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The Houston City Council voted to end its professional relationship with Pappas Restaurants on Wednesday, which has maintained four establishments at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) since the last decade, per a report from Houston CBS affiliate KHOU.
With a 10-6 vote, the station reported, city leaders approved a lucrative concession contract to Miami-based Areas JV.
“This is a competitive process, not a popularity contest," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said, according to KHOU.
Turner had insisted while he’s a fan of Pappas, he feared the consequences that would come with a vote based on personal preferences instead of a set of criteria.
KHOU reported that a Pappas spokesperson said the restaurant group was disappointed by the vote.
“We feel that Houstonians deserve an honest and transparent process, and this didn’t happen,” the spokesperson said, the station reported. “Pappas is a family. We’re committed to keeping our team together.”
He added that Pappas will work on helping its airport employees find jobs at its eateries elsewhere in the city and is grateful for the support it has received.
Citing KHOU, Houston Daily reported that Pappas embarked on a social media campaign called #SaveOurPappas and initiated a petition that has received over 40,000 signatures.
The restaurant group argued that it helped Hobby earn international rating agency Skytrax’s first five-star rating for a North American airport last year.
Incumbent mayor pro-tem Dave Martin told Houston NBC affiliate KPRC that under the city’s current bid system, should the agreement be awarded to Pappas, the city’s enterprise fund would hemorrhage $25 million over a decade, the publication reported.
The item was delayed a few times.
KPRC reported that Houston celebrity chef Chris Shepherd was placed in a position in which he denied claims he was instrumental in areas landing the agreement.
Shepherd, who stepped down as head of Underbelly Hospitality last year, told the station his legal counsel is looking into the issue.