TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa International Airport welcomed travelers and local residents to a grand opening celebration on Saturday in honor of the 69 new shops and restaurants that opened in the airport's main terminal.

The last of the shops to open, the Shoppes at Bayshore, is a 6,300-square foot space that showcases national and local boutique brands, including names like Tommy Bahama, Quiksilver and Bourbon and Bowties. A pop-up Tampa shop holds a rotating display of local goods. The store’s bookstore and newsstand sells La Segunda pastries, Toffee To Go toffee and Kahwa coffee.  

Priscilla Cantu travels for work quite often and said she was thrilled to see all of the options Tampa International Airport had to offer.

"You get kind of bored especially when you're here for business you're coming and it's the same restaurants so it's better that they have that variety," Cantu said. 

Variety is exactly what airport leaders were aiming for when designing the new area. The shops and restaurants are part of a three phase master plan designed to expand the airports capacity to serve 34 million passengers every year.

“We also want this to be a destination. We’re one of the few airports where you’re going to be able to come and sit inside or outside to enjoy a restaurant and then come inside in a department store like concept," Laurie Noyes, Vice President of Airport Concessions said.

Airport leaders said they continue to see record numbers of  travelers. They served 21 million in 2018, so they want to give passengers and their loved ones the ultimate experience.

Phase one of the project also included a new rental car center connected to the terminal by an automated people mover.

Life-long Bay Area resident Bill Ardiff said he was amazed to see how much his hometown airport has evolved.

"It's been amazing , I've been flying since I was a kid so to see the airport grow and add all these wonderful new things is really terrific," Ardiff said.

Work on phase two of the master plan began last year. It includes expanded curbsides and commercial development. Phase three will be construction on a 16 gate airside terminal and will begin sometime in 2020.