JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Travelers passing through Jacksonville International Airport in just over a year will get more than a seat on their flight — they’ll get a taste of the city itself.
The airport’s brand-new Concourse B, scheduled to open next Christmas, will feature four new restaurants, including local favorites Bono’s and Willie Jewell’s Old Pit BBQ, alongside national chains like Chick-fil-A and Panda Express.
For Michelle Primm, who was returning home to Akron, Ohio, the news was a delight.
“Local is important to me, so you get a little flavor of the town that you are visiting or passing through,” she said. “I will definitely try the BBQ place.”
The project’s leaders say including local restaurants was intentional.
“Everybody knows what a Burger King is, but they don’t know about Firehouse Subs, they don’t know Angie’s Subs, they don’t know Southern Grounds, so we wanted to do more local flavor,” said Jacksonville Aviation Authority CEO Mark VanLoh. “When you land in Jacksonville, we want you to know you are in Jacksonville.”
For the owners of Bono’s and Willie Jewell’s, landing a spot at Concourse B is the culmination of decades in Jacksonville.
“No more renderings, it’s really happening, it’s vertical, it’s beautiful,” said Josh Matrino, CEO of Bono’s Pit Bar-BQ, Inc. and Willie Jewell’s Old School Bar-BQ. “For our family’s brand, we’ve been in Jacksonville since 1949. Just to have our logo, our sign, our food, and our southern hospitality and our BBQ in front of all of the people who know it and love it in Jacksonville… we are thrilled and honored.”
Officials say Concourse B’s transformation is more than a restaurant upgrade — it’s part of a broader effort to prepare Jacksonville for growth.
“We are the first piece. People fly into Jacksonville to see the sights, go to the parks, and see the Jaguars,” VanLoh said. “We’re going to be done first, we are going to be done next Christmas. Jacksonville is on a roll.”
The airport expansion is unfolding alongside a surge of development across the city, including the riverfront, downtown, and the Jaguars’ “Stadium of the Future.”
“If you go downtown, there is dirt moving and cranes everywhere. It’s vertical,” Martino said. “The Jaguars are making a giant investment in the stadium.”
The airport expansion is a small but visible part of the city’s transformation, officials say, giving travelers a first impression of Jacksonville’s growth the moment they land.
By combining national chains with beloved hometown brands, airport leaders hope visitors experience both convenience and authenticity.
For Primm, it already works.
“I love Chick-fil-A, but it’s nice to have some variety and local flavor,” she said, smiling.
Concourse B’s opening next Christmas is set to offer travelers not just food, but a taste of Jacksonville’s identity — a sign of a city evolving.