Paradies Lagardère
Paradies Lagardère is Lagardère Travel Retail's North American airport retail, hospitality, and food-and-beverage division.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Paradies Lagardère is the North American division of Lagardère Travel Retail, operating retail stores, restaurants, bars, and other concession concepts in airports across the United States and Canada. Its business combines specialty retail, news and gift shops, branded stores, locally oriented concepts, and food-and-beverage venues. The company serves airport passengers through a portfolio that includes national and regional brands as well as concepts developed or operated by the company and its affiliates. The business traces its origins to The Paradies Shops, founded in 1960 by brothers James and Dan Paradies. Its first officially operated airport location was a toy store at Atlanta Municipal Airport, now Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The company expanded to New York LaGuardia Airport in 1964 and subsequently established operations in Dallas and Detroit. Its growth was tied to the development of airport concession programs and competitive requests for proposals, including a 1983 contract win at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Over time, The Paradies Shops broadened beyond airport news and convenience retail. It opened a hotel retail operation in 1985, introduced an airport PGA TOUR Shop in 1992, and later added branded stores such as Brooks Brothers and Brighton. In 2008, the company reported opening its 500th store in Atlanta. In 2010, Freeman Spogli made a private investment in the company, which was rebranded as Paradies. The company’s current identity emerged from the combination of Paradies and LS travel retail North America. LS travel retail North America had itself developed from HDS Retail North America, created in 2000 through the merger of Canada's UCS Group and America's Eastern Lobby Shops. In 2011, HDS Retail North America became LS travel retail North America. Lagardère Travel Retail acquired Paradies in 2015 and combined it with LS travel retail North America, creating Paradies Lagardère. Food and beverage became an increasingly important part of the portfolio. Hojeij Branded Foods was launched in 1993 by Wassim and Carol Hojeij as a doughnut delivery service at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and grew into an airport food-and-beverage concessionaire. Vino Volo, an airport wine bar and wine retail concept, was founded in 2005. Hojeij Branded Foods acquired Vino Volo in 2017, and Paradies Lagardère acquired both businesses in 2018, integrating them into its Dining Division. Paradies Lagardère operates more than 720 retail stores and restaurants across more than 90 airports in North America, according to the cited company and encyclopedia material. Its role is that of a concession operator and brand platform rather than a conventional high-street retailer: it develops and manages airport locations, partners with external brands, and adapts its assortment and dining concepts to the requirements of individual airports and passenger communities. In 2023, Lagardère Travel Retail acquired Tastes on the Fly, strengthening the group’s North American airport food-and-beverage presence. Following that transaction, Paradies Lagardère was described as the second-largest operator of airport travel retail and food and beverage in North America.
History
Paradies Lagardère developed from The Paradies Shops, an airport retail company founded in 1960 by brothers James and Dan Paradies. The founders opened the company's first officially operated store, a toy shop, at Atlanta Municipal Airport. The business expanded to New York LaGuardia Airport in 1964 and later to Dallas and Detroit. Its growth was supported by the expansion of airport concession programs and by competitive bidding for airport retail contracts. In 1983, The Paradies Shops won an airport concession through the first official industry request for proposals issued by George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The company progressively diversified its locations and categories. It opened its first hotel retail operation in 1985, introduced an airport PGA TOUR Shop in 1992, and opened airport stores for Brooks Brothers and Brighton during the 1990s and 2000s. In 2008, it opened its 500th store in Atlanta. A private investment by Freeman Spogli in 2010 was followed by the rebranding of The Paradies Shops as Paradies. A parallel North American travel-retail platform was formed in 2000 when Canada's UCS Group merged with America's Eastern Lobby Shops to create HDS Retail North America. That business became LS travel retail North America in 2011. In 2015, Lagardère Travel Retail acquired Paradies and combined it with LS travel retail North America. The resulting business adopted the Paradies Lagardère name and became the North American division of Lagardère Travel Retail. Dining and beverage operations became a major growth area. Hojeij Branded Foods began in 1993 as a doughnut delivery service at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and developed into an airport food-and-beverage operator. Vino Volo was founded in 2005 as an airport wine-bar and wine-retail concept. Hojeij Branded Foods acquired Vino Volo in 2017. Paradies Lagardère acquired both businesses in 2018 and placed them within its Dining Division. The division continued to expand through acquisitions and concession development. In 2023, Lagardère Travel Retail acquired Tastes on the Fly, a North American airport food-and-beverage concessionaire. The transaction further increased Paradies Lagardère's scale in airport dining. The company is described as operating more than 720 stores and restaurants across more than 90 airports in the United States and Canada. Its present model combines airport-specific concession management with specialty retail, national and regional brand partnerships, proprietary concepts, news and gift retail, and food-and-beverage operations.
- 2023
Tastes on the Fly acquisition
[1]Lagardère Travel Retail acquires Tastes on the Fly, increasing the North American platform's airport dining scale.
