Travelers through Jacksonville Airport could soon see the new Chili’s restaurant as the city reviews a permit application for Auld & White Constructors LLC to build-out the new space at a cost of almost $1.3 million.
The site is in the post-security area for ticketed passengers at the North Jacksonville airport at 2400 Yankee Clipper Drive.
Jacksonville-based Auld & White will renovate the 4,385-square-foot space for tenant HMSHost International of Bethesda, Maryland.
Chili’s is expanding from its original size at the entrance to Concourse A. It closed that location for the airport’s security checkpoint expansion.
“Chili’s has been the highest-grossing concession in our airport. Right before it closed due to the security checkpoint project, it had just reached $5 million in sales. So with a 50% expansion of this unit, we expect it to expand significantly,” Jacksonville Aviation Authority Properties Manager Jeff Taylor told the board July 27.
There will be up to 50% more bar seating. There also will be seating along the chair rails.
Taylor told the board the focus on concessions development the past several years has been driven by two goals.
“One of those is to rebalance the existing program that we’ve had, which has been heavy on the retail, and a high demand for food and beverage, so we’ve been wanting to bring more restaurants to support the growing demand for food and beverage services,” Taylor said.
“And secondly, we’ve been focused on bringing in more local flavors for our passengers to experience. We want our airports to be reflective of the sense of place in Jacksonville,” he said.
The airport’s 20 gates comprise 10 on Concourse A and 10 on Concourse C.
The security checkpoint expansion and the movement of concessions is in preparation for the construction of the six-gate Concourse B to be completed in 2025.
The authority has added or expanded Firehouse Subs and Southern Grounds & Co. and is adding Angie’s Subs and a larger Vino Volo.
Paradies Lagardère operates Vino Volo. HMSHost operates the rest of the dining areas with Lee Wesley Group.