As part of its strategy to introduce high-net worth individuals to its private aviation duty free offerings, Privato Duty Free, in partnership with Streiffer Duty Free, sponsored the Pinehurst Barbecue Festival in North Carolina for the second year in row. Privato Duty Free is currently operating in 115 FBO locations around the country.
The sixth annual festival, which featured award-winning pitmasters, gourmet dinners, and cooking classes, was an ideal event to help spread the word about Privato’s private airport duty free business at FBOs around the country, Privato President Marco Arilli tells TMI.
“The Pinehurst Barbecue Festival keeps growing. More people are driving in from other areas, and people are flying in on private jets. There is a lot of big money there,” says Arilli. “Last year they sold 7,000 total tickets. This year they sold 9,000.”
The three-day event, which took place September 4-6, featured a Pitmaster Dinner in the Pinehurst Fair Barn on the first day, a special Grilling Class on the second day, and the main festival on the last day.
Privato and Streiffer together were a key sponsor of the event, featuring drinks from participating brands including Suntory Global Spirits, Sazerac, Diageo, Moet Hennessy, Brown-Forman, Proximo, Edrington, Heaven Hill, Bacardi, and Tito’s.
“We had a 40-foot table at the sold-out 450 person Barn event where we did tastings of every category of liquor and sold cigars. It attracted really high-end people; it was a tremendous event.
“Because we received the number one feedback last year, the Festival organizers moved us to the very center on Sunday, next to the biggest barbecue guy. We had six booths totaling 120 linear feet, the largest presence at the event. We were serving palomas, offering bourbon tastings, sampling vodkas and Irish Whiskey. And we had The Last Drop as well, which disappeared very quickly,” says Arilli.Privato also sold sunglasses, Legos, and cigars, says Arilli.
Privato has a permanent store at Moore County FBO for private jets where many flew into for the Pinehurst Barbecue Festival, says Arilli.
Last year sales were up 208% for the weekend at the airport, and this year sales were up 37% versus the 2025 event weekend.
Besides the Pinehurst Barbecue Festival, Privato has been sponsoring PGA Tour events, and plans to sponsor an event at the upcoming Super Bowl in California, as well as music festivals like Coachella and Burning Man.
Privato Duty Free has been growing its business in private airports around the United States, opening new warehouses and Fixed Base Operations (FBO). Today, Privato has 115 FBOS and 20 warehouses.
“We’ve opened new stores and FBOs and are generating interest from other larger chain FBOs. We’re now getting interest from outside the country. We opened Marathon in the Keys, Bozeman, Montana, and Panama City, Florida,” says Arilli.
Sunglasses, watches, and toys are the biggest categories, but since announcing that it was partnering with Streiffer Duty Free to distribute the tobacco, wines, champagne, and spirits for Privato in June 2024, those categories have also been growing.
“The partnership has worked out great for both of us, adding to the locations that we can carry liquor. It’s very popular, and we’re going to continue to grow that business,” says Arilli, who says he is looking for a similar distribution partnership for the beauty category.
Arilli says Privato Duty Free has been investing behind the business, improving its important app, and sees huge potential for private aviation duty free.
“Private aviation keeps growing. And we are here for the long term. We are here to grow the channel,” says Arilli.
