Federal Donuts & Chicken opened in June 2025 in Philadelphia International Airport’s (PHL) Terminal B/C connector, delivering a fast-casual take on the popular Philly brand’s signature fried chicken, donuts, and coffee. The project was developed by Jackmont Hospitality Inc., an Atlanta-based food service company. Jackmont is also behind PHL’s Elixir Coffee, Oyster House, and Middle Child, which is under construction. RKA has been the general contractor for all of them.

Even small projects can have challenges, like this one at only 440 square feet. Despite its compact nature, the venue required the same full roster of subcontractors as much larger venues, a situation that demanded tightly coordinated scheduling and sequencing.

Then there was the issue of how to suspend a custom steel trellis weighing several hundred pounds and supporting the main signage when field conditions revealed no adequate support above the drywall ceiling. RKA designed and installed a new Unistrut structure, threading it through HVAC diffusers and access panels to anchor the prominent design component invisibly and securely.

Another major obstacle emerged during hood system installation. Originally surveyed when the roof was clear, the path for venting was later obstructed by a dense overhead pipe bank. RKA re-engineered the layout, navigating around a dozen or so 10-inch pipes to route equipment while preserving future maintenance access, thus demonstrating adaptability and problem-solving well beyond a typical fitout.