LUMIÈRE CONSULTANCY  ·  CASE STUDY  ·  AIRPORT & TRAVEL HOSPITALITY

Swissport Aspire F&B Transformation

Partnering with one of the world’s leading airport services companies to build a best-in-class F&B platform for their global lounge network.

ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW

CLIENT  Swissport International

PROGRAMME  Aspire Lounge F&B Transformation

SECTOR  Airport & Travel Hospitality

SCOPE  Multi-site, International

TIERS  Aspire Classic  ·  Aspire Luxe  ·  Aspire Suite

SINCE  July 2025  ·  Ongoing

MODEL  3-Phase Delivery + Ongoing Retainer

FIRST TRIAL  Zurich International Airport

THE VISION

Swissport Aspire is already one of the most recognised lounge networks in the world. The ambition was to make it the benchmark — the operation that competitors measure themselves against. Achieving that meant building an F&B platform worthy of that position: three distinct guest tiers, each with their own identity and service model, designed to scale across international locations with the consistency and commercial integrity a global operation demands.

CONTEXT

The growth of premium airport hospitality has created significant opportunity for operators with the vision and infrastructure to lead. Swissport’s Aspire network was superbly placed to capitalise — with a global footprint, an established guest base, and a leadership team committed to setting a new standard for what lounge hospitality could be.

Realising that ambition at scale required a complete F&B architecture: one that could deliver genuinely distinct experiences across three guest tiers, operate consistently across international locations, and be built with the commercial rigour and governance standards that a business of Swissport’s standing deserves.

Lumière was engaged to design and deliver that platform — from strategic concept through to launch-ready execution.

THE THREE-TIER ARCHITECTURE 

At the heart of the programme was a defining question: how do you create three genuinely distinct hospitality experiences that feel coherent as a family, operationally consistent, and commercially sustainable across every market?

01  ASPIRE CLASSIC

“Warm, comforting, generous hospitality”

SELF-SERVICE BUFFET MODEL

• Full breakfast station with regional flexibility built in
• Three rotating hot dishes across protein, vegetable and soup
• Deck oven pizza, quiche and all-day baking programme
• Compound salad bar and snack stations throughout the day
• Designed for volume efficiency without sacrificing warmth

02  ASPIRE LUXE

“Refined calm, boutique premium”

PLATED BUFFET WITH CHEF-SERVED HERO DISH

• Small plated breakfast dishes and smoked salmon tartines
• Elevated Full English and chia pudding station
• One plated signature main with service theatre
• Cheese board and small-portion refined desserts
• Snack with every drink — elevated grazing culture throughout

03  ASPIRE SUITE

“The highest expression of Aspire hospitality”

FULLY PLATED, À LA MINUTE SERVICE

• Eggs Benedict, omelette to order, tableside bakery basket
• Charcuterie, burrata tartine, croquetas and dumplings
• Braised meats, filled pasta and regional feature dishes
• Curated cheese board, petit fours and ice cream bites
• 3–4 step assembly model — precision with operational integrity

HOW WE DELIVERED IT

PHASE ONE

F&B Architecture & Strategy

We began with deep immersion in Swissport’s brand, guest data, and commercial vision. Through structured workshops across all three tier concepts, we defined the F&B proposition for each, built the cost architecture, reviewed kitchen configurations, specified equipment requirements, assessed the technology stack, and established the brand alignment framework. Every decision balanced creative ambition with commercial viability and operational deliverability.

Deliverables

• Concept Workshops
• Cost Architecture
• Kitchen Layout Review
• Equipment Schedules
• Brand Alignment Framework
• Tech Stack Audit

PHASE TWO

Development & Systems

This was where concept became reality. We ran tastings, developed and refined the recipe architecture for all three tiers, built comprehensive costing and allergen matrices, wrote the SOP manuals that teams would actually use, created training materials, worked with suppliers to secure the right product at the right margin, and built the back-of-house systems needed to run these programmes consistently. The Suite trial recipe cards — developed for the Zurich launch — were built to hotel-kitchen standard: precise, repeatable, compliant, and teachable in a single session.

