Hand-crafted Ales, Stylish Watches Touch Down at the AIRMALL(R) at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

CLEVELAND, March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Premium hand-crafted beer and sophisticated dress watches for men and women are the latest arrivals at the AIRMALL® at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE).  BAA Cleveland, developer of the new AIRMALL® at CLE, is pleased to welcome Gordon Biersch and Swatch to the concessions lineup at the AIRMALL®, which continues to change the face of the airport.  

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Located on Concourse D, Gordon Biersch (2,400 sq. ft.) is a full-service restaurant and brewery that uses the freshest and finest ingredients for its signature ales, which have garnered a number of awards in the past twelve years.  The restaurant has an expansive menu of made-from-scratch food, all served in a friendly atmosphere.  Founded in 1988 in Palo Alto, CA, Gordon Biersch now has 27 locations in 16 states and Washington D.C.

Passengers seeking a sleek new watch for themselves or a gift for someone else can now shop at Swatch (450 sq. ft.), a highly respected international brand that has opened a new unit on Concourse C.  Swatch features sophisticated dress watches for men and women in stainless steel and leather, along with women's fashion jewelry. Known for its high-quality, Swiss-born time-keeping technology, Swatch first made its mark on the retail landscape in the 1980s, becoming well known for its colorful, collectible plastic watches.  

"Respected, high-quality brands have become a hallmark of the new AIRMALL® at CLE as the development continues to take shape, and Gordon Biersch and Swatch are no exception," said Tina LaForte, vice president of BAA Cleveland. "Moreover, passengers can continue to shop and dine at "Regular Mall Prices…Guaranteed.  It's the AIRMALL® promise, and it has come to mean something to travelers in Cleveland."  

"We are very proud of how the new AIRMALL® at CLE has taken shape.  Passengers are responding very favorably to the new concessions," said Airport Director Ricky Smith.  "Coupled with the other improvements we are making, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has already become an example of how an airport can make a dramatic transformation that ultimately enhances the passenger experience."  

The City of Cleveland forged a 10-year contract with BAA Cleveland in February 2008 to develop and manage concessions at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE).  The city anticipates the AIRMALL® will double the current participation rate of local and minority-owned companies, dramatically increase the number of concession jobs, and double retail sales figures during the next decade.  

When complete, the AIRMALL® at CLE will occupy 76,000 square feet of retail space.

About BAA Cleveland

BAA Cleveland, Inc. is the developer and manager of the retail and concessions program at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE).  In 2008, BAA entered into a ten-year contract with the City of Cleveland to transform the retail, food and beverage concessions into the AIRMALL® at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, a strategic combination of well-known national brands and high-quality local concepts offered at "Regular Mall Prices…Guaranteed."  BAA Cleveland is a project of BAA USA, the developer and manager of the retail, food and beverage operations at the AIRMALLs® at Pittsburgh International Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Boston Logan International Airport (Terminals B and E).  BAA USA is an affiliate of BAA Limited, the world's leading airport company, which owns and operates six UK airports (Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow).  For more information, visit www.airmall.com or www.baausa.com.

SOURCE BAA Cleveland