Winter Park outpost of the Imperial closes

Owner claims they’ll reopen on Park Ave eventually, but for now they’re retrenching in the Ivanhood

By Jessica Bryce Young on Mon, Oct 16, 2023 at 9:16 am

Winter Park outpost of the Imperial closes

image via Google Maps Street View

After five years in their Morse Boulevard space, the Imperial is closing down Winter Park operations. The Sanford and Orlando locations remain open.

Washburn Imports and Imperial Bar and Kitchen owner John Washburn told Jim Carchidi of Winter Park newser The32789, “The goal was always to be on Park Avenue, so this pushed us toward that,” asserting that they should be ready to open a new space in June or July of 2024.

He added that they'll be moving the kitchen equipment and "half" of the crew to the Ivanhoe District location.

After starting as a small wine bar in the back of his furniture import store at 1800 N. Orange Ave. in 2010, the Imperial added kitchen facilities and a sweet beer garden, as well as expanding into Sanford (where the Imperial serves cocktails as well) and into downtown Winter Park. The Morse Boulevard location had been open since 2018.

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Slideshow

All the Orlando restaurants and bars that closed in 2023

The Coop610 W. Morse Blvd., Winter ParkFamed Winter Park fried chicken destination The Coop is closed its doors July 16, after nearly a decade on Morse Boulevard serving up high-quality Southern comestibles — not just fried chicken but sweet tea, shrimp and grits, coconut cake and more — to the denizens of Winter Park.

Imperial170 E Morse Boulevard, Winter ParkAfter five years in their Morse Boulevard space, the Imperial shut down its Winter Park operations. The Sanford and Orlando locations remain open. The Imperial started as a small wine bar in the back of a furniture import store at 1800 N. Orange Ave. in 2020. It's since added several locations, including Morse Boulevard, which has been open since 2018.

Linda’s Winter Park Diner1800 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter ParkLinda's Winter Park Diner, a landmark local restaurant since the 1950s, closed its doors for the final time in July, nearly two months after the owner announced its forthcoming closure. The iconic eatery was known for its comforting array of homemade, old-fashioned diner fare, as well as the memories that local regulars made and shared along the way, from the opening of its doors decades ago to its final days on Fairbanks Avenue in Winter Park.

Le Coq Au Vin4800 S. Orange Ave., OrlandoOrlando restaurant Le Coq au Vin, a local mainstay of French cuisine for nearly 50 years, closed its doors in May. The venerable eatery, winner of our Best of Orlando readers poll for "Best French Restaurant" in 2022, '21, '20 (and many years before that), ceased operations with a final Saturday dinner service. Owner and chef Reimund Pitz put his decision down to rising food costs and declines in business due to the COVID pandemic.

Neon Beach131 N. Orange Ave., OrlandoAfter less than three years of service, popular downtown Orlando bar and restaurant Neon Beach served its last meal this summer, paving the way for a new eatery, German restaurant Schmankerl Stub'n.

Downtown Credo550 E. Rollins St., OrlandoThis location of Downtown Credo, the pay-what-you-want specialty coffee shop, said farewell to its Health Village space inside AdventHealth this summer. The shop had been open since 2015 with a mission to inspire the community through coffee, according to its website. Going forward, there will still be two Downtown Credo locations, the North Quarter location and a new YMCA location.

Click to View 21 slides

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About The Author

Jessica Bryce Young

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Jessica Bryce Young has been working with Orlando Weekly since 2003, serving as copy editor, dining editor and arts editor before becoming editor in chief in 2016.

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