Food delivery apps grow in popularity at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport

Passengers awaiting their flights at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport can get food delivered by simply tapping on their smartphone.

Two airport dining-related apps are now in use at MSP's Terminal 1, or the Lindbergh terminal, according to agreements signed with the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC).

AtYourGate permits travelers and airport employees to order food from nine main-terminal restaurants: Smack Shack, Black Sheep Pizza, Holy Land Deli, Red Cow, Camden Food Co., Qdoba, McDonald's, Roasting Plant and Panda Express. Deliveries can be made as far as the airport's Transit Center on the nonsecure side of Terminal 1.

The AtYourGate app is available on iPhones and Android phones, and the delivery fee is $2.99 per order.

A second app, called Grab, allows travelers to order food from six MSP restaurants ahead of arrival so they can skip lines waiting for food pickup. Grab's service is available at more than 35 airports nationwide, according to the MAC. At MSP, participating restaurants include Angel Food Bakery, Twins Grill, Smack Shack, Qdoba, Red Cow and Holy Land Deli. The MAC signed an agreement with Grab in August.

The Grab app, also available on iPhones and Android phones, does not charge a fee for the service. Business travelers can have their Grab receipts forwarded to some expense-reporting programs.

MAC spokesman Patrick Hogan said the number of restaurants available on both apps is expected to increase as the services grow in popularity.

Janet Moore