Quick update: This story was written in 2020. Want to read more about the new PDX?
If you’ve spent a couple of hours waiting in line for Portland’s most popular buttermilk-battered chicken and sweet potato waffles, then we’ve got good news: Your favorite brunch spot has unveiled plans for an outpost at PDX. And better yet, you won’t have to miss your flight to indulge.
As popular for its Southern flavors as its weekend crowds, Screen Door joins a roster of culinary stars setting up shop here over the next two years, as the newly expanded E and B concourses open in 2020 and 2021.
“It feels like we’re joining this Main Street at the airport,” says Nicole Mouton, who owns Screen Door with her husband, David. “As a traveler, I’m always impressed with how PDX is making a microcosm of Portland, pulling familiar concepts from around the city and putting them all in one place. It makes a big city feel more intimate, more like a community.”
The seven new spots range from Pacific Northwest icons such as Tillamook to neighborhood specialty roaster Good Coffee. (Read on to see the full roundup of newcomers.) Together they add even more dining options to an airport that’s already loved for its uniquely local food culture — something that few travelers realize is the result of a dedicated team working behind the scenes at the Port of Portland.
Why PDX feels like a neighborhood
“Pretty much everything about how we approach our business is different from other airports,” says Abby Carey, concessions development manager at PDX.
It’s common for major U.S. airports to maintain only a handful of leases with what’s known in the industry as a “master concessionaire,” typically a multinational corporation that leases and manages retail space on an airport’s behalf; this tends to lock out small and disadvantaged businesses. “The revenues to these huge corporations obviously don’t stay in the community, and a level of brand culture and authenticity is noticeably lost when a master concessionaire controls the entire program,” she adds.
Comparatively, the Portland International Airport maintains more than 60 leases, with a balanced mix of larger concessionaires and very small businesses. And by the time the new restaurants and shops open, 26% of the concessions at PDX will be certified women- and minority-owned.
This distinct approach keeps PDX’s character feeling true to the region, which is one reason passengers spend more money here than they do at other airports across the country — nearly $14 on average, placing Portland in the top three airports for traveler sales.
“I’m very passionate about the culture of my hometown,” Abby says. “I see my job as curator of all things Oregon and sharing that with people from across the country and around the world.”
Serving up Portland’s food scene
How does a restaurant get lucky enough to land a coveted storefront at PDX? It can be a challenging task, though PDX continues to take steps to reduce barriers to entry. Abby and her colleagues chat with businesses of all sizes and backgrounds to build awareness before the formal request for proposals (RFP) gets underway. After submission, proposals are scored on a range of detailed points from plans for employee wellbeing to waste reduction.
“The Port does an amazing job of reaching out to the community to encourage involvement from small businesses like ours,” says Katherine Lam, owner and president of Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen, which has a second PDX location slated for the expanded Concourse E. (You can enjoy Bambuza now at Concourse C.)
And the numbers from the latest RFP would seem to agree: The selection process for these new retail spaces was the most competitive in the airport’s history, with more than 40 applications received. That means more neighborhood character is coming soon to PDX.
“What I love about the airport’s food scene is that it reflects the Portland I see on the street every day,” Katherine says. “You find brands here that Portlanders love, small-businesses, and women- and minority-owned businesses. It gives travelers a taste of the true Portland experience.”
Your dining guide for the future
Coming to Concourse E in summer 2020:
- Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen — Get signature bánh mi, pho, rice bowls and more at this fast-casual spot, where 100% recyclable take-out packaging demonstrates eco-conscious values.
- Evergreens — Get your greens on at this Pacific Northwest staple. Build your own bowls or order off a menu of salads that features produce from regional sources.
- Jamba — OK, sometimes all we want is a cool, fruity smoothie. You can soon get your Jamba fix at PDX, too.
- Juliett — Raise a glass to women in aviation at the latest concept from the Lighting Bar Collective, who are behind some of Portland’s trendiest hangouts including The Sweet Hereafter and The Bye and Bye.
- Tillamook — You don’t have to go to the Oregon Coast to enjoy “dairy done right,” the mantra at this iconic creamery. Cheesy burgers, an ice cream counter and more Tillamook goodness is coming to PDX.
Coming to Concourse B in spring 2021:
- Good Coffee — Champion baristas helm this specialty roaster, which operates some of the most stylish cafes throughout the city. Expect Scandinavian-inspired minimalism and plenty of house plants.
- Screen Door — The wife-and-husband team behind this Southern comfort-food restaurant is teaming up with the pros at HMSHost to bring their vision to life at PDX.
Tom Strong - Chief Executive Officer, Skokomish Indian Tribe, Skokomish Washington
"We're foresters in that we're stewards," says Tom Strong, Chief Executive Officer of the Skokomish Indian Tribe, which manages 2,000 acres of Washington forests for its 800 tribal members. "We're not cutting and planting, seeking to develop our lands into a commodity. Instead, we're doing it to restore the forest."
Over the past 100 years, the two dams on the North Fork Skokomish River have had a major impact on the entire ecosystem of Skokomish land. "We want to restore the entire Hood Canal watershed," Tom says. The forests are just one part.
Selling wood from Douglas fir trees the tribe selectively thinned will help fund this restoration. "We don't have an endless amount of money," Tom says. "But we would like to think we've got an endless amount of time."
Ben Hayes - Co-owner, Hyla Woods, Cherry Grove, Oregon
Ben Hayes is a sixth-generation forester who manages Hyla Woods, outside Cherry Grove, Oregon, with his father, Peter. He is also a sustainable-forestry consultant. At Hyla Woods, the Hayes experiment with selective thinning and patch cutting, instead of clear-cutting, to foster diversity of tree species, ages, and sizes.
"When you look 100 years out, having greater complexity in terms of species and the structure of the forest, you can increase the forest's resilience in the face of extreme weather and drought," he says.
