Gate-side caffeine near Terminal 1 security
Ironclad Coffee Roasters sits in Terminal 1 at Richmond International, just past the main security area, and runs early: doors open at 4:00 a.m. and they shut it down at 4:00 p.m. daily. That schedule covers pretty much all the morning and mid-day departures but not the last waves of evening flights.
This is a local Richmond roaster, not a big national chain, so beans are the focus and drip coffee usually turns over quickly during the 6:00–9:00 a.m. rush. Expect standard airport pricing: hot drinks land in the $4–$7 range depending on size and espresso shots. If you care more about flavor than brand logos on the cup, this is the better bet than the generic carts in Terminal 1.
Menu is straightforward: brewed coffee, espresso drinks, and the usual latte/cappuccino lineup, plus simple grab-and-go snacks that work on a 90-minute connection. Nothing here for a full meal, so plan on hitting a restaurant elsewhere in Terminal 1 if you need more than a pastry or bar snack.
Lines spike before the 6:00 a.m. bank of departures and again around 8:30 a.m., and a single barista on duty can add 10 minutes to your wait. If you want a real coffee before boarding, swing by here right after clearing security instead of waiting until your group is lining up at the gate.