Sitting in Philadelphia Airport drinking a pint of Hop Hog IPA beer from the Lancaster Brewing Company in nearby Lancaster, PA reminded me of a recent USA Today article about the growth of local food fare in airports. According to the article:

“There was a trend toward national brands in the 1990s, but now there’s a desire for more balance with local brands,” says Pat Banducci, senior vice president of HMS Host, a concessionaire at 102 airports worldwide, including 73 in North America. Local restaurants make up 20% to 40% of all eateries at most big U.S. airports, Banducci says. He expects that to grow to 50% within five years.

We’ve talked about this trend in earlier TravelCommons podcasts. My travels through Memphis last year were each punctuated with meals at either the Corky’s or Interstate BBQ stands in the airport, and my single memory of Austin airport was lunch at Salt Lick BBQ. However, beer seems to be the most popular local fare. The Independence Brew Pub here in Philadelphia Airport, the Anchor Steam bar in San Francisco Airport, the Gordon Biersch Brew Pub in San Jose Airport… Though my own personal sampling could be biased.

The USA Today article suggests that “the shift to local restaurants began largely after 9/11. People are spending more time in airports, checking in hours before flights to meet security requirements.” It’s not just additional security requirements, though, that are giving people additional “dwell” time in airports. Through June, 27.1% of flights were at least 15 minutes late or canceled, a record for the period, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. With 2-3 extra hours to kill in airports, getting a taste of local fare helps people get a little something out of a bad situation.

As good as this trend is, though, it’s just not the same as getting out and about in the city you’re visiting. Somehow I don’t think I’d find the egg, cheese, and scrapple sandwich I bought from a streetcart this morning on 18th Street anywhere in this airport.