Due to an uncertain economic environment, as well as the conflict in the Middle East and other factors, MERA Corporation , an operator of restaurants and franchises in airports, indicated that these businesses have recorded a decrease in consumption of between 3% and 15% in July 2026 compared to the same month in 2025 .
Juan Pablo Aguirre, vice president of MERA Corporation, explained that even during the World Cup, which took place in Mexico, the United States and Canada, they saw impacts on the economic impact.
“Having the World Cup in different countries is starting to erode the economic impact, and we’re not talking about the same economic benefits that could have been obtained. It’s been a difficult economic year for many sectors, and people are also spending less. What might have been a family traveling domestically for 40,000 or 80,000 pesos a week, was now just two or four tickets for the World Cup,” he explained.
According to the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry (CANIRAC) , more than 70% of restaurants did not increase their sales during the World Cup event; in fact, it reported that more than 50% of businesses had an occupancy rate of less than 50 percent.
In an interview with the media, Aguirre specified that some airports have seen an increase in business compared to the same period last year. However, he indicated that to compensate for the decrease, they have implemented strategies such as menu optimization to achieve a more reasonable profit margin and, in turn, offer greater benefits to travelers.
Similarly, he said that each airport requires a commercial strategy, since on several occasions concessionaires charge above-market rents because they have to pay high concession fees.
“Many times they are forced to charge above-market rents, and that creates a very delicate ecosystem. They don’t really understand which premises will be used as restaurants, or they might add too many, and that can diminish the quality,” he stressed.
He also indicated that an airport group already applies discounts to concessionaires so that, among other things, they can compensate for passing on better prices to customers, “that is one solution.”
MERA Corporation has a presence in the United States, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, and Mexico, where it operates in 15 airports, including Cancun, Merida, Guadalajara, Tijuana, and Ciudad Juarez.
Juan Pablo Aguirre did not rule out a possible arrival at an airport in Mexico City ; however, he said that at certain times they have arrived “late to the bidding processes. It would be very beneficial for these contracts to have a more continuous frequency, with longer contract durations, to further incentivize the Metropolitan Area.”
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