February 10, 2023
Black-Owned Company Signed $334 Million Deal With Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport
Houston has no shortage of Black-owned businesses. Now, a Black-owned management company will be shedding more light on Black-owned companies, thanks to a lucrative deal with the Houston City Council.
According to AfroTech, Aviation Pros entered into a 10-year contract worth $334 million with Latrelle’s Galley and the city of Houston. This lucrative deal will add 10 restaurants to the William P. Hobby Airport.
AfroTech reports that the company has been selling baked goods at the Houston airport for a decade.
“In 1985, my father’s first airport location was a 350-square-foot bakery in Hobby Airport. With today’s decision by this City Council, we will now operate over 17,000 square feet of Hobby Airport’s food and beverage locations. What an opportunity,” said Kenneth James, the chief financial officer of Latrelle’s Management. “We are a local, family-owned and operated business. This is proof that given the access to compete on equal footing, small companies can execute large responsibilities. This is a privilege and an honor. We are humbled and grateful.”
Latrelle’s Management will focus on collaborating with Hobby on its dining, which is projected to bring in $73 million in total sales and an $8 million profit for the family-owned company.
“We are bringing ourselves to this project, and we are Houston,” said Cameron James, LaTrelle’s operations Director. “Including national brands alongside a curated list of top local brands in our new plans for Hobby Airport was a natural choice for us, rooted in trust and relationships. We put together a proposal that aims to do right by our restaurant operators and the airport alike—everyone wins. When a local, family-owned and operated business like us is given the opportunity to spearhead a venture like this, it also sends an important message to other entrepreneurs: This is something that can happen in this city.”
Construction for the new restaurants will be done within the next two years. Restaurants include Common Bond, The Rustic, Velvet Taco, Dish Society, Pinks Pizza, Jersey Mike’s, and others.