By John Ingoldsby
Engagement Insider
DALLAS, TX September 16, 2014 – Ray Mickens made his name as a high-flying cornerback for the New York Jets, but his NEXT career has truly taken off since he landed in – quite appropriately – the airline industry.
What started as a $15,000 investment in a kiosk at the Philadelphia Airport has become a burgeoning empire of sorts that now numbers more than a dozen establishments in a number of airports.
Best of all, he has initiated a Player Product Program where he carries the merchandise of former NFL players in his restaurants and specialty retail locations, that includes newsstands and clothing stores.
“I feel it’s my fiduciary duty to do business with current and former NFL players,” said the ten-year NFL veteran. “For instance, I buy wine from former NFL quarterback Rick Mirer and support other players who sell items like ketchup, barbecue sauce, and coffee.”
All products that Mickens can use since his airport concessions business currently include Starbucks, Qdoba Mexican Grill and Famous Famiglia, with a Wild Bleu Martini Bar and two Einstein Bros. Bagels on the horizon.
“I will have my Grand Opening for Wild Bleu at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Terminal A, Gate 9 this Fall, and next year I will open my first Einstein Bros. Bagels, with the second scheduled for 2016, both at DFW,” said the Texas A&M alumnus who grew up in El Paso and now lives near Dallas.
But to reach these lofty heights, Mickens needed to start somewhere, and he began his journey by making his initial kiosk investment while he was still playing with the Jets, and boosted his business acumen by taking an NFL Player Engagement offering at Georgia Tech.
“I first got involved in 1999 with a kiosk that sold Pepsi and popcorn at the new international terminal in the Philadelphia airport, which appealed to me since we hired welfare recipients,” he recalled. “I also attended an airport conference where I met HMSHost, the biggest airport concessionaire, which led tome becoming involved with a Starbucks at DFW.”
That began a relationship that still stands today, where he currently has 13 retail units with HMSHost at DFW.
During this time, he fondly acknowledges that he “learned how to run a ship,” which taught him how to eventually go out on his own.
“I went through a bidding process and got my first win with Qdoba, which has been open for two years at DFW,” Mickens said proudly.
But that would not be his first and DFW would not be his only airport.
“I also have two Famous Famiglia locations at George Bush International Airport in Houston and one at the San Antonio airport,” said Mickens of the authentic New York-style pizza and Italian food restaurants, adding of his partners, “They are a great family.”
And all part of how he has soared to success, which he describes simply by saying, “I have fun and it keeps me busy.”
But not too busy to make a difference beyond the airport gates.
He also runs the Ray Mickens Champions Fund, a non-profit organization that features reading programs and a Celebrity Weekend in El Paso each May with a youth football camp and health fair, along with a golf tournament.
Additionally, he coached his son’s team to the sixth grade national championship in San Antonio this past year in the annual Football University nationwide competition.
Lastly for Mickens, who also had stints with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots, he still brings that winning edge by working with Nike.
“I typically train and prepare defensive backs to transition from both high school to college and college to the NFL, and we travel around to work with these players,” said Mickens.
And while traveling, Mickens makes the most of his airport time by knowing all the best places.