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The words 'fresh' and 'airport' seldom go together. After all, airports are notorious for their ho-hum food offerings. But this could soon change if passengers and employees at Chicago O'Hare International airport get their way.
The Huffington Post reports that a new survey conducted by Unite Here Local 1, which represents more than 1,000 food service employees at O'Hare, found that there is a huge demand for fresh, local foods.
According to the 200 employees surveyed, about 57 percent of customers asked whether their food was made from scratch or prepared from pre-packaged and frozen ingredients.
The survey also revealed 78 percent of passengers would like to see food made from fresh ingredients while 89 percent of employees would prefer if restaurants served food made from stratch.
The demand for better foods at airports has been a trend for a while now. Consumer complaints led to New York's JFK airport upcoming $28 million food makeover and pushed airlines to hire Michelin-starred chefs to develop menus.
However, the demand for fresh foods reveals a different type of focus. Passengers and airline employees don't just want overpriced pre-packaged food even if it comes from celebrity chefs. They are demanding fresh, healthy but also locally sourced food.
Thanks to the survey, which is aptly called Putting Sustainability on the Table: Airport Workers' Vision for $3 Billion of Food and Drink at O'Hare, the city of Chicago will establish guidelines for request proposals from food companies interested in becoming aiport purveyors. The contract will be for an estimated $3 billion.
Related: How Fresh Is Your Food?
Via Huffington Post
