By Sadef Ali Kully
With nearly 5 million passengers traveling through JFK International Airport each month, a few are bound to get hungry.
But now when those hunger pangs twinge, Terminal Four is ready to serve with its expansion of eight new fast-food and dine-in establishments during the last year.
The new restaurants include everything from “grab-and-go” sandwiches and snacks to coffee shops, popular branded eateries and top-rated, full-service restaurants and bars, all catering to a diverse passenger mix.
Terminal 4 is operated by management company JFKIAT, and all of the new restaurants are managed by SSP America, a operator of food and beverage concessions company.
Manhattan-based chain, Bento Sushi is known for its grab-and-go sushi and Japanese entrees, offering everything from the traditional California Roll to full meal solutions like rice bowls and bento boxes.
Camden Food Express serves a selection of healthy choices ranging from a hummus crunch vegetable wrap to gluten-free brownies.
Another bit of Asian cuisine is featured at the Canal St. Noodle House, which serves customized noodle bowls and Vietnamese-style sandwiches made from fresh ingredients daily.
For coffee lovers the ever-familiar, Dunkin’ Donuts Express serves hot and iced coffees and baked goods.
Coffee connoisseurs might enjoy Flatiron Coffee, which features an assortment of coffee choices sourced locally from Irving Farms and artisanal baked goods such as croissants, donuts, freshly baked sourdough bread, rolls and bagels.
For those passengers who are health conscious, Jamba Juice serves fruit smoothies with the option of energetic wheat shots, fresh squeezed juices, energy bowls, oatmeal, sandwiches, and a variety of baked goods and snacks.
New York brick-oven pizza cravings can be sated at Pizza Vino, which offers fresh out-of-the-oven, artisanal pies and a hand-picked, premium wine selection. It reopened this year after undergoing an expansion of a full-service bar.
For those passengers missing New York’s street food, Urban Crave is home to authentic street cuisine served in a storefront featuring vintage decor complete with warehouse bricks, beautifully reclaimed hardwood floors and a kitchen centered below a copper grill hood.
Terminal 4 at JFK Airport serves 32 international and domestic airlines with an annual passenger volume of more than 19.5 million travelers in 2015, according to JFKIAT.
JFKIAT and SSP America said they would continue working together to bring even more food and beverage options to the terminal later this year.
Reach Reporter Sadef Ali Kully by e-mail at skull
