Oakland Airport’s Oakland Draft House wins international Bar of the Year Award

Oakland, Calif. – September 19, 2023: Oakland International Airport’s Oakland Draft House featuring Sierra Nevada has received first place for the Bar or Pub of the Year category at the global Airport Food & Beverage + Hospitality (FAB) awards. The awards were hosted on Tuesday, September 12th in Bangkok, Thailand. Oakland Draft House is operated by SSP America, a division of SSP Group and one of OAK’s prime food and beverage concessionaires.  

“The Port of Oakland is excited to celebrate this big win for the Oakland Draft House, the airport, and our concessionaire SSP America!” says Craig Simon, Interim Director of Aviation at the Port of Oakland. “We consider this award to be a testament to the hard work of our airport team on the implementation of our revitalized food and beverage program and thank SSP America for their dedication to providing excellent passenger experiences at our airport. It’s an honor for OAK and our partners to be recognized on the global stage.” 

Senior Vice President of Development and Airport Retention Paul Loupakos commented, “We are grateful to be part of the Airport community, and it’s our privilege to serve the OAK passengers. We’re so proud of the SSP America team for their PASSION and commitment. We are humbled by the award and look forward to being part of the OAK community for many years to come.”

Some of the standout features of the Oakland Draft House include its expansive views of the San Francisco Bay from the in-unit dining room, variety of craft beers on tap (with a special focus on Northern California based, Sierra Nevada Brewing), curated cocktail list, and fresh and tasty pub-grub menu. It’s a perfect pre-flight stop for passengers, and it also offers an adjacent to-go counter for those who have a flight to catch.  

Oakland Draft House began operations in August of 2022. In its first year of operations at the airport, Oakland Draft House reached nearly $6 million in sales, making it OAK’s most popular food and beverage unit. The bar and restaurant are located in the airport’s Terminal 2, across from Gate 29.

The Airport Food & Beverage + Hospitality (FAB) Awards are organized by The Moodie Davitt Report and recognize exceptional concessions at airports across the globe. This year’s event was the first after a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was hosted in Bangkok, Thailand. The winners in various categories were chosen by an independent panel of judges based on entries submitted by concessionaires. 

About SSP  

SSP America is a division of SSP Group, a leading operator of food and beverage concessions in travel locations, operating restaurants, bars, cafés, food courts, lounges and convenience stores in airports, train stations, motorway service stations and other leisure locations. We operate in approximately 180 airports and 300 rail stations in 36 countries around the world and operated more than 550 international, national, and local brands across our c. 2,700 units. The SSP America team is driven by a shared vision to bring authentic restaurant experiences to every airport in North America. Our employees have a passion for exceptional food served by people who believe in heartfelt hospitality. Our airport partners trust SSP America to deliver a world-class portfolio of brands with broad passenger appeal and lasting commercial viability. Our brand heroes trust us to bring a taste of place to their hometown airport. www.foodtravelexperts.com/america.

About Oakland International Airport 

Oakland International is the main airport for the greater East Bay, the most populated area in the metropolitan San Francisco Bay area. It is the closest airport to most Bay Area employers. By roadway and BART air-rail, OAK enables excellent access to all of the region’s business, entertainment and tourism venues. The vision of Oakland International Airport is to be the airport of choice for San Francisco Bay Area residents and visitors alike. OAK is operated by the Port of Oakland, which also oversees the Oakland seaport and 20 miles of East Bay waterfront. Together with its business partners, the Port supports more than 98,000 jobs in the region with more than a $174 billion economic impact. 

Updates about current departure and arrival information, airport maps, and details about on-airport parking, shopping and dining and more, can be found at www.oaklandairport.com.