Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
Over the weekend I was turned onto a mini-documentary (15-minutes) from Bright Sun Films just released explaining the origin story of the Majesty Building, aka I-4 Eyesore, and where things stand. Quite interesting.
In today’s issue: 👇
- Red's Market Extraordinary Rise
- Lights, Camera, Change the World
- Art’s Sandwich Shop
- ….and much more
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Let’s dive in!
- Philip
P.S. 🍲 Want some hawt community sourced foodie recommendations? Check out the Orlando Signal Restaurant Guide, right here.
ORLANDO REWIND ⏪
From $11 to Empire: Red's Market Extraordinary Rise
It's 1946, and Dale "Red" Schluraff is down to his last eleven bucks in Florida, watching his dreams crumble faster than a stale cookie. This gutsy Pennsylvania tool-maker had one crazy idea, blow every remaining cent on citrus fruit and hawk it roadside to tourists.
It worked! Red doubled his money to $22 on day one and thought, "Holy citrus, I'm onto something here!"
Starting with a hilariously humble palmetto-thatched fruit stand on South Orange Blossom Trail, Red built what would become a produce empire. His son Jim eventually took the reins, transforming their quirky roadside operation into Red's Market, the secret supplier behind Disney World snacks, major grocery chains, and restaurants across Central Florida.
The ultimate plot twist came in 2000 when corporate giant Sysco swooped in, making Red's part of FreshPoint, Inc., the world's largest foodservice produce operation. Today, they operate from a massive 150,000-square-foot facility serving everywhere from Tallahassee to Vero Beach.
Talk about turning lemons (or oranges) into lemonade! Red's wild $11 gamble proves that sometimes the craziest dreams pay off biggest.
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
Hold My Beer: Orlando's Ambitious Tax Dollar Gamble
Mayor Buddy Dyer's ambitious $1.8 billion budget reveals a city racing to keep pace with explosive growth. The standout: a $25 million public safety surge adding 16 officers and launching a city-sponsored paramedic academy, spending that outpaces even property tax revenue growth.
Infrastructure gets Orlando's "largest investment to date," $7.5 million for road repairs, $4.3 million for sidewalks and trails, plus smart traffic management with digital way-finding systems. Another $6.4 million targets playgrounds, pools, and recreation centers.
Orlando promises all this while maintaining current property tax rates. A second City Hall public hearing NEXT Monday will determine if this budgetary balancing act survives fiscal reality.
Lights, Camera, Change the World: The 2025 Global Peace Film Festival is Here!
The 2025 Global Peace Film Festival kicks off September 16th with 13 days of films across Orlando, Winter Park, and Maitland that'll knock your socks off, and maybe change how you see the world.
Opening night brings Lilly to Enzian Theater. John Benjamin Hickey, Thomas Sadoski, and Patricia Clarkson tell Lilly Ledbetter's incredible fight for fair pay.
Barbara Kopple drops by Rollins College's Bush Auditorium with Gumbo Coalition and her legendary Harlan County, USA.
The coolest addition? UrbanFest 360º (September 20th - 21st) at AFRO TV, think films meets live music meets amazing food! Plus, Wild Cards world premiere featuring LEON, who's snagging a Lifetime Achievement Award with Kellita Smith.
Can't make it? No worries! "Free for All Shorts" streams 30+ films worldwide September 22th through 28th.
🎥 Check out the full film festival line-up, right here.
Downtown's High-Tech Game of License Plate Bingo
Orlando's downtown got a bit too wild lately, so city leaders are rolling out their latest party trick: $150,000 worth of license plate readers!
These digital detectives will soon eye every car rolling into select parking garages, thanks to state funding and a unanimous thumbs-up from commissioners and Mayor Buddy Dyer this past June.
District 2 Commissioner Tony Ortiz is banking on these electronic bouncers to keep troublemakers at bay. But some downtown businesses think all this Big Brother business is sending party-goers packing to their neighborhood haunts instead.
With Motorola supplying the gear and state regulations keeping watch over the watchers, Orlando's playing a high-stakes game of digital peek-a-boo to save its downtown scene.
(Learn more about the concerns over these digital watchdogs with Victoria Pera, right here)
Orlando's Digital Rescue Mission: No Citizen Left Behind in Cyberspace!
Tired of feeling like a digital dinosaur? Orlando's got your back!
The city just unleashed a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant to transform tech-terrified residents into digital warriors. Through 17 community centers, this digital boot camp offers 90 one-hour sessions through September 26th. Think of it as personal training for your brain and devices.
The fun-sized curriculum reads like a survival guide for the modern world: basic device navigation, understanding the internet, and cybersecurity. The program offers residents essential tools for navigating today's digital landscape, transforming digital anxiety into confidence for full participation in modern life.
Registration required, but embarrassment? Absolutely not.
🔥 Learn more about the program, and register, right here!
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal
A few weeks ago, 97% of you voted yes to me hunting down and sharing some flight deals with ya’ll. So here’s your first official deal:
Orlando → Asheville for 113 buck-a-roos (84 bucks from Sanford), round-trip in mid-October. See the deal.
