The kitchen, planned for the former California Pizza Kitchen space in Concourse C, will ask customers to order their food in an app or at a kiosk. Once the food is ready, they will use a code sent to their phone to open a locker to retrieve their order.

The concept will offer several different restaurant’s food options — though the list of brands is not finalized yet. At the Airport Authority meeting last week where the virtual kitchen was approved, potential restaurants included Dunkin’, Nathan’s Famous hot dogs, and local food truck Chirba Chirba.

The ghost kitchen model requires less staff which allows the team to pay a higher wage, David Freedman, RDU’s chief revenue officer, explained at the meeting. Pay will start at $20 an hour, he said.

The app function of the kitchen will allow customers to order before they’re physically in the terminal — whether they’re in the parking lot or in another airport boarding a flight to RDU. The locker function will keep the food heated or cooled as needed.

The opening date for the virtual kitchen is not yet decided. It will be run by REEF (the largest virtual kitchen operator in North America) + the founder of H.U.B.B. Kitchens (which operates a virtual kitchen in the Triangle).

At last week’s meeting, the Airport Authority also announced that taxi service is returning to RDU after the previous vendor quit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Taxi Taxi is expected to begin service this week.

Use the buttons below to share this story with frequent flyers, your neighbors, and anyone else

who loves learning about our city.

#MUSTDO

Today

Yoga in the Park | Mon., Sept. 20 | 6-7 p.m. | Dorothea Dix Park | Free | All fitness levels are welcome at this vinyasa flow practice class at Williams Field.
Open Studio | Mon., Sept. 20 | 6 p.m. | Wine & Design, 510 W. Martin St. | $37 | Pick a design of your choice, grab a glass of wine + paint away the day. 🍷

Tuesday

City Council Afternoon Session | Tues. Sept. 21 | 1–4 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Raleigh City Council will meet to discuss city-related topics, including allocating $25.5 million in the next phase of the American Rescue Plan Act.
Lens, Pens, and Soul | Tues., Sept. 21 | 4–5 p.m. | Virtual | Free | During this webinar, learn about the Beautiful Project — an installation focused on using art to represent and advance the justice + wellness of Black women.

Wednesday

Young Professionals | Wed., Sept. 22 | 9–10:30 a.m. | PNC Arena | $45 | Meet with like-minded individuals to discuss Raleigh’s booming business.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

PLAN YOUR WEEK

Digital banking is convenient, but keeping personal information secure can be challenging.

Banks, like Fifth Third Bank, take preventive measures to keep financial information secure on mobile banking apps — but customers are the ones who create the first line of defense.

🔒 3 ways to keep your personal data secure:

• Avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi networks.

• Be cautious of the information that you give apps access to.
• Use strong passwords. Ⓟ

2 MORE SECURITY TIPS

NEWS NOTES

Weather

85º | Mostly cloudy | 20% chance of rain

Coming Soon

The new location of Bull City Ciderworks in Cary will be joined by a&be Bridal Shop in the restored historic Williams House at 210 E. Chatham St. (across from Mid-Town Square). The location will be the bridal company’s first in NC + eighth overall. 👰(Triangle Business Journal)

Sports

The Durham Bulls are the Triple-A National Champions for the third time in franchise history. The team clinched the title Sat., Sept. 18 by defeating NC rival the Charlotte Knights. Durham’s previous titles were won in 2009 + 2017. 🏆(WRALSportsFan)
ACC basketball schedules have been released — NC State opens conference play by hosting Louisville Sat., Dec. 4. (Get ready, LOUtoday.) The Wolfpack’s final regular-season home game will be against the Tar Heels on Sat., Feb. 26. See the full schedules for NC State, UNC Chapel Hill + Duke here. 🏀(WRALSportsFan)

Civic

The city is asking for input from residents on its new bus rapid transit route coming soon — workshops over the next few weeks will allow community members to meet with city planners, pitch ideas + ask questions. Events begin today at the Tarboro Road Community Center for the western stations. 🚌(CBS 17)

Community

Wake County Public Libraries is going mobile — the library system launched an app for users to check out books, pay fees, and manage their accounts all from a smart device. The app includes features like taking a picture of a book + requesting it in the app. Download it here. 📱
Law enforcement, first responders, and state officials will be giving out 50 free car seats and helping community members install them at Pullen Park today from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The car seats will be given to families who bring their children + on a first come first serve basis.

Active

Micro-soccer pitches will be installed at Peach Road Park + Brentwood Park, thanks to Raleigh Parks, the US Soccer Foundation, The Bucy Foundation, and NC Courage. Work on the Peach Road pitch will begin this fall, followed by Brentwood in spring 2022. Learn more about the pitches in our story here. ⚽

Number

The tourism industry is making a comeback — Wake County had $2.2 million in tourism tax collections in July, up 106% from that month last year. Occupancy rates at Wake County hotels reached 59.1% during the week of Aug. 29-Sept. 4 — a 42% increase from the previous year. 📈(Triangle Business Journal)

List

If you’re a fan of musical theater, dance, comedy, or anything in between — Raleigh has you covered. From NC Theatre’s production of “9 to 5,” to the NC Symphony’s performance of hits from films like Star Wars, Harry Potter + Jurassic Park, these are shows you won’t want to miss. (Walter Magazine)

Watch

A documentary is out about Pauli Murray, a Durham-raised attorney, activist + poet who made significant strides in civil rights, women’s and LGBTQ+ movements. Pauli was also the first Black female Episcopal priest in the US. The film is playing in theaters + streams on Amazon Prime Video Fri., Oct. 1. (The News & Observer)

📸 @enjoycary

Cary’s Diavlo at New Hope disc golf course is celebrating its 1 year anniversary with a weekend full of activities.

The disc golf festival will kick off Fri., Sep. 24 with Diavlo Glow Doubles — a round played at night with glowing targets. A formal dedication will take place Sat., Sep. 25 at 9 a.m. + other activities include a putting tournament and a Wooden Nickel Throwdown. Pro tip: register in advance.

#DYK that your photos and quotes could be featured in our newsletter?

Just use #RALtoday on social media.