Credit: Renderings by GDP Designbuild

The facade of the commercial strip of businesses anchored by Bb.q Chicken along East Colonial Drive in Mills 50 is getting a proper facelift and with it, some new culinary destinations. Wavy Baby, offering Filipino-inspired breakfast and lunch sandwiches, a pastry program and non-alcoholic beverages, will open in late 2026/early 2027 in the old LA Boiling Seafood Crab & Crawfish space at 1242 E. Colonial Drive. (There are some big names behind the project, which we’ll reveal in the coming weeks.) In addition, Nomori, a new concept by Akasaka/Tapanomi chef-owner Dong Shin, will open in the old Saigon Market space at 1232 E. Colonial Drive. The restaurant will either serve Japanese cuisine or Korean tapas. A cultural space with retail and a café will sandwich the two food concepts …

Just a few doors down, Sonny Nguyen — the man behind Domu, Tori Tori, Gyukatsu Rose and Rion’s Ocean Room — will open Udon Fifty, an udon noodle shop, in the old Dochi space at 1222 E. Colonial Drive. No more details as yet … Nazih Sebaali, the man behind Grazie Modern Italian Kitchen in Audubon Park and Meza Mediterranean Grill in Baldwin Park, has opened Greek concept Olea Taverna in the former Local Bar & Grill space at 3231 Edgewater Drive in College Park … Swanky cocktail bar Rews on Mills will open at 1322 N. Mills Ave. early next year. The space, designed by GDP Design Build, is inspired by the playful geometry of 1960s architecture …

Green Papaya, the Jacksonville-based Thai and sushi restaurant with a location in Altamonte Springs, will open in the former Black Rock Bar & Grill space in the Shoppes of Windermere at 8695 Conroy-Windermere Road … Asian fusion restaurant Red Bowl Asian Bistro, serving Chinese, Japanese and Thai dishes including hibachi items, has opened in the old Twisted Root Burger Co. space at 4270 Aloma Ave. in Winter Park … Charcoal Zyka at 10249 S. John Young Parkway has rebranded as Beef Bae, serving barbecue, Portuguese peri peri chicken, burgers and hot chicken sandwiches.

Fires have forced the temporary closures of Garp & Fuss in Winter Park and Bourbon Steak, Michael Mina’s pricey house of protein inside the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel.

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This article appears in July 29-Aug. 4, 2026.

Orlando restaurant critic. Orlando Weekly restaurant critic since 2006.