Restaurants and gift shops at Denver International Airport reported mixed results Thursday after increased security restrictions created passenger logjams and questions arose about what type of items stores could sell.
Some concessionaires reported higher-than-usual sales as customers who arrived early passed the time by shopping and eating.
Others closed their doors because many items they sell could no longer be carried aboard.
A thwarted plot to bomb airplanes with liquid explosives led to restrictions Thursday on what could be carried on planes.
Mike Dunkle, general manager of Liberty Duty Free on Concourse A, closed his outlet because customers were barred from bringing alcohol or perfume on flights.
At News Travels, which Dunkle also manages, Visine and other liquid medicines were removed from store shelves.
“We did this voluntarily,” Dunkle said. “We are trying to help as much as we can for security reasons.”
Other retailers continued to sell banned items. Some said sales spiked as passengers arriving from other airports snapped up hair spray, hand sanitizer, water and other products they were forced to dump before passing through security.
David Mosteller of Skyport Cos., a concession-management company, said he was uncertain whether concessionaires would be allowed to continue selling prohibited items.
“We haven’t changed anything as of today,” said Mostel ler. “They’re saying right now we might be pulling all bottled beverages off the counter. They’re not sure.”
Airport restaurants benefited as travelers arrived early in anticipation of long security lines.
“We’ve been busier than usual,” said Marco Castro, manager of Villa Pizza on Concourse C.
Food and beverage sales at his location were up about 25 percent.
Beverage sales were a third higher than a normal day at the Pizza Hut/KFC on Concourse A, manager Isabel Mercado said.
But Paul Ayala, manager of Seattle’s Best Coffee in the terminal, said business was slow compared with a typical Thursday because travelers were barred from taking drinks through security.
“We are hoping it will be back to normal by tomorrow,” he said.
An industry expert said it is too early to determine whether retailers would suffer in the long term. If the carry-on restrictions continue, “retailers in airports will find a sizable reduction in sales,” said Paul Rich, a principal and business adviser with the business consulting group of Rothstein Kass in New York.
He predicted that duty-free stores would likely be the hardest hit, followed by gift and notion shops that stock items such as toothpaste and hair gel.
Restaurants, however, could benefit if longer wait times continue to force people to spend more time in airports, he said.
Mosteller said he hoped Thursday’s events wouldn’t dampen air-travel numbers.
“Our only customer is the employee at DIA and the traveler,” he said. “We live and breathe per the traffic volumes.”
Denver Post staff writers Kristi Arellano, Annette Espinoza, Carlos Illescas, Will Shanley and Kelly Yamanouchi contributed to this report.
Staff writer Ameera Butt can be reached at 303-820-1233 or abutt@denverpost.com.
