SSP America's Tigin Irish Pub Named a Customer Service Champion By DFW International Airport

LANSDOWNE, Va., Jan. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SSP America, the North American division of SSP, the leading operator of food and beverage brands in travel locations worldwide, are proud to announce that Tigin Irish Pub has been distinguished as a "2011 Customer Service Champion" by Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport in the "Casual Dining/Bar -- High Volume" category.  The announcement of the award took place at the airport's annual Customer Service Award Ceremony held during DFW's Concessions Celebration Forum.

Jeff Jumper, SSP's General Manager at DFW and his Tigin team were singled out for their superior customer service at the world's fourth-busiest airport (operations). 

"We were all elated to see that our hard work and dedication paid off to becoming genuine food travel experts and we have the trophy on display in the bar.  This is truly a team effort and requires that everyone involved be passionate and committed every day, and to try and provide that memorable experience for each and every guest.  We look forward to continuing our vision and hopefully can do this again next year," Jumper enthused.

Every year, the airport employs external mystery shoppers to secretly eat and drink at the airport's numerous restaurants and bars.  Each unit is "shopped" at least once a month over the course of a year with an average of 18 times in total.  The judging is based on a set of highly stringent criteria ranging from how quickly the customer was greeted to the cleanliness of the store.   The covert nature of the exercise lends to the integrity of the award -- the judging is based on true merit.

The awards honor the airport's most outstanding "Customer Service Champions" based on five different categories:  Casual Dining/Bar, Quick Serve, Snack/Specialty Coffee, Specialty Retail and News/Convenience.  Each category is then divided into low and high volume groups based on transactions.  Winners of the highly competitive award receive a $5,000 performance bonus and a Texas-sized trophy.

"At DFW Airport, we consistently pursue a high level of customer service and we focus on enhancing the passenger experience, as evidenced by our Customer Service Champion Awards," said Zenola Campbell, vice president of concessions for DFW.  "That's why we are so pleased to honor award winners such as Tigin Irish Pub and their employees for their commitment to providing world class service for our passengers."

Kieran McGill, President and CEO of Fado Pubs, Inc, the parent company that owns the Tigin (pronounced Ti-geen) brand commented, "The Tigin experience is centered around looking after guests in a personal way and living up to the expectation of Irish hospitality.  To surpass this expectation the way they have in the fast-paced airport environment is an enormous achievement. We're extremely proud of what SSP and the team in DFW has accomplished."

SSP America's president and CEO, Les Cappetta, also commented, "I am enormously proud of our team at DFW and I'm thankful to the staff at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for giving us what we consider to be a truly honorable award.  We hold this accolade in the highest regard as it honors our core belief in hospitality and providing our customers with the best possible customer service.  We will strive to continue this level of service -- not just at DFW, but at every airport that it is our pleasure to serve in."

Providing a familiar face to passengers from Ireland, the Tigin Irish Pub & Restaurant pays homage to ancient Irish law and promises to deliver "food, drink, a warm bed if possible, and entertainment" to its guests. Travelers will enjoy the ambiance of Tigin, which allows its customers to "relax and be themselves, to take pleasure in the art of conversation; to revel in music and song; to combine good wholesome food with satisfying and distinctive drinks."

The menu features a traditional "All-Day Irish Breakfast" with Irish sausage, thick bacon rashers and authentic black pudding, corned beef sandwiches with horseradish mayo and onion relish, and "Black and Tan" brownies. Friendliness, humor, hospitality, fine Irish food and drink - all these combine to make Tigin the best Irish Pub experience this side of the Atlantic.

Tigin Irish Pub is located in DFW's Terminal D at Gate 20.

About SSP

SSP is the leading dedicated operator of food and beverage brands in travel locations, operating restaurants, bars, cafes, food courts, lounges and convenience stores in airports, train stations, motorway service stations, shopping malls, conference centers and other leisure locations. With a heritage stretching back over 60 years, today SSP has 30,000 employees, serving millions of customers every week. It has business at over 140 airports and over 250 rail stations, and operates more than 2,100 units in 30 countries around the world.

SSP operates an extensive portfolio of over 200 international, national, local and specialty brands. These include Upper Crust, Starbucks, Caffe Ritazza, M&S Simply Food, Bonne Journee, Caviar House & Prunier, and leading Japanese noodle brand Ajisen Ramen as well as stunning bespoke concepts such as the Montreux Jazz Cafe in Geneva and Sydney and the Bambini Wine Room in Sydney. Its brand portfolio is tailored for each specific location, depending on variables such as passenger profile, consumer need states, location type, size and design.

About SSP America (SSP Canada)

SSP America operates in more than 40 airports across North America bringing a variety of local, regional and national brands to the traveling consumer at a vast array of price ranges.  Third party brands in the company's broad portfolio include The Palm Restaurant, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Gordon Biersch, Panda Express, Tigin, Peet's Coffee & Tea, T.G.I. Friday's, Tim Hortons, The Great American Bagel and Buffalo Wild Wings.  SSP America's brand portfolio also includes strong, local award-winning icons such as Laurelwood Public House & Brewery, Harry & Izzy's, Nonna Bartolotta's, and Alterra Coffee.

Contact: Darleen Nascimento
SSP America
(703) 723-5418
[email protected]

SOURCE SSP America