A Toast to Time: 50 Years of Hospitality at CLT
HMSHost Bartender Marks Milestone
When Janice Futrell began working at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in the summer of 1975, “Jaws” was scaring moviegoers, Gerald Ford was president and America was dancing to “The Hustle.” There was no internet or cell phones, and the country’s bicentennial was still a year away.
The 18-year-old arrived at her CLT job interview wearing blue jeans, a t-shirt and flip-flops.
Futrell started working in the coffee shop at the old Airport terminal, then moved to the Cardinal Lounge three months later. “It was dark and dimly lit, and the late actor Peter Graves (Mission: Impossible, Airplane) always came in and hid in the back corner so nobody would see him,” she recalled.
In 1982, she moved into the new Airport terminal when it opened, where she met everyone from NASCAR drivers to actor Martin Lawrence and Cheech & Chong.
July 2025 marks Janice's 50th anniversary at CLT, and she is a fixture at the “First in Flight” bar in the Atrium, operated by HMSHost by Avolta. Her bartending shift begins at 6:30 a.m., and she is always busy. By 8:30 a.m. on this particular Wednesday, she is already serving beers to customers heading to Florida and espresso martinis to a trio of female travelers.
“Time is irrelevant at the airport,” joked the 68-year-old, who enjoys engaging with passengers and asking them about their journeys. The Charlotte, N.C., native says a half-century in the same job has never gotten old.
“The way I see it is, yes, I’m in the same place all the time, but in my office, I look out the window and see airplanes, the sky and people walking by — it’s amazing!” she said. “I don’t see four walls, and it’s not like a local bar or restaurant where you always see the same people. I get to meet people from all over the world. You ask people where they’ve already been, and then you know the right places to go.”
Janice has witnessed five decades of development at CLT and several world-changing events, from 9/11 to the COVID pandemic. She says the growth of CLT to the sixth busiest Airport in the world for aircraft operations still astonishes her.
“The growth of the Airport means the growth of the city. Because if the Airport weren’t growing the way it is, the city would not have,” she added. “And it’s like Charlotte went boom and is catching up with Atlanta.”
When asked about the “R” word, she says yes; retirement might happen. Janice has contemplated retiring next year but worries she might get bored. “I don’t want to be one of those people who stay home, and their circle gets small.”
When she's not working, she loves tending her garden, planting flowers and spending time with family. The mother of four, grandmother of six, and great-grandmother of six says she also wants to visit Greece, Germany and Ireland with her husband, Dan.
The longtime bartender calls her “Airport sons and daughters,” her second family, and has built strong friendships with regular customers, many of whom text her when they pass through the terminal.
“Some are retired and still come by to see me. They send their family members to meet me, which means a lot," she grinned. "I waited on a guy yesterday I’ve known for years, and I finally got to meet his wife when they traveled together for a change. That was very nice.”
Unlike the beloved TV show “Cheers,” Janice admits she doesn’t know everyone’s name. She says she’s terrible with names but never forgets a face. “There’s a lot of them that I stay in touch with. They have my number.”