Chef Johnny Hernandez has multiple restaurants throughout Texas, including one at the San Antonio International Airport (SAT). Now, the chef is revving up to bring his famed La Gloria restaurant and two markets to the airport by early 2026.
According to this licensing permit, construction on Chef Johnny’s Mercado is expected to start in November and finish in March 2026. The store will be located at 9800 Airport Blvd, GLF-2.
The projects are opening in collaboration with HMSHost, a restaurant operator with more than 1,000 locations in nearly 80 airports across North America. According to a press release announcing the new dining concepts, the partnership with Chef Johnny started back in 2012. Now the two are embarking on opening Chef Johnny’s Mercado, Southtown Market, and La Gloria sometime next year.
“Every few years, an opportunity presents itself to transform the experience at an airport — and this is certainly one of those opportunities,” Steve Johnson, President and CEO, North America, Avolta, said in the press release. HMSHost is part of Avolta, a global travel retailer.
“Nothing makes me happier than being joined by this amazing lineup of award-winning chefs. They represent San Antonio’s best,” Chef Johnny said in the press release.
“It’s unheard of to have this much culinary talent in any airport, and we are grateful to have airport leadership that values the importance of supporting our local chef-owned businesses.”
The La Gloria that is expected to come to the airport will be the sixth installment in Texas. According to his website, there are also two La Gloria food trucks and five La Gloria Margarita Trucks. While it’s unclear if the menu at La Gloria SAT will be the same, the La Gloria locations that are currently open serve authentic Mexican cuisine, including tacos, an array of seafood options, enchiladas, and more. La Gloria’s famous margaritas are also on the menu. Let’s hope they make the cut at the La Gloria Chef Johnny intends to open at SAT next year.
While there’s not much information on Chef Johnny’s Mercado or Southtown Market, both are expected to be built at the airport this year.
Stick with us for the latest on all of Chef Johnny’s upcoming openings at the San Antonio International Airport.
