Area business owners ‘taking flight’ with a new bar in the Sacramento airport
A Rio Linda restaurant duo is bringing laid back neighborhood pub vibes to serve frequent terminal-dwellers at the Sacramento International Airport. The community-oriented bar is the newest addition to the airport’s concessions overhaul project.
Local Flights Brews and Bites will be run by capital region business owners Edwin Balli, Andrea Ayala and Dneva Waggoner. The bar and restaurant concept will be located in the airport’s Terminal B pre-security area next spring.
Balli and Ayala, a husband-and-wife duo, already own Rio Pub, a relaxed neighborhood dive and longtime staple of the community at 6750 Front St. It was recognized in The Bee’s 2025 Sacramento Favorites, earning the top spot for the region’s bar food, second place for best sports bar and third for the best fries in town.
“We are excited about what lies ahead, and this incredible opportunity to make accessible Sacramento’s rich farm-to-fork landscape, celebrating locally-sourced ingredients, wine, beer, and spirits,” the owners said in an airport news release Dec. 3. “The Rio Pub is ‘taking flight’ and we look forward to working closely with our partners at Sacramento International Airport to bring this new concept to travelers and our community alike!”
Local Flights, local vibe
Local Flights will serve dishes developed by chef Adam Pechal, former owner of Tuli Bistro. Its menu will focus on regional cuisine with ingredients found throughout the Sacramento Valley, highlighting the area’s farm-to-fork focus, according to the airport’s news release.
Balli said he wants the new airport bar to be conceptually separate from Rio Pub, but still foster a sense of community.
“What ended up surprising us, in a really delightful way, was how much (Rio Pub) really was a community space,” Ayala said. “This is what small town Sacramento is really all about. It’s about the Little League teams, it’s about the families that come to celebrate their birthdays and milestones.”
However, since airports are not typically a foodie attraction, Ayala and Balli are gearing Local Flights to the people who are at Sacramento International Airport most frequently — its staff.
“The thing that really intrigued us was this idea of, do the employees have a spot where they just feel like, ‘This is ours to relax, to grab a quick bite, grab a drink after our shift’?” Ayala said. “That’s where we really saw the opportunity of perhaps replicating what we’ve seen and experienced at the Rio Pub.”
Rio Pub roots
The pair purchased the Rio Pub from its previous owner in October 2023, hoping to turn the space into a local hangout spot for adults and families.
“Whenever our kitchen is open, kids are allowed in there, and we have fun family events — everything from bingo and trivia, karaoke,” Balli said. “There was a need for that type of establishment in Rio Linda, and we’re glad to try to serve it up for the community.”
Rio Pub’s owners were connected with the opportunity to open an eatery in the airport through the Sacramento Valley Small Business Development Center, which helped the pair outline their vision and submit a winning business proposal bid.
Sacramento International Airport dining overhaul
The eatery is opening in the space that previously home to Camden and Gateway Bar until March 2020, according to the airport’s release. The space has been vacant for nearly six years.
Its launch is part of the Sacramento Airport’s concessions revitalization project, which has shifted its focus to pre-security options after 18 new post-security vendors have begun construction.
“It is, at the end of the day, an airport still. But the sense of welcoming and the relaxed environment is what we’re trying to really target with our concept,” Balli said.
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