"We're working toward a model of forestry that you could practice for the perpetual future,” Ben says. “It's a model that lifts up both rural and urban communities and the ecosystems we rely on."
Richard and Ann Hanschu - Owners, Doneen, Forest Grove, Oregon
Ann Hanschu's father first bought land outside Forest Grove, Oregon, in 1956. Ann grew up trailing her father around the forest, learning from him. The Hanschus now have three children, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Richard says, "We're planting trees that our grandchildren will see the profits from — not even our children. It's long-range thinking."
"A lot of the timber is older,” Ann adds. “We're laddering it with trees of different age groups — some 30-40 years old, some 10-20 years old — so the land can continue to produce a sustainable amount of wood."
Herman Flamenco - Central Cascades Conservation Forester, The Nature Conservancy, Cle Elum, Washington
"We know historically that the stands we're working on were overstocked," says Herman Flamenco, Central Cascades conservation forester for the Nature Conservancy, of the 50,000 acres outside Cle Elum, Washington, the organization manages. Thinning the trees welcomes in light and biodiversity.
Some loggers in the region worry that this low-impact approach to forestry yields less lumber, and less profit, than clear-cutting. One local outfit took on this labor-intensive challenge, selectively harvesting Doug fir trees from steep slopes.
"Western Washington is wetter. In our dry climate, there's less moisture and increased fire risk," Herman says. "As we look at climate change, it's just going to get dryer. We want to make sure we can keep our forests around."
In the 1950s, back when people wore fancy hats to the airport, PDX’s main terminal had brown terrazzo floors.
By the 1970s, blue carpet sporting the old Port of Portland logo replaced the terrazzo. The airport was so concerned about keeping the carpet clean that we banned gum-chewing indoors.
In the 1980s, PDX replaced the ski-chalet paneling in the Clocktower Plaza with high ceilings and skylights, but kept the blue carpet.
SRG Partnership, a Portland-based architecture firm, designed the pattern for the now-iconic carpet on the layout of the airport runways.
The Clocktower Plaza, post-1988, with the iconic carpet.
The Clocktower Plaza (before its demolition in 2021-22) with the new carpet.
The flexible interior spaces were designed with the future of travel in mind — and to give you plenty of comfortable spots to recharge before your next flight.
Two permanent installations from acclaimed contemporary artist Jacob Hashimoto hang like clouds above the concourse’s common areas.
Shops and restaurants are clustered together like city blocks, with a pedestrian-friendly scale and lots of room to spread out.
PDX’s swanky new bar, Juliett, honors women in aviation with mid-20th-century style, top-class cocktails, and local wines and beers.
Sky-high windows fill the interior with daylight while maximizing the concourse extension’s energy efficiency.
At the east end of the concourse, a wall of windows opens up this epic view of Mt. Hood, where you’ll definitely want to pose for a photo before takeoff.
The Concourse E extension project is the dedicated home for Southwest Airlines at PDX, with six new gates.
Remember the view of Mt. Hood on Concourse E? It’s coming back, brighter than ever.
Tillamook’s menu includes the best of the classics with fried cheese curds and a signature grilled cheese.
Calliope takes its name from one of Oregon’s native hummingbirds and showcases creative and playful keepsakes.
Grab your favorite book, magazine or newspaper at Your Northwest Travel Mart.
Concourse B's 38-foot-high ceilings and 6,900 square feet of windows don't just let light in. They let you watch the airport in action. "I think this airport gave us a chance to celebrate the romance of flight," says Gene Sandoval of ZGF, the architecture firm that designed the new concourse.
ZGF Architects was inspired to bring the Pacific Northwest’s natural world indoors. You can contemplate the plants hanging from the ceiling and the Oregon white-oak walls as you relax in B’s comfy new seats. (Bonus: More power adapters!)
RYAN! Feddersen’s art installation, which fills the concourse, is made up of three interconnected pieces. The “Sentinel” landscapes and abstract “Habitat Tiles” are pictured here.
RYAN! is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. She draws inspiration from the region’s traditions and landscape for these pieces, which include the gently rolling “Cloud Walk” overhead.
Nicole and David Mouton, in partnership with HMSHost, opened an outpost of Portland’s beloved Screen Door Restaurant on Concourse B. Find Screen Door’s legendary fried chicken and waffles here from breakfast until dinnertime.
Sam and Nick Purvis, the brothers behind Good Coffee, source fresh coffee beans and teas from all over the world. Pick up a pastry or a bag of beans, too!
Our new rental car center opened in November 2021.
All rental car brands are now on-site at PDX – no more shuttles to pick up your car.
Perez Westbrooks' colorful digital mural celebrates Northwest flora.
Ben Butler's swirling wood sculpture is made from reclaimed Douglas fir.
The new facility also adds 30 ADA parking spots, more than 30 electric vehicle charging stations, and 2,200 long-term parking spaces to the airport.
Adding more lanes to our new, relocated exit toll plaza helps you leave PDX more quickly.
Every design decision we make is about keeping the heart and soul of PDX intact. You’ll see homages to all the things you love about our city and region in the new airport designs.
You’ll notice subtle nods to the Pacific Northwest landscape throughout the space. Natural light, living trees, and native Oregon foliage may give you the feeling of walking through a park.
The new terminal’s wooden ceiling, made from sustainably grown, local Doug fir, might remind you of daylight filtering through forest canopies.
This will be your new view when entering the spacious ticket lobby at PDX. The nine-acre wood roof is so distinctive you’ll be able to spot it from the air.
The ripples and currents of pristine Northwest rivers inspired the new terminal’s curvy profile.
Expanding the heart of PDX creates more space for our beloved local shops and restaurants — not to mention local humans (and visitors, too).