Where’s the beef at O’Hare, plus a Spirit Airlines check-in switcheroo

It’s not just a burger awaiting hungry O’Hare International Airport passengers at Terminal 5. It’s the burger.

The Chicago Department of Aviation welcomed its latest eatery, Butcher & the Burger, last week.

The restaurant is an offshoot of the popular butcher shop/hamburger joint in Lincoln Park.

The CDA has sought to introduce locally-owned brands, such as Fannie Mae chocolates, at O’Hare and Midway International Airport.

“By bringing in diverse local businesses to the airports, we are investing in Chicago’s communities while offering travelers from all over the world a taste of what our city has to offer,” CDA Commissioner Jamie Rhee said at the opening.

Also of note to March break travelers, check-ins for Spirit Airlines have relocated from Terminal 3. Spirit passengers will check in at Terminal 2 and use gates G4, G6, G8 and G10 in Terminal 3, a short walk away.

Meanwhile, American Airlines will grab Spirit’s old gates in Terminal 3.

The changes are needed as the city proceeds with ElevateT3, a $300 million upgrade at Terminal 3. The project will merge two separate security screening checkpoints into one with updated equipment.

Other elements are a bigger passenger walkway between Concourses K and L, a modernized baggage claim area, an extra 10,000 square feet for new shops and amenities, plus revamped washrooms.