Hamburger Mary’s teases a move to Kissimmee after downtown Orlando location closes

After saying goodbye to their storied location on downtown Orlando’s Church Street, Hamburger Mary’s took to the streets of Central Florida in search of a new place to call home. The journey appears to have taken Mary's to Kissimmee.

Hamburger Mary's teased the news Monday afternoon on Facebook.

"The cat is out of the bag! Kissimmee, are you ready for Hamburger Marys?" the post reads.

The popular LGBTQ+-owned eatery, renowned for its dynamic drag shows and unique burger options, devastated Orlando drag-enthusiasts when they announced it’s closure after more than 15 years in business. After opening in 2008, Hamburger Mary’s quickly minted its dinner-and-a-show ambience with events like drag brunch and drag charity bingo.

Hamburger Mary's last day of operation in downtown at 110 W. Church St. was Sunday, June 2.

The closure was attributed to a significant drop in evening walk-ins and fewer people working in the area, severely impacting the restaurant's business, according to a social media post by owner John Paonessa.

“The hustle and bustle of Downtown Orlando has given way to a sleepy city with few people working downtown and opting for remote, and less traffic in the evenings,” owner John Paonessa wrote in a Facebook post.

Late last year, the eatery sued the state of Florida over a bill that sought to restrict minors from attending drag performances, including family-friendly performances. The bill was interpreted as a widespread target on LGBTQ+ friendly businesses and received much backlash from the Orlando community. After a judge issued a preliminary injunction on the bill, it was not passed.

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