JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The highly anticipated Concourse B at Jacksonville International Airport continues to take shape, and News4JAX got a tour inside the construction zone on Friday.
We’re taking you along on the behind-the-scenes tour, led by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority CEO Mark VanLoh.
JAA previously announced that the state-of-the-art concourse will feature four new restaurants, including local favorites V Pizza and Willie Jewell’s Old Pit BBQ, alongside national chains like Chick-fil-A and Panda Express.
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,” VanLoh told NewsJAX last year. “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 Martino, 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.
They also highlighted the economic impact the concourse may bring, saying the expansion will create new jobs for airline, retail, and public safety roles.
“We’ll have extra police on duty. We’ll need extra firefighters. We need extra custodian workers. Extra restaurant workers, extra ticket takers, extra airline employees. It’s just a big snowball and it will grow immensely,” VanLoh said.
Engineers like Nick Marollo said the project reflects airport growth and demand for more flights and services.
“More people are using the airport. More people are traveling, so we need to bring in airlines, more flights,” he said.
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.
“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.”