{"id":94983,"date":"2025-12-24T17:14:20","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T17:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/94983\/"},"modified":"2025-12-24T17:14:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T17:14:20","slug":"2025-was-challenging-year-for-local-restaurants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/94983\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 was challenging year for local restaurants"},"content":{"rendered":"

The normal pace for new restaurants at the James Beard-nominated Good Salt Restaurant Group<\/a> is one every two to four years, Jason Chin tells me.<\/p>\n

In 2025, he and his wife and partner, Sue, opened two.<\/p>\n

This, in a year that he and others in Orlando\u2019s restaurant scene cited as economically challenging.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only in general terms, but for the economics of restaurants in particular,\u201d Chin noted.<\/p>\n

The past few years, he said, COVID-19 and beyond, \u201chave kind of left us all somewhat reeling, trying to figure out everything with inflation and wages and other things.\u201d<\/p>\n

And in an industry famous for its razor-thin margins, \u201cwe\u2019re always flying by the seat of our pants.\u201d<\/p>\n

As in most years, Orlando\u2019s restaurant scene had a crush of openings.<\/p>\n

\"Chef\/PartnerChef\/partner Michael Cooper and owner Jason Chin strike a pose during the remodel of Osteria Ester, now operating in the Thornton Park space where Soco used to be. It was the second new restaurant for Good Salt Restaurant Group in 2025. (Courtesy Good Salt Restaurant Group)<\/p>\n

Some notables included The Chapman and Corner Chophouse in Winter Park, along with the long-awaited arrival of the newest Pig Floyd\u2019s out on Lee Road and a stunning new Glass Knife on Park Avenue.<\/p>\n

Out in Doctor Phillips, a crush of great international fare joined a growing U.N. on Turkey Lake Road (Rawsha Mediterranean Cuisine and Wonderful Hand-Pulled Noodle).<\/p>\n

Henry Moso of Kabooki Sushi, another multi-year James Beard semi\/finalist chef, expanded his portfolio with two Mosonori locations.<\/p>\n

And the TMG Group<\/a>, whose renown for places like Mather\u2019s Social Gathering and other nightspots was briefly eclipsed by the pricey housemade hot dog at Primrose Lanes<\/a>, added twin stars to their roster with Nuri\u2019s Tavern and its thin-crust pies and the Thornton Park stunner, June.<\/p>\n

Maized and enthused as June debuts stellar Mex-inspired menu | Review<\/a><\/p>\n

Conversely, a Michelin recommendation didn\u2019t keep Barkada from shuttering (though early peeks at Perla\u2019s Pizza next door, a swank resurrection of a concept from 2021, seem decidedly positive for restaurateur Michael Collantes). The Aardvark said goodbye in Curry Ford, as did Lewis Lin\u2019s Hinabe concept in Doctor Phillips.<\/p>\n

We lost Chez Vincent, Little Saigon, and the late Harris Rosen\u2019s favorite for family gatherings amid his hotel portfolio: Sh\u014dgun Japanese Steakhouse.<\/p>\n

Chef McGlamery bringing new concept to Chez Vincent space in Winter Park<\/a><\/p>\n

In the shadow of City Food Hall<\/a>, Arden, which moved food concepts from small plates delivered by Seth Parker and Eliot Hillis of Red Panda fame, changed tack, offering Asin at Arden with chef Dj Tangalin at the helm before shuttering altogether.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew it was going to be a rough year,\u201d says Hillis. \u201cAnd so our way of stemming the blood loss was to open [fried chicken truck] Baba Yaga and try to diversify as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The summer proved particularly hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a general decline in enthusiasm,\u201d says Hillis, echoing the experience of many who said the same amid the dog days.<\/p>\n

The new truck, now a staple at Tuesday\u2019s Tasty Takeover event in Orlando\u2019s Milk District, did give them a pop.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven with that, we were down 11 percent year over year as we were getting out of summer,\u201d he says. \u201cDespite the new truck, despite a lot of good press and all the good stuff. I can\u2019t imagine how it was for everybody, because for us it was really bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Downsizing, he said, was the answer. So he and Parker did more and sold fewer things.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to make sure you can keep your core alive, and so you become more selective about what you do to save money.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the time since, moving their Red Panda Noodle truck into a permanent spot at downtown\u2019s A La Car City has been a boon for moving the line from red to black.<\/p>\n

As downtown\u2019s Art\u00b2 park opens, \u00c0 La Cart City provides the food and beverage<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve enjoyed a massive downtown worker crowd, new people who were excited because they never got to try us. Now we\u2019re their favorite lunch spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tangalin, who, after several years working at his own indie spot, Danilo\u2019s Pasta Bar at East End Market, and several Collantes projects, including the City Food Hall rebirth of his Lotte Market concept, Taglish, as well as its upstairs French restaurant Chez Le Copain, was on hand for those closures, as well as the Asin effort at Arden.<\/p>\n

