Travelers hustling through Miami International Airport's Concourse D now have a new pit stop between flights: a SAMBAZON Açaí Bowls counter near Gate D29, serving handcrafted açaí bowls and smoothies from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. The shop opened July 21 inside the North Terminal Marketplace, giving passengers headed to gates throughout the concourse a grab-and-go option built around the fruit the brand has championed for more than two decades.
A Menu Built Around Customization
According to a release from prnewswire.com, the MIA location offers fully customizable bowls made with the brand's Certified Organic and Fair Trade açaí, topped with fresh fruit, granola, nuts, seeds and other ingredients. The menu also includes protein bowls, superfood smoothies and grab-and-go items, according to Miami International Airport, which hosted a grand opening event for the location. SAMBAZON describes itself as the world's first Certified Organic and Fair Trade açaí company and the largest exporter of açaí from Brazil, having pioneered the category for more than 25 years, per the same prnewswire account.
SAMBAZON co-founder and CEO Ryan Black said the company is proud to introduce its brand to MIA and excited to share its certified açaí with travelers, according to the airport's announcement. The location is operated by the ACDBE-certified principals of Verge Group LLC, with Tran Nguyen, a principal of the firm, saying Verge Group is proud to partner with SAMBAZON to bring the brand to MIA, per the airport's release.
Fourth Airport Stop for the Brand
The Miami opening marks SAMBAZON's latest airport location as the brand continues expanding its presence in major travel hubs, the prnewswire report notes. A SAMBAZON blog post published July 1, 2024, says the company had opened storefronts at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, John Wayne Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport over roughly the preceding year. The post identifies the Charlotte location as the brand's first-ever airport storefront. That shop sits in Concourse D near Gate D2, while the John Wayne Airport location is in Terminal B near Gate 10 and the Atlanta spot is in International Terminal A near Gate 9, per the same company blog post. SAMBAZON says it was founded in Orange County in 2000 and still operates its corporate headquarters in San Clemente, and that it runs two state-of-the-art, eco-friendly processing facilities in Brazil.
Why MIA Makes Sense for the Brand
Miami International Airport is described in the prnewswire release as America's busiest airport for international freight and the second busiest for international passengers, offering more flights to Latin America and the Caribbean than any other U.S. airport. The same release states the airport generates $212 billion in business revenue and accounts for approximately 60 percent of all international visitors to Florida annually, while also noting MIA is receiving $14 billion in capital improvements and maintenance upgrades. Those figures, as reported by prnewswire.com, underscore why the airport continues to draw national food and beverage brands looking to reach a steady stream of international travelers passing through its concourses.
