City Hall Diary
Last week the city council unanimously approved a concession agreement for the new airport terminal. Believe it or not, the Chamber of Commerce and the Working Partnerships Labor Union both agreed on the selection. Whew! If only agreements like this could happen more often.
However, in my opinion, the best part of this selection is that many local small businesses that have made their mark in San Jose by risking their capital years ago will now have the opportunity to be showcased at the airport. These include local favorites like Schurra’s Chocolates on The Alameda, Chiramonte’s Deli on North Thirteenth, Hicklebee’s Children’s Bookstore on Lincoln Ave, Willow Street Pizza, Paolo’s and San Jose Sharks Bar & Grill. I can’t wait. Can you just imagine all of these great businesses all in one location? San Jose here we come!
Last July, during our council break, I co-hosted a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce to raise the awareness that local small businesses should have a fair chance of being selected as tenants at the airport. The attendance was great and I believe that meeting played a part in bringing awareness; thus, we have many San Jose small business tenants moving forward.
City staff and a committee representing labor, the chamber and the convention visitors’ bureau reviewed the proposals that were submitted. The council was not directly involved, although I did make my support known for local businesses. By awarding these contracts, the city and the airport do not have to manage individual rental agreements with each tenant. If we did, it could take a lot of staff time and inevitably become political by having individual tenants lobby the council members.
The new concessions will not only change perceptions of our airport, but they are projected to bring in double the sales tax from today’s amount of $280,000 to $564,000. Revenue to the airport via rents will increase from $3.7 million to $8.2 million, and there will be 271 new jobs. Granted, they are service jobs; however, they will be paid living-wage hourly rates.
As much as the airport is criticized, most people still find it valuable for air travel. In fact, a former colleague of mine who happens to live in Menlo Park chooses to drive to San Jose instead of San Francisco Airport (SFO) to fly to Seattle every week. Even though SFO is closer, he finds San Jose’s airport easier to get in and out of.
San Jose will have a new face to show off in 2010 and I hope that you all check it out. Whether you are traveling or not, it will be worth the visit.
NTS, if you’re correct, that bodes well for anyone who walks into the Willow Street Pizza installation at the new terminal. By far the WORST designer pizza I have ever eaten was produced by Willow Street. How they stay in business with multiple locations is beyond me. Looks like SJC is keeping true to this town’s form and putting their worst foot forward in this regard. People are going to order a pizza and have a horrible first or last impression of what this town has to offer when it comes to restaurants. If SJC wanted to offer a somewhat unique pizza option, they should have put House of Pizza in there. I’m not saying HOP is the best in town, but it’s at least satisfying, which can never be said for the sparse and tasteless fare from Willow Street. Even Marriott’s can do better.
Sonoma Chicken Coop @ SJC lends it’s name to a franchise operated by the mega-corp that does lots of airport food. I don’t know it’s current name, but it used to be called Host International.
It’s not just the airport concessions that’s brought agreement between the Chamber of Commerce and Labor.
Last week both groups, along with Santa Clara County Democrats, agreed to work jointly to oppose the recall of Madison Nguyen.
It’s interesting to see two groups so often at odds finding common ground.
#2 Mark T: While I disagree about the quality of Willow Street Pizza I’d nominate Giorgio’s for the best Pizza in San Jose.
“How they stay in business with multiple locations is beyond me.”
Totally agree – one of San Jose’s unsolved mysteries for sure.
Long overdue.
Also there is finally free WiFi at the airport.
If offering a sample of local flavor to airport travelers is the City’s intention, then tell me, who won the taco truck concession, and will frozen treats be from Cold Stone or a Mexican pushing a cart?
#4-MC-“Last week both groups, along with Santa Clara County Democrats, agreed to work jointly to oppose the recall of Madison Nguyen.”
So much for allowing the tax-paying citizens of D7 to have their voices heard and cast their vote unhampered!
