Plans for new restaurants at O’Hare International Airport’s Terminal 5 are moving forward.
Permits have recently been filed with the City of Chicago including for one of several restaurants that will open at the airport under the direction of AirBrands, an airport concessions, consulting, and brand management firm.
With comment from John Wober, President of AirBrands and Kevin Bargnes, Director of Communications for Chicago Department of Aviation, What Now Chicago was able to confirm plans for at least six restaurants in Terminal Five.
Each restaurant has its own style and ranges from fast service to sit down dining. “These locations will open in phases through early 2024,” Bargnes shared with What Now Chicago on Tuesday.
Two of the restaurants slated to open in T-5 will be offering table service with an full bar and upscale food menu.
Bar Siena is one of the table service restaurants coming to terminal five. The executive chef is well known hospitality developer and television chef, Fabio Viviani. “Viviani was a contestant on Top Chef, also voted as fan favorite for his season,” Wober told What Now Chicago last week. Chef Viviani came in fourth place on the cooking competition show during the fifth season.
Along with Bar Siena, T-5 is going to see a new The Hampton Social location open its doors. The Hampton Social expands out to Tennessee and Florida as well as Chicago. They prides themselves in “modern coastal cuisine” on their Instagram and showcase their menu on their website.
The restaurant list doesn’t stop at Bar Siena and The Hampton Social. Set to open in Terminal Five is Butcher and The Burger, a gourmet burger joint that also offers salads.
“Chick-fil-a and The Protein Bar will serve passengers looking for a fast-casual experience,” Bargnes shared. The well-known chain, Chick-fil-a, serves up fried and grilled chicken sandwiches along with sides like salads, fruit cups and fries. The Protein Bar offers scrambles, smoothies, shakes, salads, oatmeal and parfaits.
Metropolis Coffee is also set to open in T-5 come 2024. The coffee spot will offer coffee, snacks and other beverages to passengers.
“These new restaurants showcase the diversity of Chicago,” Bargnes told What Now, “They have achieved an Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (ACDBE) of 40%, which greatly exceeds the federal requirement of 10%.”
Other new concepts will be announced in the months to come.
