Reinventing the airport dining experience, one guest at a time.

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Built on a foundation of integrity, hard work, respect, and an unparalleled legacy of serving excellence, family-owned and operated 鶹, LLC offers more than 40 years of exceptional experiences and proven food and beverage concessions performance in some of the busiest airport across the United States and in the Virgin Islands. As a dynamic food and beverage operator, we serve more than 30 national, regional and proprietary brands, including quick service, casual dining, bars, delis, snack, and cafe concessions at nearly 40 locations in 8 airports.

The Legacy Continues

Serving Excellence Since 1979

“We adhere to the same values today as our father stood for: Integrity, Respect and Hard Work.

You might think growing up as one of Herman J. Russell’s children would guarantee a path to success. Herman J. Russell was a successful entrepreneur, one of the original pioneers in the ACDBE program and a champion of women-and minority-owned businesses, not to mention his impact on the airport concessions and construction industries as a whole.
However, the Russell children were given no special breaks. They were raised to understand the value of hard work, integrity and respect for all people—values that are the foundation of the companies Herman J. Russell founded, 鶹, LLC in 1979, and H. J. Russell & Company in 1952.
“We lived in a middle-class neighborhood, but none of us understood who our dad was in the community, nor did we have perspective of how our family was viewed until we were older.”
President and CEO, Donata Russell Ross continues to further her father’s legacy, and she believes those same values are what will propel CI into the future as she mentors the next generation, including her niece Mori Russell, pictured here, and her son Zane Major who runs the operations for Paschal’s Northside and Starbucks in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta.
“Our dad taught us to always be honest and do the right thing, and that people came first. We were raised to believe that if something needs to be done, you do it.”
“He cared about people and it shaped the company’s past and we work hard to protect his lessons and legacy. The integrity he lived every day is a great gift he gave us.”
“Herman J. Russell’s commitment to excellence will forever guide us as we continue to build upon his legacy. His rules of success in business serve as guiding principles for all who work within his legacy companies – be honest, work hard, equip yourself for the job and control the growth of the company.”

“Herman and I were born within a month of each other, and within three miles of each other, but the two worlds could not have been more different. Everything I was born into was designed to make sure I succeeded; everything he was born into was designed to be sure he did not succeed. And Herman, in his lifetime, overcame all of that.”

— Robert “Bob” Holder, Founder and Chairman of Holder Construction
See the award-winning documentary about our founder, Herman J. Russell, Sr.

Experience Us Serving Excellence

Our bread-and-butter is serving airport passengers with exceptional local, regional and national concepts. We work with our brand partners to create fast, efficient menu concepts designed for success in each unique environment. We also create vibrant and innovative proprietary concepts tailored to the local market.

Chef-Inspired, Passenger Approved

CI is committed to culinary excellence. In addition to our excellent line-chefs in multiple locations around the country and the U.S. Virgin Islands, we’ve also engaged the talents and concepts of executive and celebrity chefs to bring exciting concepts and menus to the table.



Infusing Technology

We deploy industry-leading technology without losing the personal touch. From menu QR codes to being able to have guests pay at the table, the technology we choose improves our efficiencies in the back of the house in an effort enhance our customer-facing experiences in this unique, fast-paced environment.

Integrating Innovation

We remain fresh in our approach and innovative in the ways we look at running our business. In the unique and fast-paced airport environment in which we operate, we continuously look for innovative ways to improve our operations and guest experiences. We always strive to set ourselves apart from the competition and lead the way, mixing proven techniques and guest services practices and innovative new approaches to delivering excellence.

Supporting Sustainability

At CI, we believe being responsible business citizens means being responsible to the environment we share with the rest of the world, including our employees, partners and traveling passengers. Here are a few sustainability elements we focus on when opening or renovating a concept.

Enhancing Guest Experience
Dedicated to Making Ordinary Airport Service Extraordinary

We provide training to our team members intended to create a superior guest experience. This training is what has helped CI retain its employees. The training focuses on the unique elements common to business practices within the airport food and beverage industry. They receive new hire orientation and on-boarding along with position-specific training for their job function during the first two weeks of employment.

Differentiating Designs

Our in-house design team focuses on creating fresh, inviting new looks with great functionality. From aesthetics and traffic flow to environmental sustainability in mind, we consider every detail to ensure that not only the service and experience is exceptional, but that the space is especially welcoming.

Committing to Community

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Integrity. Respect. Hard Work.
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