Raleigh-Durham International Airport has opened a high-tech virtual food hall—often called a “ghost kitchen”—in Terminal 2, offering a streamlined, contactless way for travelers to order food and beverages. The getREEF Virtual Food Hall features nine concepts, including national names such as Krispy Rice, 800 Degrees Pizza, Pei Wei, Xochimex Cantina Grill, Zinburger and Rebel Wings, alongside local favorites Beyú Caffé, Hubb Kitchen and American Meltdown.
“RDU’s ghost kitchen may finally end the dilemma of every family member wanting to eat somewhere different by letting them mix and match orders in one easy, contactless transaction,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. He added that the virtual food hall supports two of RDU’s primary goals: offering a wider variety of dining choices and using advanced technology to improve the passenger experience.
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Customers place and pay for orders using their mobile devices or at kiosks installed in Terminal 2 near Gate C9. After ordering, travelers receive real-time text updates about order status and retrieve meals from designated lockers using unique codes sent to their phones.
The system allows passengers to combine items from multiple restaurants in a single transaction, making it simple for groups with diverse tastes to order together. In addition, a gate delivery service is now available in Terminal 2 for concourses C and D, enabling travelers to receive meals directly at their boarding areas.
“REEF’s first-ever virtual food hall brings dramatic innovation to the future of airport dining by giving travelers unprecedented variety and convenience,” said Valentina Ellison, senior vice president of REEF Kitchens. She noted that REEF looks forward to continuing its partnership with RDU to serve travelers and to advance the ghost kitchen model.
The getREEF Virtual Food Hall is operated by REEF in collaboration with its Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise partner, HUBB Kitchens, combining scalable kitchen technology with local and national culinary concepts to enhance airport dining options.