Christopher
McNamee

Christopher McNamee leads the charge to grow the airport food & beverage division of New Jersey-based Villa Restaurant Group. Acting as Director of Business Development, McNamee has inked deals for more than three dozen airport restaurants over the past eight years, adding nine times worth of sales to the division.

Under his watch, Villa has expanded its airport footprint with major multi-unit openings at Orlando International, LaGuardia, JFK, Philadelphia, Houston Bush Intercontinental and Newark Liberty.

Opening in January 2023, Villa controls the highest grossing package at Newark Liberty International Airport’s new Terminal A, featuring partnerships with international powerhouse brands Starbucks and Shake Shack alongside local and proprietary brands.

With the growth, Villa Restaurant Group has transitioned to a prime concessionaire after decades as a brand franchisor. Villa has positively altered its growth trajectory towards airports as it enters its 60th year in business.

McNamee holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of South Carolina, ultimately moving back to his home state of New Jersey and starting a career with Villa Restaurant Group. He has continuously moved up the ranks of the Business Development team and has fundamentally shifted the mindset of the organisation towards a focus on airports, bringing unique and innovative ideas to life in this segment. McNamee will celebrate his 14th anniversary with Villa in 2024.