Bristol Airport is adding a RELAY and Waitrose shop, plus Bill's, Cosy Club, wagamama and Tap + Brew, to its departure lounge from 2027, with a tech store and a dedicated bookshop following in 2028. The airport confirmed the plans on 3 November 2026, as the next phase of a transformation programme that will almost double the number of shops and restaurants in the terminal. Here's what's opening, when, and what each one will offer, based on Bristol Airport's own announcements.
What's opening at Bristol Airport, and when
| Opening | Brand | Type | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant | Bill's | All-day dining, cafe-style | Summer 2027 |
| Restaurant | Cosy Club | Relaxed dining, Bristol-born | Summer 2027 |
| Restaurant | wagamama | Asian-inspired, fast and fresh | Summer 2027 |
| Bar | Tap + Brew | Craft beer and cider | Autumn 2027 |
| Shop | RELAY and Waitrose flagship store | Confectionery, drinks, newspapers, magazines, toys, souvenirs, plus Waitrose Food To Go | Summer 2027 |
| Shop | RELAY and Waitrose, before security | Travel essentials for arriving and departing passengers | Part of the same RELAY and Waitrose rollout, date to be confirmed |
| Shop | Tech2Go | Tech travel essentials from Apple, Bose and Sony, with an in-store demo zone | Early 2028 |
| Shop | Bookshop by RELAY | Fiction and non-fiction, with seating for children | Summer 2028 |
| Kiosk | RELAY and Waitrose kiosk near the gates | Last-minute food, drinks and snacks | Summer 2028 |
Bill's, Cosy Club and wagamama: the new restaurants for 2027
Four new restaurants are coming to the departure lounge from next summer. Bill's, which the airport says can currently only be found at one other UK airport, brings an all-day dining menu with coeliac-approved and gluten-free dishes. Cosy Club, a Bristol-born brand, offers its usual mix of booths, bar seating and comfort food with locally sourced ingredients where possible. wagamama brings its Asian-inspired menu, including a children's menu and an early-flight breakfast option of eggs, waffles, French toast and granola, served from an open kitchen. A fourth opening, Tap + Brew, follows in autumn 2027 with local craft beer and cider alongside well-known brands, low and no-alcohol options, and cocktails.
RELAY and Waitrose: a new flagship shop for the departure lounge
The biggest retail change is a new flagship store from Lagardère Travel Retail's RELAY brand, in partnership with Waitrose. RELAY is described by Bristol Airport as the world's largest network of newsstands and travel essentials stores, operating in more than 300 airports worldwide, though this will be its first Bristol site. The co-branded store opens in the heart of the departure lounge next summer, with RELAY covering confectionery, drinks, newspapers, magazines, toys and souvenirs, and Waitrose Food To Go offering freshly prepared sandwiches, salads, wraps and snacks alongside it. A second co-branded RELAY and Waitrose store is also planned before security, for both arriving and departing customers, as part of the same partnership.
Waitrose's Chief Commercial Officer, Charlotte Di Cello, said the move follows the brand's launch at Heathrow and is "a significant next step in Waitrose's travel retail growth," calling Bristol "a major hub for the South West."
Tech2Go and the Bookshop by RELAY: what's coming in 2028
Two further RELAY-branded shops follow in 2028. Tech2Go, due to open in early 2028, will sell technology travel essentials and hardware from Apple, Bose and Sony, with an in-store demo zone so passengers can try products before buying. A dedicated Bookshop by RELAY opens in summer 2028, replacing the current book corner inside WHSmith with its own space, including window seating designed for children browsing titles. A last-minute kiosk near the boarding gates, selling food to go, drinks and snacks, is also due in summer 2028.
How this fits into Bristol Airport's wider transformation
These retail changes sit inside the departure lounge extension that began in autumn 2025: an investment of more than £60m to make the lounge 50% larger, with the first new shops and restaurants beginning to open from next year and the full transformation due to complete by January 2029. The retail and dining additions above are themselves part of a broader airport-wide transformation programme, which Bristol Airport's November 2026 announcement values at £400m and describes as set to almost double the number of shops and restaurants across the terminal. Kate Gwyther, Bristol Airport's Head of Retail, said the airport is "carefully selecting a great range of brands" to give passengers "excellent choice," while Lagardère Travel Retail's UK & Ireland CEO, Peter Newbould, called Bristol "England's third-largest regional airport" and pointed to its "continued growth and transformation."
Will the current shops and restaurants close while this happens?
Bristol Airport's announcement does not list which, if any, existing outlets will close or relocate to make room for the new openings. Given the scale of the plan, some current units are likely to move or be replaced as each phase opens, in the same way Alembic, the relocated M&S Food and the Arrivals Starbucks have opened over the last 18 months. For what's currently open right now, including hours and exact locations, see our full shops and restaurants guide.
What this means if you're flying soon
None of the openings above affect your trip before summer 2027 at the earliest. If you're flying in the next year, the terminal will look much as it does today; see our current duty-free prices and allowance guide and shops and restaurants guide for what's actually available now. If your trip falls in summer 2027 or later, expect building work and signage changes in parts of the departure lounge as each new unit is fitted out, similar to the disruption during the current extension.