Gate-side Applebee's in Terminal 1 keeps bar hours early
This Applebee's sits airside in Terminal 1, handy if you’re flying out of RIC on the smaller airlines that use this concourse. It opens at 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and 11:00 a.m. on weekends, closing every day at 7:00 p.m., so it’s really a daytime option, not a late-night stop.
On Monday through Friday, the 7:00 a.m. opening works for a pre‑9:00 a.m. departure if you want a sit‑down breakfast and a beer before boarding. Saturday and Sunday, that 11:00 a.m. start means morning flights are out of luck, but it lines up well with early afternoon departures. Either way, don’t plan on dinner here if your flight leaves after 7:00 p.m.
Menu is standard Applebee’s: burgers, salads, chicken tenders, and bar snacks, typically priced in the $12–$20 range for mains, with draft beer and well drinks roughly in typical airport markup territory. If you know the chain, you’ll get the same style of food and big‑sauce flavors, just at a terminal table instead of a strip‑mall booth.
Service pace tracks airport flow: during the 4:00–6:00 p.m. bank in Terminal 1, a burger and fries can easily run 25–30 minutes from order to check. With boarding usually starting 30–40 minutes before departure at RIC, you want at least an hour between sitting down and your scheduled takeoff.
Tip: if your flight leaves from another concourse but you’re already through security in Terminal 1, place your order by 45 minutes before boarding time and ask for the check when the food arrives so you can walk straight to your gate after eating.