SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio International Airport is growing, with a new terminal, new loading facility and new parking garage in the works.
Soon, the north-side facility will also have new restaurants for travelers to try, as well as additional shopping options for people waiting for their flights.
"The airport is the first thing you see of the city, and the airport is the last thing you see in the city," said Jesus Saenz, San Antonio International Airport (SAT) director. "We want to make certain that that has a sense of place and representation of our beautiful city."
The ground loading facility has already begun construction.
"We've already finished the earthwork," Saenz said. "We're about to begin to erect the side walls and begin to put all of that up. We have plans on completing that no later than October of 2025."
Also being added are several new eateries providing travelers with Alamo City flavors.
Chef Johnny Hernandez, owner of La Gloria at the Pearl, opened the first chef-owned restaurant inside the airport 11 years ago. Now he's preparing to debut another, The Mercado, calling it a "representation of who he is as a chef, dedicated to Mexican food and local Tejano cuisine."
He'll also be mentoring other chefs, friends of his, that will be adding their own restaurants.
"The airport environment, it's complicated to operate," Hernandez said. "The city continues to evolve as a food community. To have this caliber of chefs that have been selected for this new vision, this new future of our airport, is amazing."
Joining the airport lineup are Southerleigh Fine Food and Brewery, a restaurant based in the Pearl; Horseshoe Tequila Bar; Pharm Table, coming from a chef at the Culinary Institute of America; Freight Fried Chicken, which is at the Food Hall; and Tre Pizzeria from Boerne.
Four of those restaurants have existing locations in the Pearl, the popular mixed-use district just north of downtown. Pearl CEO Mesha Millsap called it an "exciting development" and a "testament to the culinary excellence that has been cultivated" there.
"By bringing their distinctive flavors and dining experiences to the airport, these chefs are offering travelers an authentic taste of San Antonio's vibrant culinary landscape," Millsap said. "These expansions are not just a win for the individual restaurants, but a collective triumph for San Antonio's entire culinary community. It reflects the collaborative spirit that is propelling our city to the forefront of the national food scene."
New shops will also be added at SAT, including a Univision shop and a branch of Feliz Modern, a small north-side business located along Olmos Drive.
"I think as we are a large, heavily tourist city, we want to be able to have that representation in the airport so that as you're coming in and as you're exiting, it reflects our city," Saenz said.
There is no timeline yet on when the restaurant will be built, or when they might open.