Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
This weekend we went out for “milkshakes,” aka, a Bananas Foster Cold Foam coffee at The Glass Knife, and it was divine! 🤣 Oh, the Caramel Apple Fritter was 🔥, too! Always a great spot.
In today’s issue: 👇
- Last Hardware Store
- Free Books for Kids
- H&H Bagels
- ….and much more
Did someone forward this email to you? Join over 20K insatiably curious Orlandoans, right here.
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 ⏪
The Last Hardware Store
Miller's Hardware has sold bolts, paint, and straight answers to four generations of Central Floridians since 1945. It outlasted five-and-dimes, hurricane seasons, and the full weight of big-box retail.
This spring, it is finally closing, with the family selling the property after a grief that made the future hard to picture.
Robert R. Miller cracked open a modest 800-square-foot paint shop on Fairbanks Avenue in 1945, in a city of barely 5,000 people. What followed was four generations of slow, stubborn growth, eventually sprawling to 17,000 square feet and stocking more than 67,000 items. Regulars came for decades, then sent their kids, who eventually sent theirs.
In 2019, Clay Miller, the enthusiastic, ready-for-anything fourth-generation heir, died unexpectedly at 29. The second location closed shortly after. The succession plan that had carried the family across eight decades quietly dissolved with it.
The liquidation sale began April 9, 2026.
Whatever comes next on that corner will tell a very different story about what this city is becoming.
🔥 Want to dive deep into Miller’s Hardware history? Check out my expanded version, right here.
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
Orlando Eats, Michelin Agrees
Serious food travelers once passed through Orlando on their way somewhere else. Their loss.
The 2026 Michelin Florida guide now recognizes 61 Orlando-area restaurants, up from 59 last year.
No new stars dropped this cycle, but the city held what it had: Sorekara in Baldwin Park kept its two stars, standing among only two such restaurants in all of Florida.
Five others hung onto single stars: Camille, Kadence, Ômo by Jônt, Soseki Modern Omakase, and Victoria & Albert's at Disney's Grand Floridian.
Not everybody made it. Capa and Papa Llama lost their stars. Natsu closed its doors entirely.
One clear message: Orlando earns its seat.
🔥 LOVE food? Here’s the full list of spots recognized.
Free Books for Kids? Orange County Libraries Deliver
Every June, screens multiply and books gather dust. Orange County's public library system is ready to change that this summer!
Starting today (Monday), any child under 18 with a library card can walk into any OCLS branch and walk out with something better than a participation trophy, a free, brand-new book that's actually theirs to keep.
The Friends of the Orange County Library System made it happen, and the ask couldn't be simpler: grab a reading challenge booklet, pick a title, take it home.
There's also a bigger picture here. Daily reading for pleasure among Americans dropped nearly 40 percent between 2003 and 2023. One free book at a time, OCLS is pushing back.
👉 But let’s get that library card first, if your youngster doesn’t have one already, right here!
(Learn lots more about OCLS's summer reading challenge with McKenna Schueler, right here)
Fighting The Skilled Trades Gap, One Certificate at a Time
Florida has a people problem, just not the kind you'd expect.
The state posted 427,000 open jobs at the end of last year, yet unemployment still hit 4.7% by March 2026. Translation: plenty of people are out of work, but not enough of them know which wire goes where.
Construction, health care, and hospitality are hurting most, desperately hunting for electricians, pipefitters, and welders. With one in three Central Florida residents aged 55 or older, the talent pool is shrinking fast.
Enter Orange Technical College's West Campus, training 3,000 to 4,000 students annually in the trades, for as little as $3,000, and sending them straight into a job market that can barely keep up.
(Learn a ton more about the workers Florida is desperately hunting with Massiel Leyvar, right here)
💼 This Week’s Curated Jobs
Sourced from the Orlando Signal Job Board!
🏥 Sr. Manager, Product Development - MRPC
Philips | Orlando
Lead R&D teams creating next-gen MRI patient care tech at a Fortune 500 healthcare giant. Blend engineering, AI, and Agile to ship products that transform medical imaging.
💰 $127K-$202K/year + incentives | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🚀 B2B Marketing Manager (Remote US)
Directive | Remote
Own 7 SaaS client accounts end-to-end. Strategy, paid media, SEO, CRO, and prove performance marketing can be an art form when you're this good at it.
💰 $80K-$85K/year + bonus | 👉 Learn More & Apply
💼 Accelerated Path to Sales Management
New York Life | Orlando
Start selling life insurance, crush your numbers, then lead your own team. Fortune 100 training, proven path to six figures, and real leadership development built in.
💰 Commission → $60K-$150K+ as manager | 👉 Learn More & Apply
📢 Communications Assistant
Alphabe Insight Inc / Horizon Point | Orlando
Support marketing campaigns and keep messages flowing across a growing agency. Draft content, coordinate teams, and build your communications career from the ground up.
