Reagan airport concession operator to lay off 55

Travelers flying out of  Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington County soon won’t be able to pick up Magic Pan’s hazelnut crepes as they wait for their departures.

That concession operation, along with Say Si Bon, a grab-and-go kiosk, is expected to close Sept. 26. Another operation, U Street Pub, which sells French dip sandwiches and small plates, is expected to close Oct. 20. The closings of the concession operations, all located in the airport’s Concourse C, were announced in an Aug. 28 notice sent to the state in compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.

The closures coincide with DCA Reimagined, a multiyear project to upgrade Reagan National Airport’s Terminal 2.

Atlanta-based Paradies Lagardère, a travel retailer and restaurateur that operates more than 700 stores, restaurants and bars in more than 90 airports across North America, including Say Si Bon, U Street Pub and Magic Pan at Reagan National Airport, expects to lay off 55 employees as the concessions close.

In the WARN notice, Dino Venianakis, a manager for Paradies Lagardère, noted the company was unable to provide 60 days’ notice of the job losses “due to the airport unexpectedly accelerating the closure date of the restaurants.”

A spokesperson for Paradies Lagardère, which is a subsidiary of Paris-based Lagardère SA, confirmed that it “will no longer be operating” the restaurants but declined further comment.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates Washington Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, did not respond to a request for comment.

Outside of team lead and assistant manager positions, the employees at the three restaurants are represented by Unite Here Local 23, a union representing airport workers. According to the WARN notice, “the applicable collective bargaining agreement contains a job bumping provision.” That provision will be applied if there are remaining bargaining unit positions,

United Here Local 23 did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Fraport USA, the Pennsylvania-based developer and manager of retail, food and beverage programs at airports, has a 10-year contract to lease, develop and manage the concessions program at Reagan National and Dulles that went into effect in 2024.