Jul 8, 2016

Mobile Ordering of Food for Airport Travelers Poised for Big Growth

HMSHost and Grab partner to expand to restaurants in 80+ airports

BETHESDA, MD — Global restaurateur HMSHost and Grab, the largest e-commerce platform in U.S. airports, have formed a North American partnership to greatly expand the availability of mobile food and beverage ordering for HMSHost restaurants in more than 80 airports across the continent. This comes as the latest launch to capitalize on the trend of mobile apps continuing to improve the traveler experience from pre-trip planning to managing the entire travel experience.

With this new travel industry alliance, HMSHost’s technology and tools will integrate with the existing technology of the Grab app to give travelers the unprecedented ability to order food from menus at many of the 300 brands and 2,000 restaurant locations that HMSHost operates.

\"HMSHost is very excited to partner with Grab. This is a huge step towards increasing the convenience of dining for travelers and directly supports our goal to continue implementing innovative solutions that enable us to provide the best guest experience in the industry,\" said HMSHost EVP & Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Yablun. “Through this partnership we are combining the broad reach of HMSHost’s airport dining offerings with Grab’s rising mobile ordering platform to enhance the experience for the large base of travelers that are served every day by HMSHost.”

Grab’s platform gives convenience and control to hungry travelers whenever they fly and is modernizing the airport travel experience by providing passengers with on-demand resources to save time and reduce the stress of making a flight. Grab allows users to view menus, gauge wait-times, and place pre-paid orders, giving travelers the ability to have their food ready to pick-up when they arrive at a restaurant.

“The proliferation of Grab at airports across the country reflects traveler demand for convenience and a more personalized experience,” said Mark Bergsrud, CEO of Grab. “Partnering with a travel restaurant leader and innovator like HMSHost demonstrates the value of an industry-wide approach to solutions like mobile commerce.”

Currently, Grab offers mobile ordering at over 110 restaurants across 15 airports. Grab is compatible with both Android and iOS mobile devices, and is currently available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. For more information or to contact Grab, visit www.grabmobileapp.com.

Featuring HMSHost’s restaurants on Grab is the first phase of the company’s broader innovation strategy that continues to deliver heightened service levels with innovation and technology-based tools that complement traditional guest service. This strategy features the addition of new service components that concentrate on using innovation and technology to complement service.

HMSHost is dedicated to improving the traveler experience with innovative ideas, not only through technology, but also through high quality hospitality, exceptional guest service, access to leading dining options, and unique traveler experiences and culinary events such as the first-of-its-kind Airport Restaurant Month and the Channel Your Inner Chef cooking competition. To learn more about HMSHost’s vision for the industry, visit the company’s innovation webpage and watch Innovation in Action.