Laurelwood Opens on Pdx Concourse E

LAURELWOOD OPENS ON CONCOURSE E

By Don Klover

All the buzz at the Portland airport last week was about the new Laurelwood Public House and Brewery opening up on Concourse E. Yes, there's already one on Concourse A that you may have run across over the past year, but up until now there hasn't been any place like it over on E.

There's often something especially satisfying about seeking refreshment while traveling. Happy as the next guy to find a fast food counter when I'm really in a hurry, I prefer to search out a more comfortable perch where I can relax a bit and explore a more varied menu. Historically, airport fare was right up there with hospitals and convenience stores when it came to their food and drink options, so I'd try to take care of those needs off site. Fortunately, Portland knows a thing or two about quality.

Quietly opened at PDX a few weeks previous, the new Laurelwood Public House and Brewery was officially kicked off last Thursday at a formal ribbon cutting ceremony. Their might have been a better turnout if it hadn't been held on the 'secure' side of security. But there were upwards of forty in the crowd as it was. And with all of the passengers on Concourse E coming and going right though the middle of things, it turned out to be a bit of a spectacle.

Represented were the Port of Portland (the landlord), SSP America, (the operator), Laurelwood (the local business), even the Oregon Brewers Guild (the industry). It seems the process of opening and operating a new location at the airport is a bit more involved than one of its counterparts in town. But that's fair, as all of the players have a stake in the outcome. I'm happy to say that in Laurelwood's case at least, it works.

The Port, proud of its "Best Airport in the US" ranking from Condé Nast, supports and promotes locally owned businesses, runs a rigorous recycling program, and insists that its tenants offer travelers the same items at the same prices that they'd get in town. SSP, the operator, competing in 125 airports around the world, is especially motivated to differentiate itself in part by engaging local businesses in the healthy and organic niche. Laurelwood was a natural – and important - match with their already locally famous organic and sustainable foods and beers. An having all of this occur at PDX, where hundreds of thousands travelers pass through

You can now go either to Concourse A or E for the same quality of food and service you've come to expect at their pubs here in town. The prices are the same. In fact, they offer happy hour and several of their same house-made beers.