Deliverables

• Recipe Development & Tastings
• Allergen Matrices (14 major allergens)
• Costing Frameworks
• SOP Manuals
• Training Materials
• Supplier Partnership Development

PHASE THREE

Implementation & Launch

We were on-site for launch — training kitchen and front-of-house teams, guiding the soft launch, embedding HACCP and food safety protocols, and providing the hands-on support that makes the difference between a programme that looks good on paper and one that runs with confidence on day one. As much as technical execution, this phase was about building team belief. People deliver best when they’re proud of what they’re serving.

Deliverables

• Kitchen & Front-of-House Training
• Soft Launch Support
• HACCP Implementation
• On-site Operational Guidance

“The ambition was to make Aspire the benchmark — the lounge network that others measure themselves against.”

 

WHAT WAS BUILT

◈  A Scalable F&B Platform

Three fully distinct F&B concepts — Classic, Luxe, and Suite — each with its own identity, menu architecture, and service model, designed to operate independently and as a coherent family across any Aspire lounge globally.

◈  Commercial Cost Architecture

Every recipe costed, every margin modelled, every supplier partnership established. The programme was designed with commercial sustainability integral to the concept — not added on once the menus were complete.

◈  Operational Manuals & Recipe Systems

Complete SOP documentation, recipe cards built to hotel-kitchen standard, allergen matrices, HACCP compliance frameworks, and training materials — everything needed to onboard a new team and maintain standards consistently across every site.

◈  Launch-Ready Execution

The Zurich trial demonstrated the entire system in operation. Teams trained, protocols embedded, service running with confidence. The programme was ready to scale across the wider Aspire network from day one.

◈  A Brand-Aligned Guest Journey

Each tier delivers a guest experience consistent with the Aspire positioning — from the warmth of the welcome at Classic to the precision plating and à la minute service at Suite. Hospitality first, always.

◈  An Internationally Scalable Model

Every element designed for replication — documentation, training frameworks, supplier relationships, and quality standards built to travel with the brand as Aspire continues to grow its global footprint.

 

FULL SCOPE OF ENGAGEMENT

CONCEPT STRATEGY

Three-tier F&B architecture definition, guest profiling, brand positioning, and competitive benchmarking across the premium airport hospitality landscape

MENU DEVELOPMENT

Full menus across all three tiers — breakfast, all-day dining, dessert and snack — plus the Zurich Suite trial recipe card pack with portion specifications and presentation guidelines

KITCHEN & OPERATIONS

Kitchen layout review, equipment schedules, BOH workflow design, tech stack assessment and integration recommendations

COMMERCIAL & FINANCE

Cost architecture per tier, recipe costing, food margin modelling, supplier selection and partnership development across all product categories

COMPLIANCE

Full allergen matrices covering 14 major allergens, core temperature cooking protocols, HACCP implementation and food safety documentation

TRAINING & CULTURE

SOP manuals, kitchen and FOH training programmes, soft launch support and on-site operational guidance throughout the Zurich trial

ONGOING PARTNERSHIP

Site rollout support, quarterly performance review, standards audits and continuous programme development across the Aspire network

WORK WITH LUMIÈRE

We work with airport operators, hotel groups, contract caterers and growing restaurant brands at every stage — from concept architecture and commercial modelling to launch and beyond. If the Aspire programme resonates with what you’re building, we’d love to talk.

Ben Floyd, Founder  ·  ben@lumiere-consultancy.co.uk

Gina Bungart, Commercial Manager  ·  gina@lumiere-consultancy.co.uk

www.lumiere-consultancy.co.uk

 

Lumière Consultancy

37 Maiden Lane, London WC2E 7JL  ·  lumiere-consultancy.co.uk