Even if it’s not the best foot going forward, it’s an improvement. The misconceptions about this city are disgusting. I had some Frisconian look at me strangely when I asked what part of San Jose he’d be commuting to for his job. He sarcastically said, “Part? I didn’t know it had parts. I thought it was just a bunch of Olive Gardens.” I looked up Olive Garden locations on their site, and apparently this city has one lone restaurant on Blossom Hill. Wow, how lame and suburban!
I’m actually hoping I’ll be able to buy a flat of strawberries from a guy standing near the baggage carousel.
What? No light rail, BART, going to the airport?
???
Oh, OK, it is only a second class airport. Sorry I even asked.
Now you’ve done it, Kenny. Taco trucks and a paletas peddler or two might have escaped her notice, but as soon as Blanca Alvarado spots a Mexican selling strawberries at a baggage carousel she’s going to demand that Valley Med build a hospital annex inside the terminal to provide for the underserved workers.
Take a closer look.I don`t believe these independant San Jose restaurants will be operating a business at the airport.I believe their name will be used but the restaurants will be operated by Marriott.Starbucks name is at the S.J.Airport but is not operated by Starbucks but by Marriott.
If you go to the San Francisco Airport the same is true.“Emporio Rulli Bakery from Larkspur” is at the Airport in name only. Rulli is an award winning bakery but, at the Airport Marriott has continued to cut back the operation to the point the two locations (in the international section) are simply two deli`s with sandwiches soft drinks and coffee,a big disappointment. Il Fornaio at the San Francisco Airport has changed too, it now serves coffee,expresso, sandwhiches and biscotti,it looks just like the Starbucks at the San Jose Airport.Both of these two operations are Marin based businesses that have become subject of typical cut backs by Marriott to maximize profits.
I hope this doesn`t happen at the San Jose Airport.
Host International and Marriott are the same company.The division that services airports is called “Host Marriott Services”aka HMS Host International.Marriott employees only “Union employees”.This is why Starbucks licenced Mariott to sell their products at the S.J. Airport, Starbucks is a non union firm and refused to service the airport directly, the same way they they refused to go into the new San Jose City Hall.
If you visit Starbucks at the San Jose Airport and Visit Il Fornaio at the San Francisco Airport you will notice their is little differance between the two concepts.
Marriott and Ritz Carlton are owned by the same parent company. Ritz Carlton is “non Union”.
What happened to Emporio Rulli Bakery at the San Francisco Airport is a sad disappointment. The SF International Airport location does not resumble the famous Larkspur award winning Bakery.Host Marriott changed the concept and down scaled the concept to a snack bar type deli serving sandwhiches soft drinks and coffee.The same happned to Il Fornaio under HMS control at the SF Airport.Can we expect the same to happen to our local businesses operating at the SJ Airport?
I can’t believe how out of touch you guys are.
I fly out of/into Mineta a lot, mostly out of necessity. The idea that I want some “local favorite” is ridiculous. What I want is convenience in the extreme.
Willow Glen pizza? Are you kidding? OK, look. This is San Jose. We fly east from here, that means red eyes or mornings. What I want is coffee, not pizza. Get a Peet’s. SFO was smart enough to figure this out.
Even if you look at the existing terminal, most of the business goes to a sad little Noah’s. Who wants chocolate at 6am or 10pm? Seriously?
Does anyone on city council actually use logic in decision making or do you just look at the feel-good aspect only?
Did Pier read the proposal that was approved. The locals will be in name only. A huge company will run it. He also forgot to mention San Jose’s current airport operator helped Mineta rate as one of the worst airports for customer service in the country in the most recent national survey by business travelers. That the chamber supports something should scare everyone, that the Union supports it means it will cost some one more.
Pierluigi,
This wole Airport thing is a joke! Host/Marriott will be running these so called local restaurants in the SJ Airport, not local restaurant owners.
Our local independant restaurants are “non-union”, Marriott/Host is union.Marriott/Host has our airport foodservice contract.Lets not get carried away.Marriott is a employeer that pays a living wage and that is a good thing,it is their ability to operate to the standards of these local named restaurants that is in question.All Marriott/Host care about is the bottom line, period.