Gift Shop Operator Needed at Airport

By TOM RAITHEL, Courier & Press staff writer 464-7595 or raithel@evansville.net

The Evansville Regional Airport is looking for a business person to operate a gift shop.

Airport board members recently advertised for bids for the gift shop, but received no bids by the bid-opening date last Monday.

Airport Manager Bob Working then told the board that he had been in contact with one person who was interested in operating the gift shop.

That person, however, may need some financing help from the airport to get the capital to start the new venture, Working said.

He said on Monday that he has not yet contacted the person. The airport is still interested in getting a gift shop operator.

The airport has had a gift shop in its terminal for many years. That gift shop was operated by Air Host of Memphis, Tenn., which also operated the restaurant.

The gift shop included such items as T-shirts for Evansville and local universities, coffee mugs, greeting cards, books and magazines.

When the airport switched vendors for the restaurant, the new vendor, The Cafe Group of Indianapolis, was not interested in operating the gift shop, according to Nelson Bailes, airport marketing director.

Airport officials, however, still want to relaunch the gift shop.

“We have a lot of people asking about it,” Bailes said.

Also last week, the board approved a $910,000 loan to Tri-State Aero, a fixed-base operator at the airport, to help it build two new hangars at its site. That will return Tri-State Aero to eight hangars.

The loan, at 7 percent per year, is to be repaid in 35 years.