By Lindsay Peyton

Shortly after Sea-Tac Airport staff announced they would not renew Ivar’s lease at the central terminal, the restaurant released an announcement from the company’s president Bob Donegan: “There’s something very fishy here, and I don’t mean in a good way.”

The restaurant’s airport location has been at the terminal since 2005 – and has received a number of accolades locally and nationally. 

Ivar’s has also won the hearts of many travelers, as validated by the more than 8,000 fans who have written or called the airport to ask staff to reconsider and renew the lease. Petitioners joined forces online on a new web site -- https://keepivars.com.

Donegan spoke at a meeting of the Seattle Port Commission on Wednesday, June 14 -- and a number of individuals attended to voice their support. 

“We had people we didn’t even know show up,” he said. “That’s very heartening.”

But the airport’s decision has already been made. 

Spokesman Brian DeRoy explained that the airport posted a request for bids several months ago. “We received more bids than ever before,” he said. “It was a very competitive process. It was a rigorous, thorough evaluation.” 

Critieria included everything from the restaurant’s background and experience to the benefits and pay for employees. 

“Ivar’s did not win,” DeRoy said. 

The winning bids were announced earlier this month – and included Marche Food Hall, Evergreens, Poppa Woody’sLucky Louie Alaska Seafood Shack by Kathy Casey, Asian Box Ballard Beer Hall,Banh Shop, Good Bar, Caffe Ladro, Kio Shi Sushi Bento  La Place.

Other additions include Le Grand Comptior, Pallino, Pei Wei Asian Diner, Standard Bakery and Broadcast Coffee Roasters, Starbucks Urban Market, Stone House Café, the Habit Burger Grill and Village Pub & Grill. 

DeRoy said that securing a place at the airport simply boils down to submitting a solid proposal. 

“Whether you’re the biggest restaurant or the smallest, it’s all about putting your best foot forward,” he said. 

He added that the airport is committed to providing space for small businesses to grow.

“The next big restaurant concept, we’d love to have born right here in the airport,” he said. “Ivar’s has nearly 30 locations. They are not a small business. Most mom-and-pop shops can’t compete against them. That’s why the port offers a level playing field. We want to give them all a chance.”

DeRoy said the build-out for all of the new restaurants will take time – and should open in 2019. 

In the meantime, he encourages Ivar’s and others to sign up for the next lease bid period later in the month. 

Donegan said that unless the evaluation requirements change, he does not see the point in reapplying. 

“We will always be dinged for not being a small business,” he said. 

In fact, the whole evaluation process seems unfair to him.

“The seven criteria, we seem to fit all of those,” he said. “And in the evaluation criteria, there’s no mention of customer satisfaction. The whole purpose of restaurants in the airport is satisfying the customer.”

Donegan said that Ivar’s has exceeded many standards – from showing environmental stewardship by adding composting and recycling to the airport restaurants to having a solid reputation of taking care of employees. 

“We have the lowest turnover of the airport restaurants,” he said. 

He said the Port should have considered Ivar’s track record at the airport. 

“We would like to be at the airport,” he said. “There are a number of communities that want us. We will find spaces for every one of our 23 employees now working at the airport location. But we’d rather continue to be at the airport.”

The Port’s evaluation criteria and bidders’ scores is online at www.portseattle.org/Business/Airport-Concessions/Documents/adr_lease_gr…

For more information about Ivar’s, visit www.ivars.com.

Fore more information about the Port of Seattle, visit www.portseattle.org.