ORLANDO RESTAURANT OPENINGS & CLOSINGS:
Mecatos Bakery & Cafe has opened in the former home of The Coop at 610 W. Morse Blvd. in Winter Park. In addition to a menu of Colombian pastries, cakes, breads, sandwiches and hot savory fare like empanadas and arepas, the Winter Park location will feature on-site roasting of coffee beans imported from Colombia.
Ariana Kabab, serving Afghani cuisine like flame-grilled kebabs, mantu (steamed dumplings) and Kabuli pulao, to name a few, has opened at 1737 S. Orange Ave. in the space recently vacated by Shah’s Halal Food … Gentry’s BBQ will be the food partner operating the kitchen at Hyperbolic Brewing when it opens in the old Hammered Lamb space at 1235 N. Orange Ave. in Ivanhoe Village next month … Pinezza Pizza has opened a location in Creative Village at 422 N. Terry Ave. in the old Vera Asian space. NY-style pizza, including grandma, square, Sicilian and specialty pies, are served. They have a location in Kissimmee as well.
Chaska, a Pakistani street-food concept from Umer and Bilaal Dugan, the brothers who run Koyla Pakistani BBQ, soft-opened Saturday, Oct. 17, in the old Shoufi Mahfi space at 8379 S. John Young Parkway. Chaska will offer everything from paratha rolls and bun kebab to Pakistani chopped cheese sandwiches and fried chicken zinger burgers … Look for Mi Tierra Pupuseria & Bakery to open in the space vacated by Tu Casa Boriqua at 7343 Lake Underhill Road … AYCE sushi and hibachi joint Sushi Yama has opened at 340 W. State Road 436 in Altamonte Springs.
Look for Aoba Omakase, a 12-seat sushi counter specializing in wet-aged cuts of fish, to open Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the space formerly occupied by Natsu Omakase at 777 N. Orange Ave. in the North Quarter … UniMart, the Japanese quick-eats convenience store by William Shen (Sorekara, Zaru, UniGirl, Cowboy Curry, Okonomi), has opened inside Mills Market. Featured items include bento boxes, sushi boxes, prepared foods, fried chicken, snacks, candy and more … Zaza Cuban Comfort Food has opened its flagship location at 1621 S. Orange Ave. in SoDo. Zaza will also open a Winter Park location in the short-lived Pig Floyd’s space at 1471 Lee Road before the end of the year.
Udon Fifty, the newest concept from Sonny Nguyen (Domu, Tori Tori, Edoboy), opens Oct. 22 in the old Dochi space at 1222 E. Colonial Drive in Mills 50. The noodle shop will serve both cold and hot udon done in the Kanto style — that is, with a darker, more umami-forward soy sauce base, as is found in udon shops in Tokyo. Tempura (made with a secret three-flour blend) and small plates will also be served from the 18-seat space.
Cañonita, a Tavistock-backed Mexican restaurant, opens next month in a 9,321-square-foot space at 5947 Lake Nona Blvd. A Cañonita Street Taqueria operates inside Tavistock-owned Boxi Park in Lake Nona … Ceviche Arigato, with locations in Weston and West Palm Beach, will bring its Japanese-Peruvian “Nikkei” cuisine to MetroWest when it takes over the old Ahi Sushi space at 4898 S. Kirkman Road in the Kirkman Shoppes this winter … Grand Roopram Roti Restaurant, the city’s first and only Surinamese restaurant, has closed less than six months after opening.
ORLANDO RESTAURANT NEWS & EVENTS:
Kappo Tsan has changed its name to Kappo Sushi following the departure of chef David Tsan, who has taken his talents to Lewis Lin’s omakase bento concept Hayashi Tarō, slated to open soon … Pickles New York Deli in Longwood is now offering dinner service, with everything from pasta to meatloaf on the menu … The Seoul Dalbam Night Market goes from 3-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at Founders Square in Avalon Park featuring a host of local food vendors. Visit @orlandokoreaculturecenter for details …
Chef Theo Goupil, formerly of Financier Patisserie and Salt & The Cellar, is now the executive chef of The Eye Restaurant Lounge, part of Euphoria Restaurant Group … Chef Stone Lin, whose restaurant Natsu Omakase earned a Michelin star despite only being open for four months, is now the executive chef at Kappo Sushi, formerly Kappo Tsan.
This article appears in Oct. 14-20, 2026.
