Charlotte airport lands new food and drink options, other spaces taking off soon

Hungry travelers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport have new options when they want to grab a bite or drink on the go as the holiday season approaches.

Here’s what recently opened, according to CLT’s food and beverage concessions partner, HMSHost.

▪ CommonSpace in D/E Connector, across from The Plaza. The coffee shop and bar covers 1,049 square feet. On the menu: Craft cocktails and sandwiches; North Carolina roasted Counter Culture Coffee, based in Durham; locally-baked pastries, scones and croissants from Neomonde Bakery in Morrisville.

▪ Dunkin’ Express on Concourse E, near Gate E28 in the former Starbucks location. It’s CLT’s second Dunkin’ after the first store opened in the Atrium in the spring. On the menu: Doughnuts and beverages.

Along with another Dunkin’ planned at Concourse C/D Connector, several other eateries are set to debut.

Opening soon

Two new restaurants will open in Concourse C:

▪ Beatrix Market. On the menu: sandwiches, wraps, salads and soups.

▪ Wow Bao. On the menu: Asian street food like bao, pan-seared potstickers, steamed dumplings, rice and noodle bowls, soups and salads.

A restaurant and brewery will debut on Concourse E:

▪ PDQ, fast-casual 729-square-foot chicken shop. On the menu: chicken tenders and chicken sandwiches.

▪ Sycamore Brewing, a Charlotte brewery will open its 1,828-square-foot restaurant and taproom.

The new restaurants are part of a $50 million project that adds 34,000 square feet of space on the north end of Concourse E.

No opening dates were available for the four new operations.

And, on concourse B:

Midwood Smokehouse, based in Charlotte, will add its barbecue and sides to the menu in summer 2023.

CLT’s big plans

CLT food options are growing along with the expansion and renovation projects at the fifth busiest airport in the world for arrivals and departures.

It’s all part of a five-year, $608 million terminal expansion plan that started in 2019.

The project will add about 175,000 square feet to the terminal lobby and renovate 191,000 square feet, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

On Monday, the airport’s popular overlook permanently closed, along with the Long Term 1 parking lot exit to make way for the North End Around Taxiway Project, The Charlotte Observer reported. The runway is expected to be completed by 2027.

And a temporary overlook is expected to open Oct. 17 near Old Dowd Road and Airport Overlook Drive. A permanent airport overlook will open near Old Dowd Road.

Last week, the upper-level roadway for departure drop-offs temporarily closed through Oct. 12 for the construction of a 146,000-square-foot canopy.

All traffic for drop-offs and pickups now goes to the lower level arrivals area. Travelers are being advised to allow more time to drop off and pick up passengers.

Renovations also are underway to expand the lobby areas for departures/ticketing and arrivals/baggage claim. The project includes adding modern ticket counters, artwork, charging stations, three security checkpoints and five concession spaces.

It’s expected to be completed in 2025.

This story was originally published October 5, 2022 at 6:15 AM with the headline "Charlotte airport lands new food and drink options, other spaces taking off soon."