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A multi-year effort by the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 International Sunport to revamp its dining offerings is nearly complete, with the opening of two new concepts late last month.

The Sunport鈥檚 newest concepts include Laguna Burger and Frank鈥檚 Famous Chicken & Waffles. They launched in partnership with North Carolina-based Tailwind Concessions, one of the Sunport鈥檚 dining operators.

鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to welcome these beloved restaurants to the Sunport,鈥� Manny Manriquez, director of the city鈥檚 Aviation Department, said in a statement.

The openings mark what the Sunport described in a social media post as 鈥渁 major milestone鈥� in the city of sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Dream of Flight initiative 鈥� a roughly $90 million effort to rejuvenate the Sunport with new dining, retail and infrastructure improvements.

The city first issued request for proposals for its food and beverage concessions program in 2023, seeking bids from airport operators to create and bring several new food, coffee and beverage concepts into the terminal.

The project aimed to prioritize local businesses, making sure travelers get a true taste of New Mexico when passing through the Sunport. The revamped concessions are also available to those who have the Sunport鈥檚 FlySide Pass, a free program that allows people to access airport amenities without flying.

Mayor Tim Keller hailed the recent additions, saying in a statement, 鈥淕reen chile cheeseburgers, chicken and waffles: This is sa国际传媒官网网页入口 flavor at its best. Supporting local businesses like these is an investment in sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 identity.鈥�

Laguna Burger has six locations across New Mexico and Frank鈥檚 Famous Chicken & Waffles has one location in Nob Hill. Their Sunport counterparts are situated right next to each other in the post-security concourse near gates A4 and A6. The restaurants are open at 4 a.m. daily, closing at 8 p.m. Sunday through Friday and at 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

Maxine Velasquez, CEO and president of Laguna Development Corp., Laguna Burger鈥檚 owner, called it an honor 鈥渢o bring the Laguna Burger experience to the Sunport.鈥�

Laguna Burger was first launched in 2005 outside of The Pit Stop convenience store off Interstate 40. The business debuted after several decades of the Laguna Pueblo featuring the green chile cheeseburger in its traditional celebrations known as feast days.

More than two decades later, the Laguna burger is well-known both on and off the pueblo, and the business says plans are in the works to 鈥渕ake the Laguna Burger an iconic, stand-alone fast casual hamburger brand throughout the Southwest United States.鈥�

For Frank Willis, owner and founder of Frank鈥檚 Famous Chicken & Waffles, the airport launch is a way to give back to a city that 鈥渆mbraced us from the start.鈥�

Willis started the restaurant more than a decade ago, after moving from Los Angeles to play for the New Mexico Lobos in the early 1990s. The idea for the business came from a longing for the soul food he鈥檇 known from home and, with help from his sister, he launched the venture from her apartment.

The family-run operation is now a staple of Nob Hill鈥檚 dining scene and is still run by multiple generations within Willis鈥� family.

The Sunport has only one more concept left to open before the dining aspect of the Dream of Flight renovation is complete. A Sunport spokesperson said the airport is currently finalizing the final concept and will share more details at a later date.