An accomplished Triangle chef expands his range at RDU airport

Chef Scott Crawford has worked in kitchens at luxury resorts and high-end restaurants for decades, producing menus and experiences that won both him and his employers awards and accolades and helped make him a household name in the Triangle.

But something Crawford has never done, until now, is create a restaurant in an airport.

Crawford’s Genuine will open at Raleigh-Durham International Airport next month, occupying a prominent spot just beyond the security checkpoints in Terminal 2. Like Crawford’s namesake restaurants in Raleigh and Clayton, the RDU spot will have a sense of place, reflecting the ingredients and culture of the region.

The big difference, Crawford says, is that people in airports have flights to catch and are often pressed for time. The new menu had to be built for speed.

“With each item that we’re choosing we have to make sure, ‘Well, can this be done in a certain amount of time and have the total experience be 30 minutes instead of an hour and 30 minutes?’” Crawford, 51, said in an interview. “So many of the menu items are designed that way.”

That’s not to say Crawford’s Genuine will be serving hot dogs and chicken fingers. Appetizers include smoked trout dip, tuna tartare and Brunswick stew, followed by salads, sandwiches and entrees such as crispy flounder and grilled Carolina trout. Crawford says some dishes, such as the roasted half chicken or braised beef short rib, are designed for travelers with more time.

How much time do travelers have?

Time is also an important element of employee training. Host and wait staff will talk to guests up front about how much time they have before they must board their flights.

“That way they can make recommendations on the menu and sort of personalize their experience based on their travel plans. That’s not something we do street-side much,” Crawford said. “We personalize experiences, but not based on what their schedule is.”

Crawford’s Genuine is the result of a joint venture with Grove Bay Hospitality, a Miami-based company that has experience running restaurants in airports. Unlike Crawford’s other Triangle restaurants, it will serve food all day, including a selection of breakfast bowls and sides such as Smithfield ham and Benton’s bacon.

Crawford also had a hand in designing the restaurant, choosing the finishes, materials and equipment. He says the main feature will be a long bar that extends from an “inside” section with a lower ceiling to what feels like a separate space.

“Because the ceilings are so high in the airport you almost feel as if you’re outdoors on a patio,” he said. “That felt very much like North Carolina to us as well, that you could have this feeling of dining outside. It’s inviting space.”

RDU airport’s new restaurants

Air travel has rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic, but RDU’s food and beverage offerings haven’t caught up. As travelers look for coffee or a bite to eat in the terminals, they encounter a dozen walled-off spaces where eateries once were and will be again.

Crawford’s Genuine is one of three places in Terminal 2 scheduled to open in June, along with Carolina Craft, a bar serving beer, cocktails, charcuterie boards and other small plates, and an RDU location of Raleigh-based Black & White Coffee Roasters. They also result from the Grove Bay joint venture, with Crawford consulting on menus and operations.

The rest of the empty spaces should all by filled by the end of the year with 10 new restaurants. RDU began emphasizing local eateries several years ago, and the new lineup will be a mix of those and national chains.

Most will be in Terminal 2, the main terminal, which is divided into two concourses. In Concourse C, the restaurants coming are:

▪ Adios!, a Mexican restaurant created by Oscar Diaz, a two-time James Beard semifinalist whose previous restaurants include Cortez and Jose & Sons in Raleigh and Little Bull in Durham.

▪ Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay, part of a growing chain of burger restaurants from the celebrity chef and Food Network star. RDU will be the second airport with a Bobby’s Burgers, after Phoenix International.

▪ Dunkin’, once known as Dunkin’ Donuts, the chain sought as much for its coffee as its round confections. RDU officials say they had received numerous requests for Dunkin’ over the years.

▪ Half-Moon Empanadas, a small, woman-owned chain started in Miami that serves Latin American street food.

▪ Lonerider, the Raleigh-based brewery and distillery, opened at RDU last fall, offering grab-and-go food, spirits and beer, including a new brew called Boots Up Ale sold only at RDU. Lonerider will close June 30 for renovations and is expected to reopen by the end of the year as a full-service restaurant.

In Concourse D, the south wing of Terminal 2, the lineup includes:

▪ Bongiorno & Son Italian Deli and Market, based on the Raleigh deli that Michael Bongiorno opened in 2020.

▪ Bond Brothers Taproom & Kitchen. The Cary-based brewery was open in Concourse C a short time in 2020 before the pandemic shut everything down.

▪ Conniption Cocktails & Cuisine, created for RDU by Durham Distillery and inspired by Corpse Reviver Bar & Lounge in Durham. In addition to cocktails, it will serve salads, flatbreads and bowls, as well as coffee and espresso drinks.

▪ Guy’s Pizza Joint selling pies from spiky-haired Food Network star Guy Fieri.

And in Terminal 1:

▪ Raleigh Beer Garden, an airport version of the Glenwood South institution, with 48 beers on tap and a menu that includes chicken and waffles, bratwurst and fish and chips.

The new restaurants join nearly 20 existing ones between the two terminals, including airport versions of Char-Grill and La Farm Bakery Cafe.

For a full list of existing restaurants and shops at RDU, go to rdu.com/shops-and-restaurants.

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