KEEP MARYLAND’S DINER AT MARYLAND’S AIRPORT
Serving Local Food. Creating Local Jobs. Supporting Local Farms.
Since 2007, Silver Diner has been proud to welcome millions of travelers to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport with something different from the typical airport restaurant: a locally owned Maryland brand serving freshly prepared food, local ingredients and familiar favorites at fair prices.
Now, our future at BWI is at risk.
A conceptual rendering of the proposed Silver Diner 2.0 at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Silver Diner is in danger of losing its lease at BWI at the end of 2027. Silver Diner had an agreement with our landlord, Fraport, to design a new Silver Diner 2.0 restaurant experience for BWI and continue serving travelers for another 10 years. After Silver Diner held up its end of the deal and helped Fraport win its contract with the state, Fraport changed course and demanded Silver Diner completely gut and rebuild the restaurant at a cost of approximately $8–10 million.
Silver Diner has been forced to take legal action to stay at BWI. This is about more than a contract. It’s about keeping a beloved independent Maryland restaurant at Maryland’s airport, protecting local jobs and giving travelers fresh food at fair prices.
Tell the Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA) that you want Silver Diner to stay at BWI.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Without a lease extension, Silver Diner BWI, the most popular full-service restaurant at BWI for nearly two decades, would be forced to close by the end of 2027, leaving the space without a restaurant for approximately a year.
Silver Diner employs more than 120 people at BWI. We’ve provided hundreds of Marylanders with jobs and career opportunities, including the entire management team, who worked their way up from associate-level positions to achieve their American Dream.
If Silver Diner is forced to leave BWI, those good-paying, family-supporting jobs would be lost. Fraport is a foreign-based, publicly traded corporation, but the impact of its decision would be felt right here in Maryland.
THE BEST FOOD AT THE FAIREST PRICES
Silver Diner has always believed travelers should be able to enjoy a great meal at a fair price. Because we operate restaurants throughout Maryland—not just at BWI—we’re committed to keeping our airport prices in line with what our guests expect outside the airport.
That makes Silver Diner different from airport restaurants operated by big companies using licensed brands. And when you compare our prices with the full-service restaurants at BWI operated by national concessionaires, the difference can be significant.
| Menu Item | Silver Diner | Concessionaire-Run BWI Full-Service Restaurants |
|---|---|---|
| Cheeseburger | $18.49 | $23.99–$25.29 |
| Crab Cake Sandwich | $26.99 | $35.99–$36.99 |
| Crab Cake Platter | $32.99 | $64.99–$68.49 |
| Cobb Salad | $20.99 | $25.99–$29.49 |
| Salmon Entrée | $27.99 | $41.79–$44.79 |
We believe passengers deserve local choices, quality food and fair prices at Maryland’s airport.
A MARYLAND OWNED & FOUNDER OPERATED RESTAURANT
Silver Diner was founded by Bob Giaimo and Ype Von Hengst in Rockville, Maryland, in 1989. As part of the relaunch of the Southwest Terminal in 2007, Bob and Ype designed Silver Diner BWI to be the embodiment of the state’s vision for independent restaurants at BWI, offering street pricing. Bob and Ype are still actively involved in BWI today.
Independent restaurants like Silver Diner provide diversity of concepts (instead of just migrating to more lucrative alcohol-centric concepts) and keep prices in check by encouraging competition.
For these reasons, consolidating BWI restaurant operations with a couple of dominant national concessionaires is not good for the State of Maryland or the millions of passengers who travel through BWI.
FRESH FOOD FROM LOCAL FARMS
Silver Diner is a chef-driven restaurant led by Executive Chef Ype Von Hengst, with longstanding relationships with local farms and producers. Many of our ingredients are grown and produced by friends and neighbors right here in Maryland.
We have become the most popular full-service restaurant in the airport because of the breadth of our family-friendly, updated diner menu which offers an alternative to more streamlined, alcohol-oriented concepts typically found at airports.
At Silver Diner, guests can enjoy classic diner favorites alongside healthier, vegan and plant-based choices, all freshly prepared. Even our Grab & Go salads and sandwiches are made fresh on premises. It’s the kind of fresh, local food experience travelers should be able to continue to enjoy at Maryland’s airport.
BREAKFAST WHEN TRAVELERS NEED IT
BWI starts early, and so does Silver Diner. We open at 5 a.m. with the extensive breakfast menu travelers expect from a diner, whether they’re leaving Maryland before sunrise or arriving after crossing several time zones.
And breakfast doesn’t disappear just because the clock says lunchtime. Guests can enjoy breakfast favorites throughout the day, from hearty diner classics to lighter choices. It’s part of the family diner experience Silver Diner has brought to BWI for nearly 20 years.
Your Voice Can Help
BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport belongs to Maryland. It’s Maryland’s airport, and the decisions made about its restaurants affect travelers, employees, and local businesses. If you believe BWI should support Maryland-founded businesses, protect local jobs, offer travelers fair prices and provide authentic local dining choices, please make your voice heard by sending a message to the Maryland Aviation Administration:
KEEP MARYLAND’S DINER AT MARYLAND’S AIRPORT.
KEEP SILVER DINER AT BWI.
It takes less than a minute.
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