End of an Era at Maine’s Iconic Airport Inn Restaurant

Hundreds of people attended a big party at The Airport Inn Restaurant in the town of Maine to celebrate the retirement of the long-time owner of the business.

Travis Evans is turning the operation over to a group that includes two people who've worked at the business for many years.

Evans has been overseeing the business since 2003. His mother, Kim Evans, owned The Airport Inn for about 17 years prior to that.

Fire destroyed restaurant's building in January 2019. The Airport Inn Restaurant reopened in a new, larger structure in April 2020 in the early weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At first, customers were able to obtain food only for takeout because of the state's pandemic operating restrictions.

Eventually, the guidelines were eased and business returned to normal.

Evans noted The Airport Inn's success really can be attributed to the loyalty of nearby residents and to its family atmosphere. He said patrons like the fact that when they visit, "they'll know most of the people here."

While the 48-year-old Evans is "retiring" from running the town of Maine eatery, he'll be keeping busy. He said he'll continue to operate a second Airport Inn location in Greene. That restaurant opened last July.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.