The $500 million Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts opened in November in downtown Orlando. The 330,000-square-foot facility has two performance theaters, a community theater, an outdoor plaza and performance space, and classrooms. The largest space is the Walt Disney Theater with tiered seating for 2,700. The smaller Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater has colorful abstract art decorating the ceiling above a flat floor that can accommodate multiple configurations. For banquets and receptions, the DeVos Family Room has windows on three sides with views of downtown. It holds as many as 400 people.
The Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort opened in August. The luxury hotel has a 37,750-square-foot conference center that includes a 14,000-square-foot ballroom. The hotel also has a variety of outdoor areas suitable as event venues for as many as 720 guests. There are five dining options on the property, including the rooftop Capa restaurant, which offers views of the nightly Magic Kingdom fireworks. The 443-room hotel also has a full-service spa with 18 treatment rooms, a Tom Fazio-designed golf course, and a five-acre water park.
Universal Orlando Resort expanded the Wizarding World of Harry Potter with the opening in July of Diagon Alley. The new 20-acre area inside Universal Studios Florida is filled with rides, shops, restaurants, and entertainment. Private groups can reserve Diagon Alley alone or in tandem with Hogsmeade at Universal Islands of Adventure, using the Hogwarts Express ride for transportation between the two parks.
B Resort & Spa opened near Walt Disney World in June. The hotel has 394 guest rooms and suites and more than 25,000 square feet of flexible event space, which includes a 5,400-square-foot outdoor area. The Grand Ballroom holds 1,000 people theater-style or for receptions, or it can be divided into five smaller rooms. The hotel’s main restaurant, American Q, was developed with Jeffrey Chodorow of China Grill and Asia de Cuba fame. The restaurant’s appetizer buffet is served from the bed of a 1950s Ford pickup truck, and the venue has a semiprivate dining room for 40 people. The hotel also has a zero-edge pool with cabanas and an Aveda spa.
Illinois-based Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant opened in September in the I-Shops development on International Drive. The 11,000-square-foot venue includes a casual restaurant, a full-service bar, a private barrel-aging room, a retail store, and a Napa-style tasting room where guests can sample the company’s proprietary wines. The main dining area seats 262 people inside and 71 on a patio, and there is a private dining room for 50 people. The menu includes contemporary American dishes with bin numbers listed next to each item to guide guests in selecting a suitable wine.
Highball & Harvest opened in September at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes, offering casual, interactive dining and handcrafted cocktails. The menu is focused on Southern Lowcountry fare and Cajun-inspired dishes, with ingredients from local vendors as well as the resort’s own 7,000-square-foot Whisper Creek Farm. The restaurant has seating for 385 people. Thick drapes can be drawn to create two semiprivate dining rooms, one for 46 people and the other for 35. The restaurant’s design was inspired by old-fashioned railroads and includes communal seating, a large bar and lounge area, a raw oyster bar, and two outdoor areas.
Soco stands for “Southern contemporary,” which describes the cuisine at the restaurant that opened in Thornton Park in September. Led by executive chef and partner Greg Richie, formerly of Emeril’s Tchoup Chop and Roy’s, the kitchen specializes in modern twists on traditional fare such as crab-stuffed deviled duck eggs and grilled meatloaf on lobster mashed potatoes. The 4,500-square-foot restaurant has a semiprivate area for 30 people and a chef’s table that seats six. There’s also a patio with seating for 50 guests.
Yard House, a national chain of casual restaurants, opened its first Orlando location in April at the new I-Drive 360 dining, shopping, and entertainment complex. The 14,000-square-foot restaurant seats nearly 400 people inside and an additional 80 on a patio. The chain’s signature feature is its selection of more than 140 beers on tap, including several from Florida breweries.
RA Sushi opened in June at Pointe Orlando. The 6,500-square-foot space seats 260 people or holds 400 for receptions. There is a semiprivate dining area for 24 people and a patio with seating for 73. The restaurant’s Asian architecture and decor accentuate the menu of sliced-to-order sushi, signature rolls, and sashimi along with Japanese-fusion dishes and Asian-inspired cocktails. The restaurant also offers catering with delivery, and the sushi chefs can be hired for off-site events.
South Florida-based Duffy’s Sports Grill opened near Mall at Millenia in September. The 8,000-square-foot venue has two private rooms, one for 40 people and the other for 75, and a covered patio that seats 50. Sports fans will appreciate the more than 100 62-inch, HD TVs throughout the restaurant. The menu offers sports bar fare such as burgers and wings along with sandwiches, pasta, and grilled items.
