{"id":218659,"date":"2026-03-13T21:43:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T21:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/218659\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T21:43:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T21:43:10","slug":"new-helvetia-magpie-among-new-sacramento-airport-eateries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/218659\/","title":{"rendered":"New Helvetia, Magpie among new Sacramento airport eateries"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Sacramento International Airport<\/a> launched outposts of three local restaurants and a first-of-its-kind cafe and market concept Thursday as part of its major dining overhaul project.<\/p>\n

Bar New Helvetia<\/a>, Magpie<\/a> and Centro Cocina Mexicana<\/a> are now part of the airport\u2019s Terminal A dining options just past the security checkpoint. Sacramento International Airport celebrated the opening with a ribbon-cutting event Thursday morning.<\/p>\n

The popular Sacramento-based eateries are the newest additions to the capital region airport amid a multi-year concessions refresh<\/a>, which is approaching its completion later this year, airport officials said. The overhaul project will help bring various local businesses into the airport, an environment often dominated by global chains.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I wanted to do when we did the refresh was to really bring even more of the Sacramento sense of local restaurants, local breweries,\u201d said Cindy Nichol, director of airports for Sacramento County.<\/p>\n

\"New New Helvetia Brewing owner Dave Gull speaks at the Sacramento International Airport ribbon cutting ceremony for Bar New Helvetia and other new concessions on Thursday. Camila Pedrosa cpedrosa@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

Since late November, the Sacramento airport has rolled out multiple new restaurants, including Vino Volo and West Coast Sourdough<\/a>, but local options have taken slightly longer to prepare.<\/p>\n

Airport officials said Thursday they expect all the planned restaurants \u2014 including capital region favorites Nixtaco, BAWK! by Urban Roots, Cafe Bernardo and OneSpeed Pizza \u2014 would be open by mid-2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have every taste,\u201d Nichol said. \u201cHaving the variety and the quality of food really matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Further down in the terminal, Starbucks opened a brand-new cafe and market concept \u2014 the first in the U.S. In addition to the world-famous beverages and snacks the chain serves, travelers can also pick up various provisions in the cafe.<\/p>\n

According to Scott Birch, director of operations with SMF\u2019s dining development partner, HMSHost, the hybrid cafe-market format has already been successful in its two Terminal A locations.<\/p>\n

Inside the cafe\u2019s attached Golden Grove Marketplace, the shop sells familiar airport newsstand items and a selection of products by Sacramento-area small businesses, including Carmazzi Caramel Corn<\/a>, The Bee Box<\/a> and Ginger Elizabeth<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A A new Starbucks location at Sacramento International Airport\u2019s Terminal A includes an attached market, selling classic airport provisions and products from Sacramento-based small businesses. Camila Pedrosa cpedrosa@sacbee.com A taste of Sacramento in Terminal A<\/p>\n

The bright, airy food court welcomes travelers immediately after crossing over the security checkpoint.<\/p>\n

New Helvetia Brewing sits at the center of the atrium, with a 360-degree bar surrounded by a large metal structure proudly displaying the Sacramento brewery\u2019s logo.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking the choice to lean into local is probably the most important thing (the airport and HMS Host) could have done,\u201d said Dave Gull, owner of New Helvetia Brewing, during the ribbon-cutting. \u201cAs you travel through this airport, whether you\u2019re from Sacramento or visiting from somewhere else, choose local, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Bar Bar New Helvetia was one of four new dining options at Sacramento International Airport unveiled Thursday. Camila Pedrosa cpedrosa@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

Just past the bar are Centro Cocina Mexicana \u2014 set up as a quick-service walk-up window \u2014 and a full-service Magpie restaurant. A large mural depicting California\u2019s native yellow-billed magpie spans a feature wall in the restaurant.<\/p>\n

The mural was painted by co-owner Ed Roehr\u2019s sister, Rebecca Roehr.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it really speaks to the name of the restaurant, to have the yellow-billed magpie as kind of our flagship,\u201d co-owner Janel Inouye said. \u201cWe always think that\u2019s very representative of our area, since they\u2019re from here.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Magpie\u2019s airport location, Roehr and Inouye said they plan to bring back a popular former offering \u2014 brunch.<\/p>\n

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Magpie\u2019s breakfast and brunch had \u201ca huge following,\u201d according to Roehr. Pandemic-related closures led the team to sunset the early morning dining, but they are taking the opportunity to bring it back at the airport.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of the experience for us is to figure out how we can make things that represent our style in Sacramento,\u201d Roehr said. \u201cI think part of why Magpie is here is to figure out how local you can make a restaurant inside an airport.\u201d<\/p>\n

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This story was originally published March 13, 2026 at 1:25 PM.<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Camila Pedrosa<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n

Camila Pedrosa is a service journalism reporter at The Sacramento Bee. She previously worked as a summer reporting intern for The Bee and reported in Phoenix and Washington, D.C. She graduated from Arizona State University with a master\u2019s degree in mass communication.\n <\/p>\n