Price shown above is accurate as of the time this newsletter was sent.
TASTY NEWS 🧑🍳
Orlando Area Eateries Coming & Going
1️⃣ NOW OPEN: Perla’s Pizza - The Pizza Rebel Returns
When Michelin-starred chef Michael Collantes reopens Perla's Pizza (Insta) in Winter Park, he's launching a delicious rebellion with one audacious goal: crafting "Florida Man pizza." This isn't your nonna's pizzeria, it's where fearless creativity meets serious culinary skills, turning controversial toppings like bananas into acts of delicious defiance.
2️⃣ COMING SOON: Osteria Ester - Comfort Italian Food Hitting Orlando
Chef Michael Cooper's Osteria Ester (Insta) opens mid-November in Orlando, bringing house-made pastas and stone-oven focaccia breads. It's comfort food for a city ready to embrace the familiar.
3️⃣ EARLY 2026: Captain Jack’s Crab House - Pirate Paradise Sails to Apopka
Ahoy, Apopka! Captain Jack's Crab House (Insta) is charting a February 2026 course to your neighborhood. This family-owned pirate paradise features Southern-style Cajun seafood boils in a 1,200-square-foot Caribbean-themed adventure. With outdoor seating and fast-casual treasure hunting, plus future Latin-inspired dishes, it's family dining that'll make landlubbers mutiny for more.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Some hot air at Disney Springs
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍Lake Buena Vista
Tag @orlandosignal to get your photo featured in the newsletter!
FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
Art’s Sandwich Shop
📍1018 S Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando, FL 32805. Map to this location.
Since 1972, Art's Sandwich Shop in Orlando has been serving up serious sandwich magic in a gloriously retro wonderland of burnt orange walls and chocolate brown booths.
Founded by Art and Sybil, this family-run gem cranks out killer Philly cheesesteaks and Italian combos that pack the house daily.
With ridiculously friendly service, and fries that'll make you swoon, Art's proves that sometimes the coolest spots are hiding in plain sight, slinging sandwiches with serious soul.
👉 Check out the menu right here 👈
Source: Art’s Sandwich Shop
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
🎼 Resonate
📅 Monday (Today), September 15th | 7 & 8:30 p.m.
📍 The Plaza Live
Orlando Philharmonic presents classical music in new formats that break barriers between audience and musicians.
👉 Experience Music
🎸 Gilly & the Girl: Two of Us
📅 Tuesday, September 16th | 7pm
📍 Judson's Live, Dr. Phillips Center
Acoustic duo Mike and Charity Gill explore the Lennon-McCartney partnership through Beatles classics and personal stories.
👉 Magical Tour
🎮 Game & Hobby Night at The Burrow
📅 Tuesdays | 5-8pm
📍 The Burrow Cafe & Play, Mills area
Weekly gathering for games, crafts, reading, and relaxation with drink specials available. 👉 Play Together
🍔 Tasty Takeover in The Milk District
📅 Tuesdays | 6:30-10pm
📍 The Milk District – 2424 E Robinson St
Orlando's premier weekly food truck block party featuring diverse culinary offerings behind the shops and bars.
👉 Dine Alfresco
📝 Preserving Your History Series: Oral History
📅 Wednesday, September 17th | 1-4pm
📍 Orlando History Center
Learn to document family history through oral traditions with archival notebook and lightbox for photographing heirlooms.
👉 Preserve Stories
🎨 Hispanic Heritage Month Art Exhibit Opening Reception
📅 Wednesday, September 17th | 5-8pm
📍 Terrace Gallery, Orlando City Hall
Opening celebration featuring Mayor Buddy Dyer and Commissioner Tony Ortiz, with ribbon-cutting, hors d'oeuvres, and live entertainment.
👉 RSVP
🎭 Spotlight Cabaret: John Cavazos
📅 Wednesday & Thursday, September 17-18th | 7:30pm
📍 Winter Park Playhouse
Broadway veteran performs "My Broadway Footlights" featuring songs from The Fantasticks, Dear Evan Hansen, and more.
👉 Broadway Stories
🏛️ Access For All At OMA
📅 Thursday, September 18 | 10am-8pm
📍 Orlando Museum of Art
Monthly community day with extended hours, live performances, sketching materials, and docent-led tours.
👉 Art Access
🍷 Canvas French Wine Dinner
📅 Thursday, September 18th | 6:30-8:30pm
📍 Canvas, 13615 Sachs Avenue
Elegant four-course French menu thoughtfully paired with exceptional French wines in an intimate setting with limited seating.
👉 Sophisticated Dining
🎨 Orlando Mural Festival
📅 Thursday, September 18 | 6-9pm
📍 CityArts and Downtown Orlando
Live mural painting on Magnolia Avenue with music, art vendors, food trucks, and creative activities.
👉 Watch Walls Transform
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THANKS!
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Thanks for reading! I’ll see you again on Thursday’s weekend fun issue.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
