Portview flies high with SSP contract

14.09.2011

Portview flies high with SSP contract

 Portview Fit Out has refurbished three new restaurants at Belfast International Airport on behalf of food travel experts, SSPUK. The Burger King, Lagan Bar and Restaurant and Strangford Kitchen and Grill form part of a £1.5m investment by SSP aimed at offering passengers a much wider range of dining choices. 

The £680,000 contract ran over seven weeks and was awarded to Portview as a result of the work it carried out at Dublin Airport on behalf of SSP in 2010.

The team was responsible for refurbishing the eateries - totalling 11,000 sq ft - into more modern facilities, including stripping out the existing units, installing ceilings, flooring and lighting as well as decorating. A considerable amount of specialist joinery was also required, including the construction of bespoke display tables, counter tops and notice boards as well as decorative graphics for the walls.

"This project had to be carefully managed to ensure that we could work quickly and effectively in a busy airport environment," said David McGrath, contracts manager for Portview. "The Strangford Grill closed throughout the seven week programme, but the Burger King and Lagan Bar were required to reopen after four weeks, so accurate scheduling was paramount.

"In addition, some of the work was carried out airside, so we had to install a 3.5 m high secure wall to ensure the units were as secure and safe as possible throughout the process."

Mike Coe, Project Director at SSP commented: "As the Food Travel Experts, we set the highest standards for ourselves and the partners we work with. Following the success of our project at Dublin Airport, Portview once again understood and realised our vision, working in the complex environment of a busy airport.  The Lagan and Strangford are both bespoke concepts, designed to give the customer a real sense of place from the décor to the menu. This was achieved throughout from the use of small artistic touches to innovative space solutions. When introducing a famous-name such as Burger King to the airport, it is essential that the standards of the outlet at the airport are as good as, if not better than those on the highstreet. Portview's realisation of Burger King's innovative 20/20 design, (a fresh and contemporary take on the traditional American diner, featuring dynamic LCD menu displays, and fresh, bold colours and textures), are helping us to achieve this aim, and our ultimate objective of delivering the optimum customer experience.