By VERNON CLEMENT JONES,Guardian Business Editor,vernon@nasguard.com

A co-owner of the local Wendy's franchise is expressing optimism after winning a bid to open his eighth location, this one at Lynden Pindling International. Chris Tsavoussis's positive outlook comes despite the concerns of former bidders worried the economy has made airport lease terms too onerous.

"We were notified that our bid was accepted and we plan to be open in the international terminal by mid-March," co-owner of the successful chain of budget restaurants told Guardian Business Monday. "The economy is challenging, but we're convinced that based on the number of people they've indicated are in and passing through the airport that it will be a successful undertaking."

He's not alone. Yesterday Chairman of the Airport Authority Frank Watson told Guardian Business that Tyrone Nabbie and his more upscale Kafe Kalik has also been given the nod to set up shop in the country's largest airport, that eatery poised to open in the U.S. departure lounge as early as next month.

As Guardian Business reported last year, George Myers — considered the king of Bahamian fast food — has won his own bid to bring two Dunkin' Donuts locations to the airport, the first coming on stream in February and before a $400m redevelopment plan for the facility kicks into gear starting 2Q.

The airport's board-sweeping transformation figures prominently in the concerns of at least two other food services companies, which Guardian Business understands withdrew their own applications given fading tourism forecasts. It's that potential for reduced sales relative to very definite and steep costs which has scared off some bidders.

Under the initial terms of the authority's bid request proposal, restaurant vendors were asked to come up with the hundreds of thousands of dollars in capital outlay needed to set up at their respective locations — Wendy's will open just opposite Bahamasair in the international terminal. Moreover, they were also told they'd have to agree to tear down and transplant that infrastructure when the new airport is completed.

"From a business standpoint, it's not economically worth it," Jonathan Mitchell told Guardian Business last September. "The financial output was not appealing as it seemed before."

His family's Mister Donuts franchise would eventually withdraw its application for the two specialty coffee location ultimately falling to Myers. Starbucks also vied for that concession.

Guardian Business was unable to obtain the bid document for Wendy's or Kafe Kalik's concessions Monday.

But the management company for the airport, NAD, generally demands a minimum rental amount from each of its vendors, or cut of gross sales, apparently with a floor of 12 percent. It's whichever is greatest.

A similar requirement is imposed on its other retail vendors, six more of which have taken up carts in both the U.S. and international departure lounges over the last two months.

Their collective moves may reflect Tsavoussis's own positive thinking.