Ontario International Airport's (flyOntario.com) Tap & Pour restaurant in Terminal 2 has completed a full menu overhaul developed by SSP America's culinary team — the final stage of a broader refresh across all SSP-managed food and beverage outlets at the Southern California airport. The new lineup spans everything from a breakfast-loaded Brekki Burger to Steak Frites with fresh-cut flank steak, house-made chimichurri, and truffle fries.
How the Menu Came Together
The refresh was not a top-down directive. Tony Corona, SSP America's director of operations at ONT, said the process began with input from frontline employees before culinary specialists were brought in to refine and test recipes. Several weeks of staff training followed before the dishes hit the line. That kind of collaborative development — tapping hourly team members for menu insight — reflects a broader shift in airport foodservice strategy as operators look to differentiate beyond standard concession fare.
"We wanted to give our guests something new to get excited about, and that started with listening to the people who serve them every day," Corona said. Fresh preparation is a centerpiece of the approach: proteins are cut on-site and sauces made in-house rather than brought in pre-portioned.
What's on the Menu
Beyond the Brekki Burger — a beef patty stacked with American cheese, bacon, a fried egg, lettuce, and sriracha ketchup — the updated SSP America menus across ONT's restaurants include a Hot Honey, Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Bagel; Grilled Chicken & Avocado Sandwich; Carne Asada and Blackened Chicken Tacos; and Totchos Tots topped with queso, pico de gallo, bacon, sour cream, and scallions. Plant-forward options include a Black Bean Elote Burger, Spicy Black Bean & Avocado Salad, Vegetable Spring Rolls, and Avocado Toast with Egg. Specific items vary by location within the airport.
The scope of the menu update signals the growing importance operators place on passenger dining as a revenue driver and satisfaction lever. Airport food and beverage has become an increasingly competitive segment, with national concession managers investing in made-to-order preparation and locally inflected menus to stand out in a captive but discerning market — a trend well-documented in beverage and hospitality industry analysis.
Lounge Cocktails Join the Celebration
Complementing the restaurant rollout, ONT's two Aspire Lounges — one per terminal — are pouring three anniversary cocktails through November in honor of the airport's upcoming 10th year of local control. The trio includes ONTo Bluer Skies (rum, pineapple juice, blue curaçao, lime juice, and simple syrup), Decade in Bloom (citrus vodka, peach schnapps, pink lemonade, and grenadine), and Purple Reign of Local Control (vodka, blue curaçao, grenadine, and lemonade).
Penn Jones, Senior Manager of Tenant Relations for Ontario International Airport, framed the combined effort as an investment in the overall passenger experience. "Whether travelers are sitting down for a meal, grabbing something before boarding or unwinding in a lounge, we want that experience to feel like a memorable part of their journey," Jones said.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
