Industry News

HMSHost and Toronto Pearson Unveil Plans for a New Chapter in Dining Anchored by Local Brands and Digital Innovation

Feb 17, 2026 | News

Under a new 12-year contract, HMSHost will transform the dining experience, including opening outposts of Mary Brown’s Chicken, OEB Kitchen + Bar, and KINTON RAMEN, alongside new concepts from Chef Roger Mooking and Pizzeria Libretto

TORONTO (17 February 2026) – Global restaurateur HMSHost, part of Avolta AG (SIX: AVOL) and a world leader in creating dining for travel venues, today announced an expanded partnership with Toronto Pearson that will transform the dining experience across more than 5,300 m2 (57,500 ft2) in multiple terminals at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) — Canada’s busiest airport with almost 47 million passengers in 2024.

HMSHost will introduce some of the most beloved Canadian brands to Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, alongside significant renovations and enhancements to travelers’ long-time favorite dining venues.

“This is an exciting evolution of a partnership between HMSHost and Toronto Pearson that began nearly 25 years ago,” said Steve Johnson, President and CEO, North America, Avolta. “Over the years of collaboration, we have created a world-class traveler experience at Toronto Pearson — and now, together, we are raising the bar to usher in the future.”

Beginning in early 2026, ahead of an influx of passengers expected to visit Toronto for the FIFA World Cup, HMSHost is set to open outposts of Mary Brown’s Chicken, 100% Canadian from Newfoundland, known for its made-from-scratch signature fried chicken using fresh, local, and premium ingredients; OEB Kitchen + Bar, a Canadian, chef-driven concept serving breakfast poutines, elevated brunch dishes, bowls, handhelds, and more; Libretto Slice Shop, a new concept from Pizzeria Libretto, known for bringing authentic Neapolitan pizza to Toronto; and KINTON RAMEN, Canada’s leading Japanese ramen brand.

Additionally, HMSHost will unveil a new food & beverage concept from Chef Roger Mooking, Community by Roger Mooking, the second restaurant at Toronto Pearson for the award-winning Trinidadian-Canadian chef, who collaborated with HMSHost to open Twist by Roger Mooking in Terminal 1 in 2015. The restaurant quickly grew to be one of the airport’s most popular restaurants and Toronto Pearson recently awarded HMSHost and Mooking a lease extension to continue operating Twist by Roger Mooking.

“Airports are evolving into vibrant culinary destinations,” said Deborah Flint, President and CEO of Toronto Pearson. “From full-service dining to convenient grab-and-go options, we’re excited to partner with HMSHost to bring fresh and diverse food experiences to our passengers as they travel through Toronto Pearson.”

HMSHost’s contract at Toronto Pearson also will include substantial upgrades to its existing dining venues, including global powerhouses Starbucks and Tim Horton’s and local favorite Fionn MacCool’s, further enhancing the passenger experience. Travelers will enjoy fresh new menus and convenient, fast technology like self-order kiosks and digital waitlists. Throughout the airport, travelers will continue to benefit from the Club Avolta loyalty program, gaining access to exclusive offers, rewards, and cross-promotions.

“Combined with our new restaurants and bars, these improvements will change the dining landscape as travelers know it,” said Johnson. “2026 will be a year that everyone will want to travel through Toronto Pearson, no matter their ultimate destination.”

 

About Toronto Pearson

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority is the operator of Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada’s largest airport and a vital connector of people, businesses, and goods.  

Toronto Pearson has been named “Best Large Airport in North America serving more than 40 million passengers” seven times in the last eight years by Airports Council International, the global trade representative of the world’s airports. Toronto Pearson was also recognized in 2025 as one of “Canada’s Best Employers” by Forbes. 

For our corporate X channel, please visit @PearsonComms. For operational updates and passenger information, please visit @TorontoPearson/@AeroportPearson on X. You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

 

 

About HMSHost

 

HMSHost, part of Avolta AG (SIX: AVOL), is a leader in creating dining for travel venues. The restaurateur operates over 1,000 locations in nearly 80 airports across North America, including proprietary concepts, local, regional, and national brands, and partnerships with award-winning chefs. For decades, HMSHost has curated food and beverage programs that make a traveler’s journey as exciting as the destination.

 

The industry has repeatedly recognized HMSHost with awards such as Restaurateur with the Highest Regard for Customer Service and Best Brand Restaurateur for Shake Shack by Airport Experience News. In recent years, USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards has awarded first place honors to HMSHost’s Three Kings Public House at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) and its Whisky River locations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). ACI-NA, the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, recognized HMSHost with the 2020 Associate Inclusion Champion Award for leadership and achievement in the ongoing inclusion of business and workforce diversity, outreach, and advocacy. Additionally, ACI-NA awarded HMSHost the 2024 Excellence in Airport Concessions Award for the Best Employee Recognition Program. The company also creates original, award-winning events and campaigns including Airport Restaurant Month, Channel Your Inner Chef live culinary contest, 1,000 Acts of Kindness, JBF@ORD Chef Series, and Eat Well. Travel Further.

 

Visit HMSHost.com for more information and connect with HMSHost on LinkedIn and Instagram.

 

 

About Avolta

 

Avolta is a leading global travel experience and F&B player. With the traveler at its strategic core, Avolta maximizes every moment of the traveler’s journey through its combination of travel retail and travel food & beverage, passion for innovation and excellent execution. Avolta’s well-diversified business across geographical, channel and brand portfolio pillars operates in 70 countries and 1,000 locations, with over 5,100 points of sale across three segments – duty-free, convenience and food & beverage – and various channels, including airports, motorways, cruises, ferries, railways, border shops and downtown. An inherent element of Avolta’s business strategy is aiming for sustainable and profitable growth of the company while fostering high standards of environmental stewardship and social equity – making meaningful impact in the local communities. The company’s access to 2.5 billion passengers each year reinforces the power of its more than 77,000 people, committed to surprising guests and delivering solid execution, supporting the company in creating value for all stakeholders.

 

To learn more about Avolta, please visit avoltaworld.com.

Author

Airport Improvement