Orlando Airport’s New Terminal Adds Another Big Name To Already Stacked Restaurant Roster

by joeheg

Orlando’s South Terminal Complex is 87% complete and has a planned opening date of July 2022. Bit by bit, we’ve been getting glimpses of the new terminal, which will add 15 new gates and a ton of retail space. The concessions contracts were signed a few months ago and now we can see the finalized roster.

Most recently, Chef Art Smith announced his new restaurant concept called “Sunshine Diner”

a yellow and grey logo

In the social media posts, there’s no mention of the location besides being at Orlando Airport. I did a little digging through the airport’s public meetings and I’m sure that it’s going to be a 3,668 SF location in the North Concourse of the new terminal.

In his now-deleted Twitter post, he says “Don’t expect anything like our other restaurants. (It) will be unique and part of my dream to revitalize the great American diner.”

It’s the largest of the spaces in the new terminal and the concept art looks wonderful.

a restaurant with tables and chairs a restaurant with tables and chairs

Sunshine Diner joins Wine Bar George (already a staple at Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs shopping and dining district) and the second outpost of Cask & Larder on the list of restaurants in Terminal C. The downside of all of these places is that they’re all located past security (which is a pet peeve of mine about airports).

I’m really looking forward to the completion of the South Terminal at Orlando Airport. It’s rumored that JetBlue will be one of the first airlines to move to the new terminal which would be a huge upgrade from their current airport space.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary

Cover Photo courtesy of Orlando International Airport

4 comments

Mark February 1, 2022 - 2:12 pm

I’m very curious why you would want a pre-security restaurant…

Reply
joeheg February 1, 2022 - 11:01 pm

We occasionally meet visitors from overseas who are visiting Orlando and offer to drive them to their hotel (and a stop for supplies on the way.) We are sitting landside with nothing to do if their flight is delayed and having a place to hang out would be a nice change of pace.

Reply
Andrew February 2, 2022 - 8:10 am

The new terminal is intended to be the international terminal, so if JetBlue does operate from it, it would be their international flights to the Caribbean and Latin America.

Reply
T February 2, 2022 - 11:40 pm

It will be domestic flights as well as international flights from that terminal….not just international.

Reply

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