CLT Opens $39 Million Addition with Its First Shake Shack and Other Favorites

Charlotte Douglas International Airport unveiled its latest addition — opening officially on Friday — with “The Plaza,” a 51,000-square-foot area that hosts the airport’s second Bojangles’, and its first Wicked Weed Brewing and Shake Shack.

The long-awaited Shake Shack and the city’s first Wicked Weed, along with The Plaza’s other offerings, were announced in July. This is the city’s third Shake Shack, with a fourth set to open in South End in mid-2020.

Wicked Weed’s nearly 800-square-foot full service bar will be the Asheville brand’s first airport location.

The $39-million addition is between Concourses D and E. Concourse E hosts about 50 gates and about 50% of the airport’s passengers pass through that concourse, CLT Aviation Director Brent Cagle said.

The Plaza is the airport’s third “Destination CLT” project to be finished, following the airport’s $200-million Concourse A expansion and the $50-million roadway project. Destination CLT is the airport’s $2.5 billion to $3.1 billion renovation and expansion program.

The Concourse A expansion opened with nine new gates in July 2018, the first of the Destination CLT projects to be completed.

And in late October, the airport announced big changes to traffic patterns in the airport following the completion of the roadway project. The airport now has eight lanes open for drop-offs and pick-ups, and a designated zone for Ubers and Lyfts.

On Wednesday, the Charlotte airport was ranked 11th on the Wall Street Journal’s list of the best large U.S. airports. In recent years, the airport seems to be under constant construction, but Cagle said the end product of that construction will be worth the wait.

“We’re really proud of being 11th in the country — that’s a great ranking,” Cagle said. “But we want to keep climbing up that ranking list. Clearly construction doesn’t help, but the results definitely are aimed at moving us up that list and providing amenities that passengers want to see and making CLT a world-class airport.”

The Plaza also includes Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Auntie Anne’s, Charlotte Supply Co., iStore, The Body Shop and Minute Suites. The area also has a “Mother’s Room,” pet relief area and lounge seating with charging devices.

The Plaza’s funding came from passenger facility charges and future general airport revenue bonds, according to the airport.

The airport partnered with the Arts & Science Council and the Public Art Commission to bring “Loops,” a $637,500 rotating chandelier art installation to the Plaza. The piece, by German-born artist Christian Moeller, is made of twisted aluminum tubing.

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