ajo Al's original location in Glendale, Arizona back in 1986 with a passion for exploring Sonoran-style Mexican food. Nearly 40 years later, their son Daniel Dains owns and operates four Ajo Al's locations throughout Southern Arizona alongside his brother Patrick, and the brothers have cemented the brand's legacy as a local institution.

SSP America operates Ajo Al's fifth location in PHX. Daniel explains, "SSP America really are the food travel experts. We weren't quite sure how things would go when we were presented with the opportunity to open a new location in the Phoenix Airport. But Natalie Greene made sure we knew what to expect, explaining how the development process would go and ensuring a smooth ride. It's been great to work with her and SSP America."

Thanks, Daniel! We love Ajo Al's!

05/03/2023

Farmers' Market Featuring Indiana Grown

"It's National Small Business Week! The Farmers' Market Featuring Indiana Grown offers homegrown Hoosier products from small business owners across the state of Indiana, including Tulip Tree Creamery and Circle Beverage. The full-service restaurant and retail concept is the result of a vision shared between SSP America, Indianapolis International Airport, and Indiana Grown members to establish a sense of place in the Indy Airport's Concourse B. It's amazing what happens when we come together to create a 'taste of place'!



Bob Stanton"

05/02/2023

SSP America

COO Amanda Busby and the Regional Vice Presidents are at the Support Center this week! They’ve got a busy week with an action-packed agenda. Amanda and the RVPS are pictured here with Mike Steinfeld, Tim Wilmes and Sheri Dykowski!

Check out the PASSION Cup in the photo. This a brand new competition created just this year for our directors of operations. PASSION Cup winners will be announced this Fall. There will be one director of operations named from a small, medium, and large airport as the winners—the best of the best from SSP America.

Ahmad Almasri
Tim Clark
Thomas Romig
Ed Hartless
Jerod Wright
Richard Wilson
Geoffrey Lentz

We're passionate about bringing cool, authentic restaurants to airports that reflect a taste of place

05/02/2023

It's National Small Business Week! We reached out to a select few of SSP America's brand partners to reflect on our partnerships, commemorate our collaboration, and to recognize their respective local success. Back in 2009, The Founder & CEO of Bavaro Brands, Dan Bavaro, moved his family of seven from New Jersey into a 900 square foot Tampa Bay apartment to open his first Bavaro's restaurant. Today, Bavaro's has four successful locations, Bavaro brand house-recipe sauces are sold throughout Florida, and Dan has opened a new fast-casual Italian concept called Oronzo in Midtown Tampa.

SSP America operates Bavaro's at TPA alongside Dan and the family. Dan explains, ""Bavaro's has been a partner of SSP America at Tampa International Airport going on seven years. SSP's attention to detail and commitment to hiring and training a quality team is very impressive. The ability to replicate a traditional Neapolitan pizza concept in an airport, where recipes are from scratch, is a tough task to ask for and they've done an outstanding job. We are grateful for our partnership and look forward to the future at Tampa International!""

Thank you, Dan! We're proud to partner with Bavaro's!

05/01/2023

SSP America

SSP America's Chief Legal Officer Jag Singh leads a team of lightning-fast legal minds who make meaningful and collaborative partnerships happen through the law. Their commercial strategy complements that of the overall company, making them a catalyst for SSP America's continued growth. For National Law Day, we got in touch with Jag to talk about his specialized leadership style and the importance of ethics in leadership.

"You have to be adaptable—and that takes knowing what your core values are. People are different, and at SSP especially, we encourage everybody to express their unique personalities. No doubt people are most likely to excel when they're able to be themselves. And as a leader, you have to set values and standards, and you have to stick to them. You have to remember where you came from." As a son whose parents immigrated to America from India with almost nothing, Jag knows exactly what that means.

"This all culminates in a shared level of trust within my team and with anyone I work with. I try and be hyper-responsive to people's needs—putting theirs above my own, listening more than talking, and then speaking with credibility when it's time to lay down the law. Sometimes we have to get into the tough stuff, but trust and PASSION for SSP forges the path forward."

Thank you for your words, Jag. And shoutout to the legal team!

We're passionate about bringing cool, authentic restaurants to airports that reflect a taste of place

04/27/2023

What an amazing ribbon cutting in San José Mineta International Airport yesterday! We're incredibly proud to be a part of the San José community and the blissful traveling experience SJC is creating. With a bonafide 'taste of place,' Jim Stump's Taproom + Kitchen is sure to complement the airport's mission of connecting with its community. Located in Terminal B, the restaurant is a chef-driven concept courtesy of San José local Chef Jim Stump.

SSP America's team was joined by joint venture partner and owner of Sarah's Foods, Sarah Imberman. Co-Owner and Chief Brand Officer of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Cynthia Lohr, presented some of her favorite wines offered at Jim Stump's Taproom + Kitchen. Tremendous thanks to all those involved! And thank you team SJC!

04/27/2023

Thank You Thursday

Plenty to be thankful for this Thursday at our Support Center as NEW food travel experts have convened for our monthly new hire orientation. Welcome newbies! We’re super glad you joined the team.

We also recognized a big group of food travel experts with PASSION Awards for their commitment to our PASSION Principles. Congrats to all and THANK YOU for your service from the heart!

04/26/2023

SSP America's food travel experts collaborate across different departments to stay on top of the latest trends in food and beverage. Our light and refreshing Renew Spring Drinks cater to this season's vibe in taste and in presentation. Shoutout to our mixologists for the recipes!

04/25/2023

As SSP America is known to do, yesterday we cut the ribbon at our newest restaurant—The Orange Line at Chicago Midway International Airport. The Chicago Department of Aviation's Commissioner Jamie Rhee and Vantage Airport Group Sammy Patel, representing Midway Partnership, were on hand to take part in the ceremony.

Named after the city's rapid transit system, The Orange Line is a Chicago-inspired concept and the latest to join SSP America's MDW portfolio. The restaurant hosts passengers in a contemporary ambiance and celebrates Chi-town culinary favorites.

The Orange Line is our 25th restaurant at MDW—all of which are operated by SSP America's dedicated team members who PASSIONately deliver the 'taste of place' for which we're known. Thank you to our entire MDW team! You are the reason we're so proud!



The Chicago Department of Aviation
Robert Hudson
Ahmad Alamsri
Bob Stanton

04/24/2023

Located within the award-winning Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Bad Egg Breakfast Bar is an SSP America boutique brand and concept developed by our food travel experts. The hip spot's energy during Sea-Tac's early morning breakfast rush is like none other—local, rebellious, and downright cool. Vintage elements complement the breakfast bar's warm and modern ambiance, giving passengers the feel of a new-school urban diner—complete with new takes on breakfast classics and an eclectic Bloody Mary menu.

Sebastian Rotteveel, SSP America's vice president, marketing innovation & internal concepts, is the creator of Bad Egg Breakfast Bar. ""As the saying goes, it's the most important meal of the day—and early-morning travelers count on airports for quality breakfast options. With Bad Egg, we sought to raise the bar. The airport breakfast can be something new and innovative, rather than routine. I reckon a lot of people are surprised to see dishes like the locally-inspired PNW Avocado Salmon Toast and the Donut & Spam Outback Sandwich.""

That's right, Seb! And we bet they like the way they taste, too.