Tracy Kuch (center), founder of Wandering Palm Adventures, brings strangers from around the world together to explore local food, culture and history within Orlando’s Main Street districts. (COURTESY OF TRACY KUCH)

Orlando is one of the most captivating and artistic cities in Florida, buzzing with diverse communities and a vibrant culinary scene. Yet visitors often only associate the city with the Disney-themed parks. For this reason, Tracy Kuch, founder of Wandering Palm Adventures, has made it her mission to teach locals and travelers just how special Orlando really is. As a Disney-goer herself, she strives to highlight some of the city’s underrated but equally magical destinations, one food tour at a time.

“We have so many cool local businesses, whether they’re shops or restaurants,” Kuch said in an interview. “I’m taking it on as my job to show as many people as I can that Orlando is so much more than Disney.”

For Kuch, the desire to connect with others over food comes naturally. Raised in an Italian American family based in Chicago, food has always been her family’s ultimate love language. Kuch recalls understanding the value of hospitality from a young age. 

“My mom, the ultimate food-pusher, showed love through her cooking, and I learned early on that feeding people was one of the most meaningful ways to care for them,” Kuch wrote on her website.

Kuch grew up frequently visiting Disney World with her family, and between the warm weather and the fond memories, she fell in love with Orlando and has called it home for the last 15 years. It was her passion for food that led her to launch Wandering Palm back in 2020.

“Wandering Palm Food Tours is a blend of my family’s food-filled legacy and my love for this city,” she wrote on her website. “It’s my way of sharing the stories, flavors, and community that make Orlando such a unique place to visit … and an even better place to call home.”

Within Wandering Palm, Kuch offers six specialized food tours around some of the Main Street districts in Orlando, including Ivanhoe Village, the Milk District, the Packing District, and a Mills 50 tour, which she launched in January. She also offers a Brews & Bites tour featuring local breweries and a Sip & Shop tour during the holiday season, where guests can shop at local stores in Ivanhoe Village for discounted prices. 

In addition to their food tours, Wandering Palm Adventures also offers hands-on cheese and charcuterie classes at Maffrey’s in Ivanhoe Village and The Ancient Olive Gourmet in Winter Park and Winter Garden. (COURTESY OF TRACY KUCH)

Each walking tour takes a group of around 10 to 15 guests to various local restaurants, bars, food halls and cultural spaces where they have the opportunity to “sample small bites and craft drinks, meet passionate chefs and makers, and get to know the neighborhoods that give Orlando its creative flavor,” as described on her website. On her Milk District food tour, she takes guests to Bull & Bush Pub, Primrose Lanes, Bad As’s Sandwich and Swine & Sons, while sharing history about the city’s districts and the nearby T.G. Lee Dairy factory.

Beyond the tours, Wandering Palm also partners with Visit Orlando, United Arts of Central Florida and numerous small businesses to host tastings, rooftop sunset tours, cheese and charcuterie board classes, and private group experiences. Before launching her business, Kuch managed The Ancient Olive Gourmet of Winter Park for seven years, where she became a cheesemonger. Now, Wandering Palm partners with the shop to offer olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and cheese and charcuterie board classes using The Ancient Olive’s products. 

Kuch acknowledged the challenge of maintaining a small business, but she also expressed how fulfilling it is to see how her tours impact others. 

“I’m still learning every day … This was the hardest thing that I’ve ever decided to do but it’s also been the most rewarding,” Kuch said. “I’m bringing people together that don’t know each other. I’m connecting people from literally all over the world. I think that that’s pretty significant in our little, big world here.”

Looking ahead, Kuch hopes to offer international cuisine tours, similar to Epcot’s “Around the World” experience but within downtown Orlando, featuring the local individuals and families who immigrated here and are sharing their cultures with Orlando. 

Ultimately, Kuch’s goal with Wandering Palm is to continue introducing people to local businesses, teaching them about Orlando’s rich history and culture, and inspiring connections across different walks of life over food. 

“Food brings people together. A lot of times people [on the tour] start off super shy. By the end of the tour, everyone is chit-chatting and laughing, and they all feel really comfortable with each other,” Kuch said. “It’s like we’re all family. We’re all sharing a meal together, and everyone is happy.”