Buzzy L.A. burger chain Fatburger has landed at DFW Airport, with a new location that caters specially to American Airlines employees.
Located inside the American Airlines' employee dining hall in Terminal A, the restaurant is a partnership with Bankhead Food Group LLC, which has several brick-and-mortar Fatburger locations across Texas; and Gideon Toal Management Services, an airport lounge and concessions management company.
According to a release, this marks the first restaurant franchise in an employee cafeteria at the airport.
Originally founded in Los Angeles in 1952, Fatburger is from hospitality parent company FAT Brands, which features 17 hospitality concepts including the old-school burger restaurant Johnny Rockets.
The restaurant specializes in burgers, Buffalo wings, fat and skinny fries, and milkshakes. They have beef, turkey, and a vegetarian Impossible burger options.
What sets this apart from other restaurants within the airport is that it's exclusive to employees navigating through American Airlines — only found in Terminal A at Gate A28. It's open to employees only and not to the public because "employees only" was the only opening available.
"We certainly would welcome the opportunity to open up to the public at the airport; however, this was a unique opportunity that came about to open in the American Airlines cafeteria to expand dining options for employees," a Fatburger spokesperson said.
It joins a small range of other employee exclusive restaurants as well, including Rule the Roost and Fort Worth Taco Co.
“We see great strategic value in our opening at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport,” says COO of FAT Brands’ Fast Casual Division Jake Berchtold in a statement. “This is a new form of growth for us that we see significant potential with across other airports as our burgers and fries make for the perfect, on-the-go meal."
Fatburger first debuted in DFW in North Richland Hills in 2020 with a combined Buffalo Express, which specializes in Buffalo wings and is co-branded with the burger chain.
The restaurant also has other brick-and-mortar locations across DFW, including Arlington, Allen, and Bartonville, which is co-branded with Round Table Pizza. There are 87 locations in the U.S.
