2. Central Florida’s newest theme park will open October 15. Legoland Florida is in Winter Haven, about halfway between Orlando and Tampa. The 150-acre park is geared toward families with children ages two to 12, but many of the attractions could also be used for teambuilding activities. The park will have three large restaurants and several quicker options.
3. The thriving South Eola section of downtown Orlando is the home of Sonoma Draught House. The newest venue from the owners of Mucho Tequila & Tacos and the Stardust Lounge opens today. The 3,400-square-foot restaurant has seating for 75 at high-top tables, and a large patio out front can accommodate another 75. A small area in the back of the restaurant can be used for semiprivate dining for groups of 20. The menu features nearly 100 craft beers and a variety of pizzas and wings prepared in a stone oven.
4. Craft beer is also the focus of another new venue. Oblivion Taproom is scheduled to open by mid-September in east Orlando and will offer 40 craft beers on tap and more than 100 by the bottle. The 3,000-square-foot restaurant and bar is locally owned by a husband-and-wife team and will be available for buyout. The owners say that while the menu will primarily be burgers and bar food, it will be made fresh on site with “nothing prefab from a frozen box.”
5. The owners of Thornton Park’s Mother Falcon custom T-shirt shop will open an art gallery and bar next door in early September. The Falcon Bar & Gallery will have rotating displays of local and national artists. The venue will have two rooms that can accommodate a total of 134 people. The bar will serve beer and wine, and outside caterers will be available to provide food for events.
6. Nascar C.E.O. Brian France is getting ready to open another restaurant in Winter Park, just down the street from his popular Luma on Park. The restaurant’s name has not been announced, but the menu will feature Northern Italian and Mediterranean cuisine in a rustic atmosphere. The 3,400-square-foot space will have seating for 145 inside and 25 on the front patio. It is scheduled to open in early November.
7. In Tampa, the owners of Martini Republic are hoping to revitalize downtown’s Franklin Street area with the opening of their new venue on October 1. Martini Republic will have two distinct spaces: 3,000 square feet inside with a large bar, DJ booth, and exposed brick and duct work. Outside, a 4,000-square-foot terrace will include a stage for live entertainment and a grilling station that will serve steaks, chicken, and grilled pizzas.
8. The owners of DTA Lounge describe it as “an old-fashioned speakeasy from the Prohibition Era,” and they are sticking with that theme in their marketing. The venue, set to open in the South Eola area in November, will not have any signage, and there won’t be any traditional advertising (although there is a Facebook page). DTA (which stands for "Don’t Tell Anyone"), will be a 3,500-square-foot lounge with indoor and outdoor plush seating, a dance floor, and a “show-tender” bar.
9. V (which the owners say should be pronounced as “The Fifth”) will be a full-service wine bar when it opens in downtown Orlando in November. The 2,300-square-foot venue will be filled with slate and tile accented with wood, cork, and fiber-optic lighting. V will have seating for 50; larger groups can combine it with Vintage Lounge, a nightclub next door under the same ownership.
10. Above V, Vanity nightclub is scheduled to open in December. The 6,000-square-foot venue will have balconies overlooking Orange Avenue. The interior space will have two settings, one a bar and the other a nightclub with the requisite dance floor and flashing lights. The owners describe Vanity as "a contemporary venue that is a cross between Hollywood glamour and Las Vegas nightlife.
