Eataly has opened its first airport location in a North American airport at John F Kennedy International’s recently modernized Terminal 8, the first of three Eataly concessions set to open across JFK this year.
The new Eataly at Terminal 8 includes a 513m2 full-service restaurant, a 125m2 wine bar and a retail marketplace. Two further Eataly locations are expected to open later in 2026 in Terminals 4 and 5. The project is the result of a collaboration led by ASUR Airports and HMSHost, part of Avolta, in partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Eatal, which has more than 60 locations worldwide and 20 in North America, brings its Italian marketplace and retail concept to JFK with a menu featuring pizza, fresh pasta and regional Italian specialties. The restaurant seats more than 130 guests and the wine bar seats 45 and features wines from across Italy. A cafe area provides grab-and-go food, coffee and retail items.
“Beloved by New Yorkers and world-renowned, the opening of Eataly at Terminal 8 advances the Port Authority’s goal of creating a world-class passenger experience and a unique sense of place at a new JFK International Airport,” said Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Port Authority chairman Kevin O’Toole said the addition reflects the region’s culinary reputation: “Iconic global brands like Eataly, operating alongside locally inspired concessions, will create a unique sense of place at JFK that will be nothing short of world class.”
HMSHost president and CEO of Avolta North America Steve Johnson said the opening marks a new partnership between the two companies. “We’re proud to bring its world-class Italian cuisine to travelers looking for a superior dining experience,” he said.
HMSHost partnered with four small and local businesses as joint venture equity partners – Queens-based Neir’s Tavern, Ranchito Salvadoreno, The Nourish Spot, as well as FDY Inc. of Charlotte, North Carolina – which together designed and will operate digital ordering technology, including self-order kiosks, QR code ordering, and self-checkout systems, to deliver a “seamless dining experience”.
“From the outset, our goal was to fundamentally elevate what airport dining could be,” said Ian Carter, vice president, JFK at ASUR Airports. “Opening the first Eataly in a North American airport is a milestone and reflects the broader vision we have for transforming the passenger experience at JFK.”
Eataly at Terminal 8 is part of a US$125m commercial redevelopment of the terminal, which will feature more than 60 new concessions when completed in 2026. The redevelopment follows a US$400m expansion and modernization of Terminal 8 completed in 2022 as part of the Port Authority’s US$19bn transformation of JFK.
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