Columbia, SC – (Nov. 5, 2007) After three months of thoughtful planning, partnering and redesigning, travelers coming and going through Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CMA) will experience brand-new dining concepts before and after the security check point. Concession Carolina, LLC, a partnership between Concessions International, LLC and Boss Hogg BBQ dba The Friendly Caterer, have spent nearly a year revamping the dining experience at CMA to better meet the needs of the increased number of travelers.

According to Mike Flack, Executive Director, Columbia Metropolitan Airport, there are more than 1.2 million travelers passing through Columbia Metropolitan Airport each year. “The new and improved food court experiences should pleasantly delight those who regularly travel in and out of Columbia as well as those passing through,” said Flack.

The new eatery options include sit-down dining as well as a grab ‘n’ go counter in the Sky Bar & Café that features the Coffee Beanery and Groucho’s Deli Express prior to going through the security check point. Airside, overlooking the tarmac, is the Riverbanks Bar & Grill and Groucho’s Deli featuring the Coffee Beanery and Edy’s Ice Cream.

“We are very encouraged by the reception of the new concepts at Columbia Metropolitan Airport,” said Anthony Joseph, president, Concessions International, LLC. “Bringing Columbia’s riverbanks theme into the airport as well as Columbia’s very own Groucho’s Deli, provides a taste of the community whether you’re arriving in or leaving Columbia.”

Coffee Beanery
JoAnne and Julius Shaw opened their first Coffee Beanery in a mall in 1976 well before “specialty coffee” was a household term. The Coffee Beanery is a privately held company that franchises and supports a network of upscale cafes, retail stores, carts and kiosks that specialize in serving the finest specialty Arabica coffee. Since then the chain has expanded to over 140 stores in the United States and 6 other countries including China, Cyprus, and Quatar.  Of those locations, Coffee Beanery has 16 airport locations and is proud to partner with Concessions Carolina, LLC to open two new stores in the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

“We have found that some of our most loyal customers are travelers,” said JoAnne Shaw, founder and president of Coffee Beanery.  “They may not have a Coffee Beanery in their town, but they make sure that they stop and enjoy one of our delicious drinks when they are at an airport with one of our stores – even if that means walking to another terminal just to get it.”

Groucho’s Deli
Harold ‘Groucho’ Miller came to Columbia in 1941 with a handful of original recipes for potato salad, coleslaw, and various salads and sandwich dressings – most of which were thought up during his childhood in a Philadelphia orphanage. He opened Miller’s Deli, but because of his brash Groucho Marx-like sense of humor, and his incredible likeness to the famed comedian, the city of Columbia nicknamed him and his restaurant Groucho’s. There are 17 locations in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.

"Groucho's Deli is greatly impressed by the remodeling Concessions Carolina, LLC has achieved at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. The food court is now a beautiful, functional, and traveler-friendly sight to behold,” said Bruce Miller, president, Groucho’s Franchise Systems LLC. “Groucho's Deli is delighted to have Concessions Carolina as a franchise operator that is producing the high quality subs, salads, and famous dressings that our founder devised over 65 years ago, and offering the Groucho’s experience in a fast, fresh and authentic way. Now, when travelers return to Columbia, they will know they are back home.”

Riverbanks Bar & Grill
With a prominent mural depicting typical river scenes of the Columbia region, Riverbanks Bar & Grill, a concept created just for the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, is a full-service restaurant big enough to accommodate traveling families as well as business travelers. Airside, Riverbanks Bar & Grill delivers a full-service bar and a menu filled with comfort food and such regional staples as pot roast, fried catfish, chicken and sausage pilau, gourmet sandwiches, burgers, salads, pizzas and deserts as well as hot breakfast items.

ABOUT CONCESSIONS CAROLINA, LLC
Concessions Carolina, LLC is a partnership between Concessions International, LLC and Boss Hogg BBQ dba The Friendly Caterer, which is owned and operated by South Carolina’s Herbert and Sandra Sims.

ABOUT CONCESSIONS INTERNATIONAL, LLC
Concessions International currently operates more than 70 concessions in eight airports, including casual dining, quick service, snack, deli, and bar concepts. The company is a franchisee of major national brands including Wendy’s, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Houlihan's, Caribou Coffee, Wall Street Deli, and Einstein Bros. Bagels.