San José Mineta International Airport and Elevate Gourmet Brands Celebrate Grand Opening of San José Mac + Cheese Kitchen in SJC’s Terminal B

(Left to right): Carol Langdon, Megan Kennedy, Rebekah Bray, George Kennedy, Janelle Adams, John Aitken, Ebon Glenn,  
Brian Laliberte, Benedikt Reifler, Preston Stohs  

View Photo Gallery: SJ Mac + Cheese Grand Opening Celebration
 

SAN JOSE, CALIF. – San José Mineta International Airport and Elevate Gourmet Brands celebrated the long-awaited grand opening of San José Mac + Cheese Kitchen today in the Airport's Terminal B, near Gate 18. The new concept features decadent Mac + Cheese creations for all day parts, and hosts a full bar boasting local Bay Area craft beers, wines from the world-famous Central Coast, Napa, and Sonoma Valleys, plus a full menu of specialty cocktails.

San José Mac + Cheese Kitchen, a joint venture between Elevate Gourmet Brands and Aimhigh ESG, elevates the great American comfort food to airport indulgence, offering signature macs like the BBQ Pulled Pork Mac with slow-roasted pulled pork, BBQ sauce, creamy cheddar cheese sauce, crispy breadcrumb topping and a BBQ drizzle. Each mac is made to order in under four minutes, and guests have a wide selection of add-ons like crispy jalapenos, smoked bacon, and finishing drizzles, like creamy sriracha or roasted red pepper. Decadent sides like cornbread and loaded tater tots with creamy cheddar cheese sauce, bacon, and jalapenos complete the meal. The menu also includes Grilled Mac + Cheese Sandwiches, and even Breakfast Mac + Cheese Burritos named for San José area landmarks like The El Camino with scrambled eggs, mac + cheese.

San José Mac + Cheese Kitchen represents a step up in fast-serve casual operations for Elevate Gourmet Brands, with the launch of the concessionaire’s first full-service bar. A rotating tap and bottle menu with selections from local craft breweries like Lagunitas IPA and 21st Amendment IPA, and wines from Rambauer and Prisoner enhance the Mac + Cheese Kitchen experience. The menu will also feature pairings under the hashtag #macandcheers.

San José Mineta International Airport staff have been highly anticipating the launch of San José Mac + Cheese Kitchen since construction began. SJC Airport Director, John Aitken, noted, “It’s a pleasure to welcome Elevate Gourmet Brands' newest concept to SJC, and with it, this fun twist to a popular comfort food. This unique concept is another great way to make travelers look forward to their time at the Airport and it contributes to the convenient and inviting experience so many travelers love at SJC.”

Preston Stohs, Elevate Gourmet Brands’ Director of Operations, has led the launch of San José Mac + Cheese Kitchen at SJC, saying, “This is a concept everyone is excited about, and it’s easy to see why. This is not your grandma’s mac and cheese, it’s more like what mac and cheese wants to be when it grows up. We tested a lot of different noodle types, cheese combinations, proteins, and toppings to achieve the final menu. We expect to continue refining in the months ahead in response to our guests’ feedback.”

Elevate Gourmet Brands is moving into liquor service with this concept for the first time, “Adding a bar experience to the mac + cheese concept was something we were passionate about from the beginning of development,” said Mr. Stohs. “We really wanted to elevate the mac + cheese restaurant as much as possible and pairing local beer and wine with our signature macs and grilled mac + cheese sandwiches allows us to push the average ticket and increase customer engagement while they wait for their flight. Our bespoke cocktails are just for fun!”