Orlando Standard

Here are 12 reasons I believe our Main Streets are #alocalthing:

1. Our Orlando Main Streets are home to a number of nationally recognized chefs, including Greg Richie, Executive Chef of Soco Thornton Park and Baoery Asian Gastropub in the Thornton Park District. In 2004, Chef Richie was recognized as ‘Chef of the Year’ by Orlando Magazine. Earlier this year, he was crowned the winner of the ‘Dining with the Duke’ food and cocktail pairing contest sponsored by Duke Kentucky Straight Bourbon and The Tasting Panel Magazine.

2. Blue Bird Bake Shop was declared one of the “Top Ten Cookies to Travel For” by Natgeo’s travel blog.

3. If you visited one business a day in Downtown South, it would take you almost five and a half years to see them all. There are more than 2,000 businesses located within the district.

4. Think New York City has the stronghold on the foodie scene? The architect designing the new Mesa 21 concept on Lake Ivanhoe in Ivanhoe Village is also designing a restaurant in Rockefeller Center.

5. Old becomes new again in Orlando Main Streets. This year Downtown Orlando’s historic train depot (built in 1889) was transformed into Ferg’s Depot, a 15,000 square foot restaurant, bar and market located within the Church Street District.

6. Chef Owner Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant in College Park is a James Beard Award finalist. The restaurant has been featured as one of “America’s Top Restaurants” in Zagat.

7. R. Nichols, creator of one of Oprah’s favorite things, only has two storefronts – one in the Audubon Park Garden District and the other in NYC’s Chelsea Market.

8. The craft beer movement shows no sign of slowing. Orlando Main Streets are home to several breweries including Ten10 Brewing Company in Mills50 and Orlando Brewing in Downtown South.

9. Speaking of craft beer, Redlight, Redlight, in the Audubon Park Garden District was recently ranked the No. 1 brew pub in the state and No. 3 in the United States.

10. Gateway Orlando located along the Semoran Corridor is the first sight many of the 62 million visitors traveling to Orlando each year see.

11. To complement the eclectic and creative atmosphere in our Main Streets, the City has partnered with the districts to transform more than 70 electrical boxes and 24 dumpsters into art pieces painted and decorated by local artists. The City is also working with our Main Streets to allow blank walls and storm drains to become works of art.

12. Simply put, the small businesses that our Main Streets support make Orlando a great place to live. They create, define and strengthen our neighborhoods. 

I hope you find time to celebrate Small Business Week by patronizing your favorite local shop, restaurant or other business and taking pride in our Main Streets being #alocalthing. - Buddy Dyer, Mayor 

Original source can be found here.