Angie’s Subs is a Jacksonville Beach institution but when the opportunity came to open a second restaurant inside Jacksonville International Airport in North Jacksonville, it took advantage of the offer.
“We just got a call one day from JIA asking if we would be interested because they have a storefront ready and they wanted to bring in some local JAX-known businesses to the airport,” said Kam Nix, Angie’s general manager.
“We were honored,” she said. “We never thought it was anything we would ever do.”
A July 27 presentation by Jacksonville Aviation Authority Properties Manager Jeff Taylor showed the quick-service restaurant is planned in Concourse A post-security.
Nix said Angie’s is hoping to open the restaurant in January or February 2024.
She said the menu will feature about 10 of the restaurant’s most popular subs, including its signature sandwich, The Peruvian.
The sub is made with ham, salami, bacon, Italian sausage, provolone cheese and Angie’s Peruvian sauce.
The restaurant will have a grab-and-go section with cold subs and salads, as well as bottles of hot sauce and Peruvian sauce for sale. It also will have breakfast items, Nix said.
Angie’s will have seating for 10 but Nix anticipates customers ordering subs to bring on the plane.
“We’re excited for people to eat Peruvians at 30,000 feet,” she said.
Angie’s announced plans in 2019 to expand its Jacksonville Beach restaurant but that was put on hold when the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020.
Nix said “we’re just kind of standing still” with that plan but the restaurant is planning to add a barbecue food truck called Angie’s Backside that will offer pork and brisket items.
The airport has expanded its local restaurant offerings this year with Southern Grounds & Co., which opened a post-security site in February and added a pre-security restaurant which opened July 24.
Another locally based restaurant at the airport is Firehouse Subs, which is a national chain but was founded in Jacksonville.
Nix said Angie’s will be providing training for the staff at its airport restaurant but the airport will be handling operations.
“They’re basically purchasing the brand,” she said.
“We’re super thankful for the opportunity.”