How Airport Restaurant Design Elevates The Modern Traveler’s Journey

It doesn’t take a frequent flier to know that waiting in an airport for your flight can be an annoying, stressful and often disorienting experience filled with sensory overload from noise and crowds, uncertainty about delays and a feeling of having your autonomy taken away. This combination of external stressors combined with internal psychological effects makes it difficult to stay calm and patient.

In order to smooth out the traveler’s journey, Ideation Design Group (IDG) creates memorable dining experiences at airports throughout the country. When it comes to airport dining, gone are the days of bland food served in a sterile environment. Today’s travelers demand more than just sustenance; they want an experience. That’s why airport restaurant design is becoming increasingly important.

From their home base in Phoenix, IDG, a woman-led boutique architecture, design and foodservice firm, has become a go-to expert for magnetic hospitality experiences in some of the world’s most complex, fast-paced environments. With a strong hand in F&B and retail spaces in major international hubs like JFK, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, IDG has mastered the ability to curate a one-of-a-kind space that captures a brand’s unique spirit and drives consumer loyalty.

IDG Founder and CEO Jennifer Reynolds recently spoke about IDG’s design philosophy.

What factors are considered when creating desirable destinations within an airport?

When designing airport food and beverage, retail and lounge destinations, our goal at Ideation is to create an oasis within the intensity of travel. Airports can heighten people’s stress and sense of disorientation, so every design decision aims to relieve anxiety and restore a sense of calm.

We start with intuitive flow and hospitality-driven comfort, using warm finishes, textures and lighting that guides travelers naturally through the space. Our multidisciplinary approach allows us to blend architecture, interiors, foodservice and brand expression so the environment feels cohesive and welcoming.

From there, we layer in elements that elevate the experience beyond simple functionality. Whether it’s art, a connection to local culture, or spatial moments that encourage pause, we want travelers to feel delight and discovery. Ultimately, creating a desirable airport destination means crafting an experience that provides a moment of escape within the journey.

Describe a few of your most memorable projects.

Some of my most memorable projects are the ones where we’ve reimagined a restaurant, retail and lounge environments into destinations travelers truly look forward to visiting. One recent standout is Guy Fieri’s Flavortown at Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX).

We’ve had the opportunity to design several of Guy Fieri’s concepts across both national and international airports, and each one pushes us to capture his bold, high-energy personality in a way that still performs beautifully in high-traffic environments.

At PHX, that meant embracing his signature color, texture and attitude while ensuring the space could handle nonstop passenger flow. The result is a dynamic, high-vibe destination that travelers instantly recognize and gravitate toward, creating a true “you’ve arrived” moment in the concourse.

I also love our ongoing work with Sammy Hagar, particularly the new space in Charlotte Douglass International Airport (CLT).

Sammy’s world is all about warmth, rock-and-roll personality and a relaxed, signature island vibe. Bringing that to life in an airport meant finding the perfect balance between his laid-back spirit and the operational realities of a major hub. The Charlotte location captures his personality through rich woods, warm lighting and subtle nods to his music with the floating guitars and bar structure that has hints of the guitar neck, all while creating an atmosphere that feels both spirited and genuinely welcoming.

Beyond celebrity-driven concepts, some of my favorite projects are those where we elevate everyday dining or lounge experiences.

Whether it’s transforming with hospitality-focused materials and seating zones, designing specialty retail that reflects a brand with integrity or creating lounges that feel more like curated residential living rooms than airport amenities, these projects remind me how powerful good design can be. Seeing travelers relax, connect or simply smile because of a well-crafted space is incredibly rewarding.

Describe the art of translating a celebrity’s persona within a particular setting.

Designing for a celebrity means capturing the essence of who they are and expressing it through the built environment in a way that feels natural, not literal. We begin by understanding their personality, their passions and the quirks that define their brand. Those insights become the foundation for the mood, materiality and character of the space.

If they are drawn to bold contrast or a distinctive texture, we translate that into a statement finish or a signature feature moment. When their persona leans playful or high-energy, we reflect that through unexpected color, graphic elements or sculptural forms. For someone known for refinement, the design shifts toward quieter sophistication with controlled palettes, tailored details and elevated simplicity.

The goal is to create an environment that feels unmistakably theirs without becoming thematic or overly literal. It should be a space a fan can walk into and immediately sense the connection while still functioning seamlessly for the airport setting and the broader traveling public.