You’ll find new restaurants, fewer parking spaces at RDU this month
Travelers at Raleigh-Durham International Airport will find new restaurants this month, as well as fewer parking spaces in the deck between the terminals.
First, the parking. Starting Friday, RDU expects to close off an average of 1,150 spaces in the deck while contractors again remove peeling paint from the ceilings and repaint them. That work began after Labor Day but was suspended for the busy holiday travel season. It is expected to continue through mid-May.
With about 10% of spaces in the parking garage closed, travelers are more likely to find all the Premier and Central spots within walking distance of the terminals filled. Airport officials encourage people to book a space in advance at www.rdu.com/parking to avoid surprises.
Travelers may be surprised to find some of their favorite restaurants in Terminal 2 have been replaced. This weekend, three new restaurants are set to open:
▪ Bond Brothers Brewery, a restaurant offering 14 varieties of beer made by the Cary-based brewing company, replaces Gordon Biersch near Gate C7.
▪ Cantina Grill, serving Mexican food, replaces Carolina Ale House near Gate C17.
▪ Raleigh Taproom, a spinoff of Raleigh Brewing Co. and the planned Raleigh Brewing Tavern in Terminal 1, replaces Carolina Vintages near Gate D3.
And later this month, three more restaurants are scheduled to open:
▪ Deli & Co., which specializes in made-to-order salads, replaces Brookwood Farms near Gate C9.
▪ Rush Bowls, which sells fruit and vegetable bowls and smoothies, replaces Flavours near Gate D9.
▪ Wow Bao, an Asian restaurant serving dumplings, buns and bowls, replaces A&W All American Food near Gate C18.
The new restaurants may not become mainstays at RDU. Their leases are for 16 months, which is short by the airport’s standards. Airport officials say they want to take time to consider their overall offerings in the terminals, to see if they can provide more diverse and locally based options for travelers, before seeking new vendors to fill as many as 19 spaces in Terminal 2 starting in 2021.
For a complete list of shops and restaurants in both RDU terminals, go to www.rdu.com/shops-and-restaurants/dining/.
This story was originally published January 2, 2020 at 11:47 AM with the headline "You’ll find new restaurants, fewer parking spaces at RDU this month."
