19 Orlando restaurants and bars that have closed so far in 2024

Garden Bistro

712 E. Washington St., Orlando
Garden Bistro, the Thornton Park eatery formerly known as Island Time, announced that they are closing at the end of June — saying that their landlord decided to not renew the business' lease. Garden Bistro/Island Time has been a mainstay of Thornton Park on Washington Street since 2019, particularly for their rollicking (and oft-sold out) Drag Brunches — kickstarted by local drag star Trinity the Tuck — on weekends.

Financier Cafe & Bistro

212 N. Park Ave., Winter Park
The Winter Park counter-service eatery has halted service. Open for brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks, the New York City-based eatery offered both indoor and outdoor seating in a casual cafe environment.

Quantum Leap Winery

1312 Wilfred Drive, Orlando
Quantum Leap Winery vacated its space on Wilfred Drive in Mills 50 at the end of April after 12 years in operation. They're still finalizing plans for a long-term home, but will move into a "nearby interim location."

Persimmon Hollow

227 N. Eola Drive, Orlando
Persimmon Hollow closed its Lake Eola brewery at Lake Eola Park on May 30 after almost four years at the lakeside location. The DeLand flagship will remain open.

1881 Dubai Restaurant

315 Pleasant St., Orlando
The Uzbek/Turkish restaurant in Kissimmee has been (18)86'ed, albeit "temporarily," according to representatives of the restaurant. 1881 Dubai Restaurant, subject of a highly positive review by OW food critic Faiyaz Kara, was home to both 1881 Restaurant (fronting Broadway) and 1881 Dubai Restaurant (on Pleasant). Both offered the exact same menu spotlighting the crossroads cuisine of Central Asia.

Tijuana Flats

Various locations
Winter Park-based Tex-Mex chain Tijuana Flats filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and closed 11 of its stores, 10 of which were in Florida and several in Orlando, in April. The chain was founded in 1995 in Winter Park by University of Central Florida alumnus Brian Wheeler, who sold in 2015 after building the restaurant concept into a well-known chain.

Dolce

500 E. Central Blvd., Orlando
Dolce, the intimate South Eola restaurant and dessert bar specializing in crepes, cakes and confections, has closed on East Central Boulevard.

Garp and Fuss

348 N. Park Ave., Winter Park
Garp and Fuss, the Winter Park eatery offering everything from simple pub grub to more sophisticated plates, closed after six years inside the fetching space on Park Avenue.

Deadwords Brewing

23 N. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando
Orlando's Deadwords Brewing, which only recently celebrated its two-year anniversary, has closed after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October. The award-winning craft brewpub, which features an eclectic rotating tap of quality beers, first opened in December 2021. In a statement, the brewery said their decision to close "follows several months of negotiations with the brewery’s landlord and the inability to reach a feasible arrangement to enable the brewery’s continued operation at its current location.”

V's Vegan Diner

908 State Road 436, Casselberry
V's Vegan diner, first a food truck, opened its brick-and-mortar outpost in Casselberry on Aug. 19. The long-awaited restaurant specialized in plant-based, scratch-made diner classics like burgers, gyros and cheesesteaks. The non-carnivorous dining destination V's Vegan Diner announced in March it will be shutting down for good.

Bem Bom

3101 Corrine Drive, Orlando
Popular Portuguese restaurant Bem Bom on Corrine closed in February after five years of sharing authentic food with the Orlando area.The news came three years after the concept lost its co-owner, late chef Francisco "Chico" Mendonça. Bem Bom, co-owned by Mendonça and A.J. Campofiore, got its start as a food truck before its brick-and-mortar location opened in 2018 at 3101 Corrine Drive. Bem Bom, which is Portuguese for “very good,” had a reputation of being just that.

Hamburger Mary's

110 W. Church St., Orlando
After nearly two decades in downtown Orlando, storied LGBTQ+-owned restaurant Hamburger Mary's closed its doors and announced a move to Kissimmee.First opened in 2008, Hamburger Mary's downtown Orlando location has served as a community hub for drag and live entertainment, known for its drag brunch and drag bingo events.

La Boucherie

7625 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando
La Boucherie, the casual and approachable steakhouse chain from France, closed its Orlando outpost on Turkey Lake Road in February after nearly five years of service. The spot specialized in familiar, classic French cuisine.

Red Lobster

Various locations
Red Lobster recently shuttered dozens of locations across the country after the company filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. An Orlando location at 8003 Golden Sky Lane (pictured) has already closed, while many more Central Florida locations are currently at risk of closure.

The Hall on the Yard

1460 Alden Road, Orlando
The Hall on the Yard food hall in Ivanhoe Village closed in April amid a lawsuit with its landlord over unpaid rent, according to court records. Records indicate that the Hall on the Yard owed nearly $250,000 in unpaid rent. Marketed as "the world's first full-service food hall," the space housed nine food stalls, five event spaces and three premium cocktail bars.

Cloak & Blaster

12226 Corporate Blvd., Orlando
Orlando-area gaming bar Cloak and Blaster closed its doors in January after nearly a decade in business. Cloak and Blaster was originally located on 875 Woodbury Road, before moving to the UCF area on Corporate Boulevard a couple of years back. "The idea of drinking in a tavern while rolling dice was a fantasy left to, well, the fantasy books!" read the post, musing on the bar's novel business model of combining spirits and D&D-style gaming under the same roof.

Slate

8323 Sand Lake Road, Orlando
The Dr. Phillips restaurant Slate closed its doors permanently in January. Slate, located on Sand Lake Road, specialized in modern American fare and had been operating since 2015.

Thai Basil

5800 Red Bug Lake Road, Winter Springs
Long-standing Winter Springs restaurant Thai Basil closed in January after two decades of service. Thai Basil offered lunch and dinner, with menu items like curry fried rice, noodles, stir fry dishes, desserts and more.

World Famous House of Mac

2435 S. Orange Ave., Orlando
Less than a year after opening, the Orlando outpost of Miami celeb hotspot World Famous House of Mac, closed earlier this year.