pittsburgh international airport
Pittsburgh International Airport’s landmark new expansionl was conceived around a singular idea — that a gateway should feel like the place it serves. Guided by the airport’s “NaTeCo” principles of Nature, Technology, and Community, the expansion set a new benchmark for the modern travel experience. Within it, Hale Collective was engaged to shape a collection of food and beverage destinations that bridge the old and the new — spaces that carry the grit, warmth, and character of Western Pennsylvania into a contemporary concourse.
THE APPROACH
An airport concourse is one of the most demanding canvases in hospitality — architecturally rigid, relentlessly trafficked, and unforgiving of the ordinary. We treated those constraints as an invitation. Through high-impact visual storytelling, sculpted lighting, and deliberate spatial zoning, we drew travelers off the concourse and into each concept, transforming a restrictive footprint into a vibrant, culture-rich gateway that could only belong to Pittsburgh.
INFO
LOCATION Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
CLIENT SSP America
CATEGORY Food & Beverage, Airports
SERVICES
Interior Design
Architecture
Procurement
Graphic Collateral
Signage
BAD EGG
Bad Egg is a study in Pittsburgh’s dual inheritance — the raw muscle of a steel town and the bold irreverence of the city that gave the world Pop Art. One of only a handful of corporate concepts we’ve built from the ground up, this fifth location nationwide moves effortlessly from the morning rush to the last call, its character drawn straight from the mills and foundries of Western Pennsylvania: exposed structure, blackened metal, and honest, hard-wearing materials. Against that industrial backdrop, we curated a collection of pop-art murals and graphic works — intentionally weathered to feel discovered rather than installed — transforming the space into a gallery of the city’s rebellious creative spirit. The result is a sprawling, high-capacity bar with a genuine point of view: less a terminal fixture, more a piece of Pittsburgh itself.
MI CASA
Step into Mi Casa Cantina and the terminal falls away. A bespoke concept developed hand-in-hand with SSP America, the space channels the spirit of a true Mexican cantina — warm, spirited, and full of life. Deep, shadowy tones set an intimate backdrop, then vibrant pops of color spill across the room to bring the energy of a lively taqueria indoors. Underfoot, authentic terracotta tile grounds the space in old-world craft, while rustic metals and bright, eclectic seating strike a playful, unexpected contrast. A custom Spanish-style mural, rooted in local character, anchors the room and gives travelers every reason to linger over top-tier tacos and margaritas. Fast-casual on paper — but it feels like the neighborhood cantina you’d travel out of your way to find.
CONVIVE COFFEE
Convive Coffee arrived with a devoted Pittsburgh following and a challenge: preserve the intimacy of a beloved neighborhood roaster inside one of the busiest environments in travel. Working within the bones of an existing space, we leaned into playful, high-contrast color to make the concept read from far down the concourse — an invitation you notice before you’re anywhere near it. Behind the counter, every line and sightline was choreographed so the ritual of great coffee could keep pace with an airport at full tilt, without ever surrendering its boutique soul.
STACK & PRESS
An island market in the open concourse is the hardest kind of space to make sing — exposed on every side, measured in inches, seen from every angle. Stack & Press answers with a clean, bright grab-and-go market serving honest fuel, from early-morning coffee to midday paninis and soups. We resolved a tightly constrained, open-air footprint into a fluid, 360-degree experience — one that reads beautifully from any direction, moves guests through without friction, and proves that a small footprint, designed with intent, can command the concourse.
