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Kent Rathbun Is Taking Over the DFW Airport Restaurant Scene

Four Rathbun concepts will hit the airport in 2016.

A rendering of KR's Whitetail Bistro, coming soon to DFW Airport
A rendering of KR's Whitetail Bistro, coming soon to DFW Airport
Kent Rathbun Concepts

Abacus and Jasper's owner Kent Rathbun is about to assume a new title: airport restaurant mogul. It was recently announced that the chef and restaurateur would open a location of his Plano barbecue and burger spot, Hickory, in DFW Airport's Terminal B next year — but now word comes via press release that Rathbun will have a total of four concepts at the airport.

The additional concepts are all slated to hit the international hub Terminal D in late 2016. Here's the lowdown on all three:

The Lounge at Abacus: Expect Abacus-style small plates and cocktails, including the famed lobster shooters. Leading the bar program will be mixologist Jordan Gantenbein.

KR's Whitetail Bistro: French food gets a modern Texas makeover; "stylish dishes such as the classic Croque Monsieur blend with a modern aesthetic synonymous with the Kent Rathbun brand."

Kent Rathbun's Aviator Bar: The name "pays homage to pilot Wiley Post, a Texas native and famed American aviator." Expect bar snacks like glazed pork jowl steam buns and steamed ginger shrimp dumplings alongside local craft beer, wine, and craft cocktails such as a ginger-basil gimlet and the classic Aviation.

Of course, Rathbun isn't the only big-name chef to have a presence at the airport: Local legend Stephan Pyles has Sky Canyon locations at both DFW and Love Field.