Gideon Toal
Stakeholders make official the opening of The Bridge Travel Essentials.
Fort Worth-based Gideon Toal Management Services and R.S. Harris LLC celebrated the grand opening of The Bridge Travel Essentials at DFW International Airport last month.
The opening marked the first-of-its-kind collaboration combining nonprofit and for-profit businesses to establish a social entrepreneurship business model to be based at the airport.
The Bridge Travel Essentials offers travel necessities such as fresh grab-and-go food items, electronics, health and beauty products, beverages and other travel items such as pillows, blankets, luggage locks.
The name reflects the collaboration’s third partner, The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center in Dallas.
“DFW Airport is not only a major travel hub, but it’s also an economic engine that creates jobs and supports our local business community,” said Ken Buchanan, executive vice president of Revenue Management and Customer Experience at DFW airport, in a statement. “The Bridge is a new model for an airport concession that taps into this engine in a creative way to use some of its proceeds to benefit those who need the most help in our community. We are proud to offer our passengers the opportunity to shop for travel essentials while also helping to end homelessness in North Texas.”
Gideon Toal
Says Alvin Brown, Gideon Toal president: “We are extremely proud that this partnership will become a part of the fabric of North Texas economy at DFW."
Founded in 1996, GTMS operates airport lounges at 11 locations in eight domestic U.S. airports including Dallas Fort Worth International, Orlando International, and Las Vegas International. R.S. Harris is an operator of specialty retail, food, and beverage convenience stores. It is based in Dallas.
Since opening in 2008, The Bridge has evolved into an internationally recognized model for homelessness recovery. A licensing fee of The Bridge brand will help infuse funds into the homeless recovery support network in the area to help get people back on their feet.
In addition to The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center, UpSpire — a Fort Worth-based nonprofit under the umbrella of the Presbyterian Night Shelter — will provide the staffing at the store.
UpSpire services impact the homeless community through its professional services programs that enable homeless clients to transition permanently into the general workforce. The program provides gainful employment, case management support, and job skill development.
An added value to this collaboration was seeking out small minority-owned businesses that would not normally have access to doing business with the airport concessions market.
Black Coffee, a minority-owned business on Fort Worth’s East Side, will provide product in the form of the drip coffee station at the concession.
Black Coffee is owned by Mia Moss.
Said Alvin Brown, Gideon Toal president: “We are extremely proud that this partnership will become a part of the fabric of North Texas economy at DFW."