Award-Winning Restaurateurs Provide Over 125 Jobs for Houston-Area Residents
LaTrelle’s has opened four new restaurants inside Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH), including two Peet’s Coffee restaurants, a Wendy’s, and the beloved Houston institution, Pink’s Pizza. A family-owned business, headquartered in Houston, LaTrelle’s owns and operates a diverse portfolio of restaurants in airports and cities across America. The four new restaurants at IAH will provide more than 125 jobs for area residents, as well as gourmet coffee, hand-crafted artisan pizzas, fresh-made burgers, and more, to the travelers and airport employees, who frequent IAH.
“We are honored to have been chosen to open four more restaurants at IAH. Our business began in the Houston airport system and nothing makes us happier than to share our passion for great food served fresh with the hundreds of thousands of people who travel through our hometown each day,” said Kenneth James, Chief Financial Officer for LaTrelle’s.
The opening of Pink’s Pizza inside IAH marks the first time this local favorite has been featured inside an airport. However, it is not the first time LaTrelle’s has taken a popular local restaurant concept and introduced it to an airport. “Innovation is a value we hold dear at LaTrelle’s. Twenty years ago, we were the first to bring Wendy’s and Subway to an airport. Since that time we’ve introduced a lot of great restaurants to airports, including Buffalo Wild Wings, Bullritos, and now Pinks,” said Wally James, Chief Operating Officer of LaTrelle’s.
Voted Houston’s Best Pizzeria by the Houston Press, Pinks opened its first pizzeria in Houston in 2007, and its reputation for making authentic hand-tossed pizzas soon led to the addition of seven more locations throughout the Houston area. In addition to being the first Pinks in an airport, the IAH location will be the first to feature a full breakfast menu, and a full bar stocked with locally crafted beers, as well as imports and specialty cocktails. Pinks is known for its homemade sauces and unique combinations of fresh ingredients on Pizzas featuring monikers like, Bada Bing, Magnifico, This Guy, and The Big Sleep.
Peet’s Coffee is known for its specialty gourmet coffee brewed from hand-roasted beans in small batches. In 2007, LaTrelle’s was the first restaurateur to open a Peet’s Coffee in Texas, and its overwhelming success led the company to introduce the brand to several airports, includingWilliam P. Hobby Airport, IAH, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The two new Peet’s opening in IAH will become LaTrelle’s seventh and eighth Peet’s in an airport. In addition to providing customers with rich and rewarding coffee experiences, Peet’s will also feature fresh pastries, healthy snacks and an array of coffee-themed gifts.
LaTrelle’s opened its first Wendy’s in an airport in 1993, and has since opened more than a dozen of the restaurants in both airports and cities. Throughout the more than 20 years of owning and operating Wendy’s, LaTrelle’s has garnered several honors including, Wendy’s Franchisee of the Year, highest sales volume, highest volume per square foot, and “Sparkle” Certification for cleanliness.Wendy’s has continued to be a favorite brand for LaTrelle’s because of their dedication to using only the highest quality ingredients in their recipes, and their shared commitment for serving only the freshest food.
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About LaTrelle’s— For over 30 years, LaTrelle’s has owned and operated a diverse portfolio of top franchises in some of America’s largest and busiest airports, cities and sports and entertainment venues. A James family company, LaTrelle’s has won countless awards for operational excellence, customer service, menu innovations, and cleanliness. LaTrelle’s is a trusted leader in the franchise management industry and CFO, Kenneth James, attributes the company’s expansive growth and continued success to its ongoing commitment to provide fresh food served well.