Arriving soon at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport: a store selling goods from South Dallas nonprofit Bonton Farms.

The Bonton Farms store will open this fall near Gate A17 in DFW’s Terminal A. It’s part of a partnership with travel retailer WHSmith North America. The location will not only sell merchandise but will introduce travelers to Bonton Farms’ mission, the partners said.

The store will offer Bonton’s signature products, including local honey, handmade jams, goat milk soaps, grab-and-go food items, apparel and gifts. “Bontonpreneurs,” who are part of the organization’s business development programs, create Bonton’s products.

Mark Jones, president and CEO of Bonton Farms [Photo: Bonton Farms]

“This opening represents an exciting milestone for Bonton Farms and the community we serve,” Mark Jones, president and CEO of Bonton, said in a statement. “For the first time, our products and our story will reach travelers from around the world.”

“Through this partnership with WHSmith North America, we’re creating new opportunities to share the mission of Bonton Farms while generating additional support for programs that help our neighbors thrive,” Jones said.

WHSmith’s reach

WHSmith North America operates more than 350 stores in the United States and Canada in airports, rail stations and resorts. Its locations include news and gift shops, In Motion Tech stores, specialty and licensed product shops, and fashion retailers.

“At WHSmith North America, we are committed to creating meaningful retail experiences that reflect the communities we serve,” said Huw Crwys-Williams, CEO of WHSmith North America. “Bonton Farms is more than a local brand. It is an organization creating lasting impact across Dallas and the wider Metroplex area.”

‘Front door to our mission’

Daron Babcock founded Bonton in 2014 as a small beekeeping operation. It was designed to create jobs and engage the community. The nonprofit expanded over the years into a venture that operates farms, markets, a coffeehouse and a farm-to-table cafe. Bonton strives to provide South Dallas residents with economic stability, education, financial tools, access to health and wellness, and affordable housing.

Bonton said the store’s design will reflect the character of Bonton Farms and highlight the organization’s South Dallas roots.

Bonton’s director of operations, Kendra Charisse, helped forge the WHSmith partnership. She called the store “one of the most rewarding projects of my career.”

“This store isn’t just retail space; it’s a front door to our mission,” Charisse said. “From sourcing and packaging our products to meet the demands of a whole new scale of distribution, every step was about making sure Bonton Farms shows up authentically in one of the busiest airports in the world.”

Highlighting small businesses

DFW Airport extended a warm welcome to Bonton Farms.

“This partnership underscores our commitment to supporting small, diverse and locally rooted businesses — enabling them to tap into the airport’s economic growth as we expand our concessions footprint,” Ken Buchanan, DFW’s executive vice president and chief revenue officer, said in a statement when the airport awarded the concession contract.

The store will sell a collection of products from other North Texas merchants, DFW Airport said. The collection will include goods from three small businesses in Fort Worth: coffee from Sons Coffee, grab-and-go salads and sandwiches from Lettuce Cook, and honey-based treats from Pearl Honey Spreads.