Chez Le Copain, meant to be a thoughtful French homecoming for the pair, who met while cooking for world-renowned chef Eric Ripert, had a rough start due to delays at the food hall, Tangalin said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were a lot of blockades getting it open,\u201d he said, noting that the dates kept moving. They trained entirely new staff twice, working toward opening dates that were repeatedly moved. It was devastating.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt used up a lot of capital,\u201d he said, \u201cand so on the third round we had to open, whether or not the downstairs was activated. We were six months behind. The funds were going to run out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"OrlandoOrlando Sentinel Foodie Award winners and Ramen Rumble champs Ramen Takagi are among those who’ve left their stalls at City Food Hall behind this year. Their successful Oviedo ramen-ya remains open. (Courtesy City Food Hall)<\/p>\n

They opened amid the holiday season, \u201cbut one of the biggest struggles was that we had to do it without a liquor license.\u201d<\/p>\n

Delays there further hamstrung the efforts. By the time everything was in place, the cost had been too great.<\/p>\n

Liquor may not have even saved them sooner if you look at drinking trends.<\/p>\n

Chin says they\u2019ve definitely affected the bottom lines at all the Good Salt venues, which include Seito Sushi, The Osprey, Reyes Mezcaleria and the two newcomers: Sparrow and Osteria Ester.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are already dining out less because the economy is tight and everything is more expensive, but the younger generation \u2014 there\u2019s this trend of not drinking. And that used to be a big part of where the profitability was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PizzaPizza Bruno owner Bruno Zacchini, pictured here with an order of his giant garlic knots at his Maitland Social location. “2025 was probably a very hard year for most, including myself.” (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

The same increases Bruno Zacchini sees in his home grocery bill are mirrored at his Pizza Bruno locations (Maitland Social, College Park, Curry Ford West).<\/p>\n

\u201cOur normal Costco costs for the month have gone up almost 50 percent,\u201d Zacchini said, but he\u2019s trying hard not to raise prices.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s harder for small businesses to do that,\u201d he says. \u201cYou want to give people good value, but meanwhile, those behind-the-scenes costs, they just keep going. I just got my monthly insurance bill today, and it\u2019s double, but you can\u2019t explain that to every guest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zacchini says he\u2019s auditing expenses with a finer eye than years past.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s only so much you can charge for something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Labor, a challenge in years past, seems to be in a better place, all reported. Though wages, far higher than ever, are often the lion\u2019s share of restaurant expenses, good help has been much easier to find.<\/p>\n

\"EliotEliot Hillis and Seth Parker of Red Panda Noodle high-five at Art Squared\/A La Cart outdoor venue on Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando. Permanently parking their truck here was a financial bright spot for the pair in a challenging year. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\u201cRestaurants have been closing,\u201d says Hillis, who dug in hard with his partner and went skeleton crew for a time. \u201cWe kind of pulled back, and now, jobs are harder to come by, people are enthusiastic to have the opportunity, and they\u2019re sticking around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chin, whose company enjoys very high retention, hired two staffs this year, and says it\u2019s been easier.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think some of the people who left during COVID have come back to hospitality,\u201d he theorizes. \u201cWe saw a lot of people leave back then, but if you\u2019re a true hospitality professional, there aren\u2019t a lot of other environments you can thrive in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Returning to wages that are at an all-time high is likely a motivator, as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing the going rate for a dishwasher or an entry-level line cook? It\u2019s quite a bit higher than it was pre-pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similarly, the adventurous diners of the post-pandemic, says Chin, have dialed back into comfort foods in 2025.<\/p>\n

At the time, he says, reflectively, people were spending money on all sorts of new experiences, \u201cjust getting out there and trying to live their lives to the fullest.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s resonating now is familiarity,\u201d he says. \u201cThe things they know and love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tangalin, whose farm-to-table-heavy career has circled back to the hotel realm, is now the chef de cuisine at Primo Grande Lakes, the Melissa Kelly venue at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes. He is ready to tackle new challenges in the coming year, but believes that despite the tough climate, Orlando\u2019s scene will continue to develop.<\/p>\n

\"ChefChef Dj Tangalin, pictured here at his former pasta-bar concept in East End Market, is now the chef de cuisine at Primo Grande Lakes following a roller coaster year in 2025. (Courtesy photo)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s similar to what I experienced when I moved to San Diego in 2010, years before Michelin and the scene was just beginning to creep.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a year or two, he notes, it was a restaurant destination in a different way than before.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an exciting time here. Lots of new things opening. A lot of great chefs doing great stuff. Every other week, it seems like there\u2019s something big happening. It\u2019s very inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Want to reach out? Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram\u00a0@amydroo<\/a>\u00a0or on the OSFoodie Instagram account\u00a0@orlando.foodie<\/a>. Email:\u00a0amthompson@orlandosentinel.com<\/a>. For more fun, join the\u00a0Let\u2019s Eat, Orlando Facebook group<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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