JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 The highly anticipated Concourse B at Jacksonville International Airport continues to take shape, and News4JAX got a tour inside the construction zone on Friday.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re taking you along on the behind-the-scenes tour, led by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority CEO Mark VanLoh.<\/p>\n
JAA previously announced that the state-of-the-art concourse will feature four new restaurants, including local favorites V Pizza and Willie Jewell\u2019s Old Pit BBQ, alongside national chains like Chick-fil-A and Panda Express.<\/p>\n
The project\u2019s leaders say including local restaurants was intentional. <\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody knows what a Burger King is, but they don\u2019t know about Firehouse Subs, they don\u2019t know Angie\u2019s Subs, they don\u2019t know Southern Grounds, so we wanted to do more local flavor,\u201d VanLoh told NewsJAX last year. \u201cWhen you land in Jacksonville, we want you to know you are in Jacksonville.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jacksonville International Airport’s brand-new Concourse B, scheduled to open next Christmas, will feature four new restaurants, including local favorites Bono\u2019s and Willie Jewell\u2019s Old Pit BBQ, alongside national chains like Chick-fil-A and Panda Express. (WJXT)<\/p>\n
For the owners of Bono\u2019s and Willie Jewell\u2019s, landing a spot at Concourse B is the culmination of decades in Jacksonville. <\/p>\n
\u201cNo more renderings, it\u2019s really happening, it\u2019s vertical, it\u2019s beautiful,\u201d said Josh Martino, CEO of Bono\u2019s Pit Bar-BQ, Inc. and Willie Jewell\u2019s Old School Bar-BQ. \u201cFor our family\u2019s brand, we\u2019ve 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\u2026 we are thrilled and honored.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jacksonville International Airport’s brand-new Concourse B, scheduled to open next Christmas, will feature four new restaurants, including local favorites Bono\u2019s and Willie Jewell\u2019s Old Pit BBQ, alongside national chains like Chick-fil-A and Panda Express. (WJXT)<\/p>\n
Officials say Concourse B\u2019s transformation is more than a restaurant upgrade \u2014 it\u2019s part of a broader effort to prepare Jacksonville for growth. <\/p>\n
They also highlighted the economic impact the concourse may bring, saying the expansion will create new jobs for airline, retail, and public safety roles.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have extra police on duty. We\u2019ll need extra firefighters. We need extra custodian workers. Extra restaurant workers, extra ticket takers, extra airline employees. It\u2019s just a big snowball and it will grow immensely,\u201d VanLoh said. <\/p>\n
Engineers like Nick Marollo said the project reflects airport growth and demand for more flights and services.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore people are using the airport. More people are traveling, so we need to bring in airlines, more flights,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Airport officials told the tour that Concourse B is expected to be fully ready and open for travel by December, which planners said would help accommodate holiday travel.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are the first piece. People fly into Jacksonville to see the sights, go to the parks, and see the Jaguars,\u201d VanLoh said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to be done first, we are going to be done next Christmas. Jacksonville is on a roll.\u201d<\/p>\n
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