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Inside Fort Worth-based coffeeshop Ampersand on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at the new terminal C of DFW International Airpor<\/p>\n
Shafkat Anowar\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Passengers pass by as Fort Worth-based coffeeshop Ampersand CEO and cofounder Toan Luong poses for a portrait, on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at the new terminal C of DFW International Airpor<\/p>\n
Shafkat Anowar\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
As tired travelers fly in and out of the country’s second-busiest airport, they can buy coffee at a variety of chain stores dotting DFW International Airport. But those looking for a local flair can find it in Ampersand\u2019s green-tiled shop at gate C37.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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When Ampersand coffee first opened its doors in Fort Worth, its owners never imagined they would one day open a location in DFW International. Now they have a store and a robot-operated kiosk. And, with the airport planning to open Terminal F in 2027<\/a>, they have another store on the way.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re growing, but we\u2019re doing so carefully,\u201d co-owner Toan Luong said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The locally known coffee shop is run by a group friends who met in high school and college and remains grounded in community. It serves a Vietnamese iced coffee that’s a nod to its founders’ heritage. And it’s the site of a run club started by employees that now includes thousands of members.\u00a0<\/p>\n “It’s the fact that we all work together for a common mission, for the betterment of the community, Luong said. “That’s what drives us, that’s what keeps us going and that’s what keeps us together.”<\/p>\n \u201cDavid and Goliath\u201d<\/p>\n The Fort Worth staple almost didn’t make it to the airport, according to Luong. Ampersand had to compete against national and international brands for the coffee shop spot. From there, challenges grew.<\/p>\n \u201cWinning the location was just the tip of the iceberg,\u201d Luong said. \u201cWe ran into every obstacle possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n When Ampersand was more than halfway done building its first airport location, its main investor pulled out their $2.5 million loan, Luong said. The team had to scramble to find a backer just a couple\u00a0of months before they were scheduled to open. Thanks to a last-minute Small Business Administration loan, they were able to continue the project and stave off financial ruin.\u00a0<\/p>\n The loan paid off. Ampersand opened in Terminal C in 2024.\u00a0Luong estimates that the full-service shop serves 800 to 1,3000 tickets a day while the kiosk serves 200 to 250 sales a day. With the Terminal F expansion on the horizon, Ampersand\u2019s team now wants to help other local businesses get into the airport.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we went in here, it was David and Goliath,\u201d Luong said. \u201cWhat we’re trying to do in particular right now is to help them get into the airport.\u201d<\/p>\n That help includes making business connections between other Dallas-Fort Worth area small businesses and the airport, and giving them advice on how to gain the financial and logistical capital to jump into the airport concession industry.<\/p>\n Breaking into the airport<\/p>\n