November 4, 2014 SSP America Appoints Pat Banducci to Lead

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November 4, 2014
SSP America Appoints Pat Banducci to Lead Operations
Appointment latest in company’s efforts to manage growth in North America
SSP America, a leading operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations
throughout North America, has appointed industry leader Pat Banducci chief
operating officer.
Banducci will be responsible for all operational aspects of SSP America’s
restaurants throughout the United States and Canada. He will lead the
implementation and execution of operational initiatives and training programs to
create both the structure and staffing resources necessary to support the company’s
continued growth.
Prior to joining SSP America, Banducci was the principal of Airport Hospitality
Advisors, a travel dining and retail consultancy that provided strategic business
development and operations advice to concession and restaurant companies in
airports.
Banducci previously served in several management and executive leadership
capacities over a 22 year career at HMSHost. From 2007-2011, he co-led Host’s
North American business development group and, in 2010-2011, was also
responsible for Host’s international development in Europe, Asia and the Middle
East. He then served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for
Host’s North American business.
SSP America has enjoyed significant growth since its launch in North America in
2007, and the team has delivered a string of successes, including the recent
openings of restaurants at JFK, Toronto, Phoenix, San Diego and Sacramento.
Commenting on the appointment, Michael Svagdis, chief executive officer of SSP
America, said: “Pat has a proven track record professionally and is a wellestablished presence in our industry. His leadership style is ideal for our quickly
growing company. I have tremendous confidence in his ability to focus on
delivering an exceptional culinary experience to our guests while building a lasting
partnership with our airport clients. I’m excited to welcome him to the team.”
SSP delivers the best food & beverage experiences in travel
through insight, expertise and operational excellence
Further information:
Lana Ostrander
Senior Director, Public Relations
240.882.0754
[email protected]
About SSP America
Since its arrival to North America in 2007, SSP America has positioned itself as the food travel expert, growing
to become a leading operator of food and beverage concessions in the U.S. and Canada operating over 200
outlets in 29 airports. SSP America’s strong growth has been driven by a strategic vision to dramatically
improve the food travel experience for passengers through innovation and investment in brands, extensive
training and development of staff, building lasting partnerships with airports and together, putting the needs of
the passenger first.
The 4,100-person strong SSP America team is led by a seasoned group of restaurant professionals who operate
an extensive portfolio of local, proprietary and national brands created by culinary celebrities and leading
industry experts.
Highlights of the portfolio include the award-winning Shake Shack, Jack’s Urban Eats, Freshii, Mill St. Brewery
and Harry & Izzy’s as well as a range of innovative concepts created in partnership with culinary superstars
such as New York’s heralded Chef Marcus Samuelsson; Canadian Chef Massimo Capra and Arizona’s Chef Matt
Carter and iconic national brands such as The Palm Restaurant, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Gordon Biersch, Buffalo
Wild Wings and many more.
www.foodtravelexperts.com/america
About SSP
SSP is 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. With a heritage stretching back over 60 years, today SSP has nearly 30,000 employees,
serving approximately a million customers every day. It has business at circa 130 airports and circa 270 rail
stations, and operates approximately 2,000 units in 29 countries around the world.
SSP operates an extensive portfolio of approximately 300 international, national, local and speciality brands.
These include Upper Crust, Starbucks, Caffè Ritazza, Burger King, M&S Simply Food, Millie’s Cookies,
O’Learys, Caviar House & Prunier, and leading Asian brands Ajisen Ramen and Saboten, as well as stunning
bespoke concepts such as the Montreux Jazz Café in Geneva and the award winning Center Bar at Zurich.
Its brand portfolio is tailored for each specific location, depending on variables such as passenger profile,
consumer need states, location type, size and design.
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