Here's a look at new Orlando/Central Florida eateries, drinking spots, hotels, conference areas, private rooms, and other spaces to open for events this fall. The new and renovated venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, conferences, meetings, and more.
The Nest is a new cocktail lounge that opened in May in Baldwin Park. The menu is focused on craft cocktails made with homemade syrups and fresh juices. A variety of hors d’oeuvres are also available. The 2,200-square-foot venue is available for buyout and can accommodate 85 people for a reception. Nest Bar is closed Sundays and opens at 5 p.m. every other day.
Located on the third floor of the historic Mather Building in downtown Orlando, Mathers Social Gathering has a sophisticated but comfortable atmosphere, with wood-beamed ceilings, brick walls, and residential-style furnishings in cozy groupings throughout the space. The bar is available for buyout for as many as 160 people and there are also sections that can be reserved for eight to 50 people. The menu is focused on creative cocktails, many created with sodas and juices made in-house. There is also a limited menu of small bites. It’s open Wednesday through Saturday starting at 4 p.m.
Andretti Indoor Karting & Games is now accepting bookings for events beginning September 15. The 150,000-square-foot entertainment complex is located on International Drive behind the Orange County Convention Center, and will accommodate about 1,800 people for a buyout. The venue offers high-speed go-karts on multi-level, banked turn tracks; more than 120 arcade games; a two-story ropes course with curved rail zip line; a two-level laser tag arena; 12 lanes of bowling; the Dark Ride interactive motion theater; a restaurant; and two full bars. The complex has 10,000 square feet of event space, including a large room that can host as many as 300 people for a reception. Catering and planning services are available.
Terralina Crafted Italian will be a new restaurant opening this fall at Disney Springs. It’s being created by Levy Restaurants in partnership with James Beard award-winning chef Tony Mantuano. The restaurant will have seating for 378 people, of which 118 seats will be outside with views of Lake Buena Vista. The venue, which will be open for lunch and dinner, will be available for buyout; semiprivate areas will accommodate a variety of group sizes.
Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa now has a private-island event space. Sunset Key Island Retreat & Event Center is located on Sand Lake and is accessible from the resort via walkway. The island can accommodate as many as 300 people for a reception. A thatched-roof “chickee hut” made by the Seminole Tribe of Florida seats 100 people banquet-style. The island also has Tiki figures, palm trees, and tropical flora.
Muddy Waters is a new New Orleans-style restaurant from Beacon Hill Group, the same company that operates Two Chefs Seafood Oyster Bar. One of those chefs, Bernard Carmouche, former corporate chef for Emeril Lagasse’s restaurants, leads the kitchen at this new Thornton Park restaurant. It opened in early June and seats 220 people inside, which includes a private room that seats 50; there are 50 additional seats on a patio. The restaurant has an oyster bar and menu items such as shrimp and grits, pecan-crusted trout, gumbo, and more. It’s open for dinner daily and brunch on weekends.
Armature Works will offer a variety of areas for indoor and outdoor events when it opens this fall in Tampa in a building that dates back to 1910. The venue will have three multipurpose event spaces. At more than 10,000 square feet, A.W. Gathering will be the largest venue. With hardwood floors and exposed brick walls, the room will seat 800 or hold 1,200 for receptions. Smaller groups can use the 2,623-square-foot A.W. Theater, which will have views of the Hillsborough River and downtown Tampa and seats 180 or holds 200 for receptions. For outdoor events, groups can use the 4,150-square-foot A.W. Courtyard, which will seat 275 or hold 475 for a reception. The venue also has two event lawns, one adjacent to the building and one across the street, along the Hillsborough River.
Drafts Sports Bar & Grill is a new restaurant at the Village at Westgate Lakes. The nearly 2,600-square-foot space is filled with sports memorabilia and 15 TVs showing a variety of sporting events. It has seating for 146 people inside and 80 on a deck. There is also a private dining room that seats 12. The menu includes a mix of salads, flatbreads, steaks, sandwiches, burgers, and more, and there is a full bar. Adjacent to the restaurant is a new six-lane mini-bowling alley that can also be reserved by groups. Drafts is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.
In September, Hall on Franklin is expected to open just north of downtown Tampa in an area known as Tampa Heights. The 8,000-square-foot venue will be a collective eatery serving food and beverage options from seven vendors, and there will be live entertainment at night and during weekend brunch. The venue will have open, communal seating for about 200 people. A small patio will be available for private events.
Later this month, the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Orlando at SeaWorld will open on International Drive. The hotel will have 188 all-suite rooms with full kitchens. The hotel will also have two meeting rooms. The larger 1,700-square-foot Oceanic Room will seat 140 or hold 170 for a reception. The smaller Waves Room will seat 32 or hold 45 for a reception. The hotel will also have a business center, outdoor pool, and complimentary shuttle to nearby attractions.
