Ghost kitchen opens at RDU, feeding travelers without the lines
A ghost kitchen opens Thursday at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, making it easier for travelers to get food fast.
The Get Reef Virtual Food Hall is located in Terminal 2 near Gate C9. Travelers can order meals on their phones on the way to the airport or while waiting in the TSA line and pick up their food from a cubby once they get past security.
The contactless way to dine and fly became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the concept is the first of its kind at RDU.
Get Reef offers selections from nine different restaurants. Customers can place an order at the kiosk or in advance using their phone.
When the food is ready, they'll get an access code to open the cubby containing their meal.
Dorian Bolden owns Beyu Caffe in Durham, one of several restaurants offering food through the ghost kitchen.
"It’s a blessing and it shows that we’re a part of the growth that's happening throughout the Triangle," Bolden said.
"I mean, when you think about Apple coming over here, Google, Meta and so many other businesses, knowing that we're also a Black-owned business and the importance RDU is placing on bringing in diversity and having other minority and women-led businesses coming to the airport ... it's spectacular to be a part of that."
{
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}The virtual food hall will be open between 5 a.m. until the last departing flight. An official grand opening will occur later Thursday morning.
The ghost kitchen concept is not new in the Triangle. In February, The Catering Company of Chapel Hill launched a new business, Ghost Kitchen Eats. It's Chapel Hill’s first delivery-only restaurant group currently offering two virtual restaurants – Bistro 501 and The BBQ Co. of Chapel Hill.
