facility location

Remote Check-In for Boston Airport

Boston’s Logan Airport has added the nation’s first remote terminal.

Passengers arrive at a terminal located approximately 25 miles from the airport. They then check their bags and proceed through TSA security. After clearing security, they wait for the bus in a secure room. The bus then drops them off at the airport gate area.

Passengers do not need to go through security again.

Video Spotlight:

First-in-the-nation remote terminal for Logan Airport opens in Massachusetts (June 1, 2026, CBS […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2026-07-27T06:55:42+00:00July 26, 2026|Tags: facility design, facility layout, facility location, service design, transportation, waiting line|

Portillo’s Expansion: Location Decisions

Portillo’s is a fast casual restaurant with origins in Chicago, IL, famous for its Chicago Dog.

This all-beef hot dog on a poppy-seed bun is often ordered as “dragged through the garden,” meaning mustard, relish, celery salt, chopped onions, sliced tomatoes, kosher pickle, and sport peppers. Notice that ketchup is not included.

Ketchup on a hot dog is frowned upon in Chicago dating back to the Depression era, where hot dog vendors used it to hide poor-quality hot dogs.

Other key Portillo menu […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2026-02-11T05:41:10+00:00February 11, 2026|Tags: apps, capacity, facility location, strategy, technology|

Why Kroger Is Pivoting Its Supply Chain Strategy

A few years ago, Kroger announced plans to leverage Customer Fulfillment Centers (CFCs) to expand its reach into new markets. CFCs would allow Kroger to enter new markets, delivering directly to customers using Kroger delivery vans, without building brick-and-mortar stores.

Kroger has opened 8 CFCs in total, with plans for three others in the works.

However, Kroger recently announced that it is closing three locations. The closures will happen in January 2026. One of the planned CFCs […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2026-01-15T07:59:16+00:00January 14, 2026|Tags: automation, delivery, direct-to-consumer, facility location, fulfillment centers, last mile delivery, online order fulfillment, operations strategy, outsourcing, technology|

The Return of Spirit Christmas

Last year, Spirit Halloween opened 10 Spirit Christmas stores.

This year, the plan is to open 30 Spirit Christmas stores, many of which will be in Spirit Halloween stores.

Spirit Halloween is owned by Spencer’s Gifts LLC. Over 1,500 pop-up stores opened this year. Stores are open for the Halloween season, selling costumes, decorations, and animatronics. Generally, stores use vacant retail spaces and are known for the Halloween experience, which includes a scary theme and motion-activated animatronics.

Spirit Christmas follows […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2025-11-14T03:12:11+00:00November 14, 2025|Tags: facility location, location, project|