- 2018
Paradies Lagardère acquires HBF and Vino Volo
[1]Paradies Lagardère acquires Hojeij Branded Foods and Vino Volo and integrates them into its Dining Division.
- 2017
Hojeij Branded Foods acquires Vino Volo
[1]Hojeij Branded Foods acquires the airport wine-bar and wine-retail chain Vino Volo.
- 2015
Paradies Lagardère is formed
[1]Lagardère Travel Retail acquires Paradies and combines it with LS travel retail North America.
- 2011
HDS Retail North America becomes LS travel retail North America
[1]The North American HDS Retail business adopts the LS travel retail North America name.
- 2010
Investment and rebranding as Paradies
[1]Freeman Spogli makes a private investment in The Paradies Shops, which is subsequently rebranded as Paradies.
- 2008
500th store opens
[1]The Paradies Shops opens its 500th store in Atlanta.
- 2005
Vino Volo is founded
[1]Vino Volo begins as an airport wine-bar and wine-retail concept.
- 2000
HDS Retail North America is created
[1]Canada's UCS Group merges with America's Eastern Lobby Shops to form HDS Retail North America.
- 1993
Hojeij Branded Foods launches
[1]Wassim and Carol Hojeij launch Hojeij Branded Foods as a doughnut delivery service at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Products and positioning
A large-scale airport concession and travel-retail operator combining specialty retail, branded stores, local merchandise, and food-and-beverage concepts for passengers in North American airports.
Travel retail
Airport specialty retail
Paradies Lagardère operates specialty retail concessions in airports, selling travel essentials, gifts, souvenirs, lifestyle merchandise, and products associated with national or regional brands. The assortment is adapted to individual airports and passenger demand rather than standardized like a conventional chain-store format.
Airport convenience retail
News and gift stores
The company manages airport news, convenience, and gift formats designed for passengers seeking reading material, snacks, last-minute travel goods, souvenirs, and locally relevant merchandise. These stores form part of the company's broader airport concession portfolio.
Wine bar and wine retail · 2005
Vino Volo
Vino Volo is an airport wine-bar and wine-retail concept offering wine, cocktails, and shareable food in an airport setting. Founded in 2005, it was acquired by Hojeij Branded Foods in 2017 and became part of Paradies Lagardère following the 2018 acquisition of HBF and Vino Volo.
Airport food and beverage · 1993
Hojeij Branded Foods
Hojeij Branded Foods began as a doughnut delivery service at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 1993 and developed into an airport food-and-beverage concessionaire. Paradies Lagardère acquired the business in 2018 and integrated it into its Dining Division.
Sports retail · 1992
PGA TOUR Shop
The PGA TOUR Shop is a sports-focused airport retail format associated with golf merchandise. The Paradies Shops opened its first airport PGA TOUR Shop in 1992.
Food and beverage
Airport dining concepts
Paradies Lagardère's Dining Division operates restaurants, bars, cafés, and quick-service food concepts in airports. The portfolio includes proprietary and partner concepts, with formats selected and adapted for particular airport terminals and passenger profiles.
Brand decisions
2023
Acquire Tastes on the FlyM&ABackground
Lagardère Travel Retail pursued additional scale in North American airport food and beverage.
Action taken
Lagardère Travel Retail acquired Tastes on the Fly.
Aftermath
After completion, Paradies Lagardère was described as the second-largest operator of airport travel retail and food and beverage in North America.
2018
Acquire Hojeij Branded Foods and Vino VoloM&ABackground
Paradies Lagardère sought to expand and consolidate its airport food-and-beverage operations.
Action taken
The company acquired Hojeij Branded Foods and Vino Volo and integrated them into its Dining Division.
Aftermath
The transaction broadened the division's dining and airport wine-bar capabilities.
2015
Combine Paradies with LS travel retail North AmericaM&ABackground
Lagardère Travel Retail sought to establish a larger North American platform spanning airport retail and dining.
Action taken
It acquired Paradies and merged the business with LS travel retail North America, creating Paradies Lagardère.
Aftermath
The combined division became a major North American airport concession operator.
Recent events
- 2023
Lagardère Travel Retail acquires Tastes on the Fly[1]
M&A
The acquisition of airport food-and-beverage concessionaire Tastes on the Fly expanded Lagardère Travel Retail's North American dining portfolio. After completion, Paradies Lagardère was described as the second-largest operator of airport travel retail and food and beverage in North America.
- 2018
Paradies Lagardère integrates Hojeij Branded Foods and Vino Volo[1]
M&A
Paradies Lagardère acquired Hojeij Branded Foods and Vino Volo and integrated them into its Dining Division, expanding its airport food-and-beverage capabilities.
- 2015
Lagardère Travel Retail acquires Paradies and combines it with LS travel retail North America[1]
M&A
Lagardère Travel Retail acquired Paradies and merged it with LS travel retail North America, creating the Paradies Lagardère operating platform for North American travel retail and dining.
Sources2 sources
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