Capital One Landing is offering travelers at Washington National a richer lounge breakfast option with 'xuxos,' fried Catalan pastries that pair a crisp, sugar-dusted shell with a creamy center. Instead of another plain croissant, visitors can pick up something closer to a doughnut-croissant mash-up while waiting near the gates.
The pastry originates in Girona, Catalonia, Spain, and dates to 1918, giving the lounge menu a more specific regional identity than standard airport baked goods. Capital One Landing offered crema catalana and passionfruit cream versions, letting guests choose between spiced citrus notes and a brighter fruit filling.
For travelers, this means an airport lounge stop that can double as a destination snack rather than just a place to sit. Generic airport pastries look less appealing when one lounge makes a filled, fried specialty pastry the item people remember.
Image Credit: Capital One Landing
What's Driving This Trend
- Regional Airport Pastries
- Airport lounges are differentiating food programs with highly specific regional baked goods that turn routine pre-flight visits into memorable culinary touchpoints.
- Destination Lounge Dining
- Premium travel spaces are becoming snack destinations as distinctive menu items create stronger reasons for travelers to seek out branded hospitality experiences.
- Hybrid Indulgent Breakfasts
- Mash-up pastries with familiar formats and elevated fillings signal opportunities for comfort-driven breakfast items that feel both novel and accessible.
Who This Affects Most
- Airport Hospitality
- Lounge operators can use signature regional foods to compete beyond seating and amenities, making cuisine a more visible part of the travel value proposition.
- Foodservice
- Limited-menu venues are benefiting from standout specialty items that simplify operations while giving guests a more distinctive reason to remember the brand.
- Travel Retail
- Culinary exclusives in transit environments create new premium positioning for food offerings that function as both convenience purchases and experiential souvenirs.
