HOUSTON – Airport travelers were surprised to see new restaurants like Gastrohub at Hobby Airport on Friday. Pappas BBQ used to be here.
This comes after the Houston City Council voted to enter into an agreement with the Areas group to take over the restaurant operations for the next 10 years. This led to a legal battle that Pappas lost.
Some travelers were unsure about the change.
“Seeing that it’s gone makes me kind of sad,” Tolani Are said.
Houston Airport System announced eight new temporary restaurants replacing Pappas. These include Gastrohub Bistro & Bar, Gastrohub, Streat, Streat Bar, Latrelle’s Mexican Kitchen, Pink’s Pizza, Pick Up Stix and Hubcap Bar & Grill.
“I mean, everything deserves a try, you know,” Josh said.
Pappas officially moved out at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. Pappas officials say they are not allowed to take equipment that rightfully belongs to them.
They released this statement:
“Today, HAS and the City of Houston refused to allow us to vacate our seats at Hobby Airport. We were working extraordinarily hard to take out all of the detachable devices when our team was greeted by the Chief of Airport Security and Law Enforcement, who instructed them not to remove devices purchased from Pappa’s restaurants. The city, on behalf of the Areas, advocates forcibly acquiring expensive equipment without payment. The behavior of the city continues to be shameful. Houston deserves better.” – Christina Pappas
The Houston City Legal Department responded by saying a contract said otherwise.
“The contractual arrangement between the City and Pappas allows Pappas to take away ‘removable’ furnishings at the end of the contract period, and Pappas is free to do so. However, Pappas also tries to dismantle and remove other important internals such as: B. Sinks with three compartments that are screwed or otherwise “permanently” attached to the Hobby Airport. Such relocations are contractually illegal, cause damage to airport facilities and would inevitably result in disruption to customer service as the airport switches suppliers. Pappas was repeatedly reminded of his contractual obligation to keep these “permanent” facilities in place, and those reminders were ignored. The City will continue to honor its contractual obligations to ensure a smooth transition as the Areas take over spaces previously operated by Pappas.” – COH Legal.
A total of 20 permanent gastronomy and retail concepts will be opened by the end of 2024.
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