Orlando Weekly's Bite Night 2019 will be the last at the Orchid Garden

This year’s Bite Night event, June 20, will be the final one in the Orchid Garden and Church Street Ballroom.

As has been reported, Church Street Ballroom will be torn down to make way for the second tower in the SunTrust Center, which is now under construction in what was the dirt lot adjacent to the Ballroom.

As we've also reported, the city is in talks to develop a new food hall in the adjacent building, currently housing Hamburger Mary's and Pepe's Cantina. Documents filed with the city of Orlando by Baker Barrios Architects for the building's owners, Mason Capital Partners, show plans for a "Church Street Food Hall" concept. A source who wishes to remain unnamed because they are not authorized to speak to the press surmises that the Orchid Garden space will become part of the new food hall, which is set to open in early 2020.

Puff ’n’ Stuff, the catering company that manages the venue, notified Orlando Weekly that they had received notice from their landlords, developers Lincoln Properties, that events planned beyond November of this year will not happen in the venues, as timelines for other projects that will take over these properties accelerate. Originally, those timelines allowed events up until May 2020.

“We’re disappointed that we will not be able to work with these beautiful venues again. Despite the challenges, they are a treasure and have become part of the Bite Night and United We Brunch brands. We’re grateful that we have been notified before this year’s Bite Night, so that we are able to mark the occasion,” says Graham Jarrett, publisher of Orlando Weekly and Bite Night creator.

The sixth and final Bite Night in the Orchid Garden and Church Street Ballroom will happen on Thursday, June 20, 2019. VIP admittance begins at 6 p.m. and general admission at 7 p.m.; participating chef details and ticket prices can be found at bitenightorlando.com.

So many restaurants, so little time. Find out the latest dining news every Friday morning with our weekly Food + Drink newsletter.