New Restaurants and Shops Open in RDU Terminal 1 Under $2.5B Plan

Travelers walking through Terminal 1 at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Feb. 19 found new storefronts, Raleigh Beer Garden, Italian restaurant Puro Gusto and Natalie's Candy Jar, that RDU officials and local media say are the first public-facing pieces of Transform RDU, a roughly $2.5 billion capital program to expand runways, terminals and roadways. The openings come as RDU prepares major construction that officials say will reshape passenger flow and traffic access over the next decade.

Terminal 1, the smaller of RDU’s two terminals that serves Alaska, Avelo, Breeze, Southwest, Spirit and Sun Country, also received upgrades to the ACC American Café and refreshed news and gift shops during the Feb. 19 rollout. RDU’s newsroom noted a full map and list of new shops and restaurants are available through airport channels, and the airport also highlighted that Bond Brothers Kitchen & Bar, a Cary-based concept, opened at Terminal 2 Gate D3 in January.

Funding for the broader Transform RDU program is not coming from a single source. Joe Milazzo, executive director of the Regional Transportation Alliance, told WRAL that “the $2.5 billion airport construction project is funded mainly by passenger facility charges, along with airline fees, customer spending at the airport, limited federal grants and local tax dollars.” That funding mix will underpin runway work, Terminal 2 expansion and roadway projects included in the program.

RDU and local television coverage laid out the construction timeline and near-term work. RDU describes the investment as one it “will invest $2.5 billion over the next 10 years,” while WRAL reported the overall program is set to wrap up in 2032. RDU and ABC11/WTVD say a new longer runway is still scheduled to open around 2029. ABC11 video posted to YouTube includes a transcript line that reads, “Langga told us the travelers could start to begin noticing work on John Brley Boulevard as soon as the next 8 to 12 months and that RDU's new longer runway is still scheduled to open sometime around 2029.” WRAL and RDU materials use the spelling John Brantley Boulevard for the primary roadway project; WRAL also reported construction to widen John Brantley Boulevard started this week.

Airport leadership framed the retail openings as part of meeting rising demand. Airport CEO Michael Landguth told ABC11/WTVD, “We know that demand is going to continue to be strong. And we see that from airlines. Airlines continue to add additional capacity.” ABC11 further reported that work on Terminal 2 has begun and that expansion will eventually add gates and increase capacity, a point RDU says will be coordinated with the longer runway coming online.

Local economic data underscore the rationale RDU officials cite for the upgrades. WRAL reported Wake County draws an estimated 19 million visitors a year who spend more than $3.4 billion annually; the county collected more than $41.4 million in hotel lodging taxes in 2025 and $48.9 million in prepared food and beverage taxes in 2025, the latter up 5.4% from 2024.

RDU’s newsroom provided the official rollout of concession names and urged travelers to consult airport communications for the full list; the airport’s media contact number listed in the newsroom is (919) 840-2123 for follow-up.