5 min read
Major Takeaways
- Marathon Burger opened Monday inside Terminal 1 at Los Angeles International Airport.
- It is the fifth location for the brand and its first inside an airport.
- The restaurant grows out of the Marathon brand Nipsey Hussle started in 2010.
- His brother Samiel Asghedom, known as Blacc Sam, leads the business today.
- City leaders say the opening brings South LA culture to a global gateway.
The Marathon now runs through an airport.
Marathon Burger opened its doors Monday inside Terminal 1 at Los Angeles International Airport.
The opening marks the fifth location for the growing restaurant brand.
It is also the first Marathon Burger built inside an airport.
For fans of Nipsey Hussle, the address carries real meaning.
The late artist built the Marathon name in South Los Angeles.
Now that name greets travelers the moment they land in his city.
A Vision Built in South LA
Nipsey Hussle established the Marathon brand in 2010.
Music came first for most fans who found him.
Clothing and business ventures soon carried the same name.
Ownership sat at the center of the message in every lane.
He urged his community to build where it lived.
Marathon Burger grew from that same playbook.
A pop up run in 2024 tested the concept with the public.
The Melrose Avenue flagship then opened on March 1, 2025.
Long lines formed there as word spread across the city.
Shops in Venice, Canoga Park and Long Beach followed the flagship.
Each new counter widened the map without leaving its roots.
Inside the New Marathon Burger at LAX
Travelers can order the double smash burger with grilled onions.
Fries, wings and drinks round out the main menu.
A breakfast menu created for the airport adds a morning draw.
Beer, wine and cocktails widen the offer for waiting passengers.
A pop up shop beside the restaurant sells Marathon merchandise.
Kogi BBQ opened in the same terminal on the same day.
Its founder Roy Choi helped shape Los Angeles street food culture.
Two hometown names now anchor a key stretch of the terminal.
The City Showed Up for the Opening
Mayor Karen Bass joined city officials and cultural leaders on Monday.
“Marathon Burger and Kogi BBQ embody the best of LA’s culinary and cultural excellence,” Bass said.
“Now, visitors from around the world will be able to experience them the moment they land.”
Council President Marqueece Harris Dawson called it a proud moment for South LA.
“Nipsey Hussle’s vision was always rooted in community empowerment,” Harris Dawson said.
He praised building a thriving business in South LA while investing back into its people.
The Crenshaw Marching Band performed during the celebration.
The sound of 1500 or Nothin’ filled the terminal during the festivities.
Samiel Asghedom stood at the center of the day for the family.
“We are honored to have this opportunity to bring Marathon Burger to LAX Terminal 1,” Asghedom said.
“To be able to expand and have this be our fifth location is a huge blessing.”
The terminal also holds personal memories for the brothers.
Asghedom has recalled passing through that same terminal with Nipsey while traveling.
Now travelers pass a counter carrying their family name instead.
Why This Opening Matters for Black Ownership
Airports move millions of travelers and serious money each year.
Space inside them rarely goes to brands born in Black neighborhoods.
Marathon Burger changes that picture at one of the busiest gateways in Los Angeles.
A South LA name now sits where visitors form a first impression of the city.
That placement turns a local success story into a global introduction.
It also proves the model Nipsey Hussle preached for years.
Build equity and own the asset.
Hire from the community and bring the value home.
Bass knows that history well.
She read his legacy into the Congressional Record during her time in Congress.
Airport leaders frame the opening as part of a wider dining refresh at LAX.
“We are on a mission to put the LA in LAX,” said John Ackerman.
Ackerman leads Los Angeles World Airports as its chief executive officer.
The refresh comes as the city prepares to host the 2028 Olympic Games.
In a season of catalog deals and legacy plays, this move puts a storefront behind the slogan.
What Comes Next for the Brand
Plans already point to Las Vegas as the next stop.
The Las Vegas shop would be the first location outside California.
No opening date or address has been announced for that site.
More than seven years after his death, the brand he founded keeps reaching new rooms.
From halftime stages to airport counters, Black artists keep converting fame into ownership.
The words The Marathon Continues now read like a business plan in motion.
A fifth counter is open and a sixth is on the board.
South LA built that, and the world now walks past it daily.
Keep up with every move in our Entertainment coverage.