💰 $49K-$54K/year | 👉 Learn More & Apply
Tap/click here for lots more opportunities. Over 100 added last week!
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - Lowcountry charm and porch sitting edition
Mid-July in Charleston, the heat's real, but honestly? It just gives you an excuse to eat shrimp and grits at 10am, duck into air-conditioned historic homes, and accept sweet tea from strangers on porches like it's completely normal. The beaches are perfect, the cobblestone streets are mostly yours, and Rainbow Row looks even better without the crowds. Summer Charleston rewards you for slowing down. Just embrace the pace, find some shade, and let this beautiful, slightly ridiculous city do what it does best.
Orlando (MCO) → Charleston (CHS) for 228 bucks*, round-trip Thursday through Sunday, mid-July. See the deal.
*Price shown above is accurate as of the time this newsletter was sent.
TASTY NEWS 🧑🍳
Orlando Area Eateries Coming & Going
1️⃣ OPENING LATE 2026: Fresh Kitchen - Build Your Bowl This Fall
Florida's favorite build-your-own bowl spot (Insta) is planting its 18th flag in Winter Park late 2026 (Insta). Load up your bowl with scratch-made roasted veggies, grilled proteins, and addictive house sauces. All free of seed oils, gluten, and added sugar.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Parking @ Se7enBites
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍Milk District
Tag @orlandosignal to get your photo featured in the newsletter!
FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
H&H Bagels (with NYC water!)
📍931 N State Rd 434, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714. Map to this location.
The Upper West Side legend since 1972, famous enough to score cameos on Seinfeld, Sex and the City, and The Office, has finally made its way to Altamonte Springs, and honestly, it's about time.
Every bagel gets kettle-boiled in real New York City water before being shipped south and baked fresh on-site all day long.
We're talking everything: sesame, pumpernickel, and more, topped with cream cheeses that range from classic plain to jalapeño, scallion, and strawberry.
👉 Check out this goodness, right here 👈
Source: H&H Bagels
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
🌸 Bloom & Bond
📅 Tuesday, June 2nd | 6-8pm
📍 The Audubon Room, East End Market
Guided bouquet building with fresh florals from Petals and Peonies ORL plus conversation prompts for authentic connections in intimate setting.
👉 Arrange & Connect
🎨 Summer Family Art Workshops - Week 1
📅 Tuesday, June 3rd | 10am-12pm
📍 Art & History Museums - Maitland
Drop-in hands-on arts and crafts workshops on historic campus; create new projects at your own pace, bring lunch for picnic at Quinn Strong Park.
👉 Create All Summer
🛍️ Luminary Market
📅 Wednesday, June 3rd | 5:30-9pm
📍 Luminary Green Park
Monthly market with 20-25 vendors followed by KaleidoScope 360° outdoor movie at 7pm under the stars.
👉 Shop & Watch
🛒 Dockside Farmer's Market
📅 Wednesday, June 3rd | 5-8pm
📍 Dockside at Laureate Park Village Center, Lake Nona
Indoor summer market featuring local makers with waterfront sunset views and air conditioning next to Foxtail Coffee and Canvas Restaurant.
👉 Cool Market Days
🎳 Ronald McDonald House Bowl-A-Thon
📅 Tuesday, June 3rd | 6-9pm
📍 Alafaya
Three hours of bowling, pizza buffet, raffles, and social atmosphere supporting families with seriously ill children; build a team or bring the family.
👉 Strike Up Support
🎤 Orlando es un Chiste (Orlando is a Joke)
📅 Tuesday-Friday, June 3rd-6th | 7-11pm
📍 Southwest Orlando
Spanish-language comedy festival with eight live shows featuring 28+ comedians from Latin America and the Caribbean with political satire and cultural storytelling.
👉 Reír y Disfrutar
🎲 APGD Tabletop Games Night
📅 Thursday, June 4th | 7-9pm
📍 Redlight Redlight, 2810 Corrine Dr
Your low-stakes, high-fun excuse to get off the couch. Bring a game, bring a friend, or just show up and roll the dice on a great night.
👉 Let's Play
🧘 Pilates & Pastries
📅 Thursday, June 4th | 6-8pm
📍 Genesis Health Clubs - Orlando Sportsplex
Girls' night featuring 60-minute Pilates, cake decorating with Nothing Bundt Cakes, mocktails, goodie bags, and complimentary day pass to gym facilities.
👉 Move & Decorate
🎤 Bynx Laughs Comedy Night
📅 Thursday, June 4th | 7pm (show 8pm)
📍 Bynx Orlando
Viral comedian 407 Kevin hosts Florida's funniest for a summer night of belly laughs, good food, and great drinks. All they need is you!
👉 Summer Laughs
🎭 Want to share an event? Use this link.
THANKS!
✅ Want to connect with 20K+ curious Orlandoans for your business?, start a conversation here.
🌟 Know a community superstar? Tell me about them, right here.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you again on Thursday’s weekend fun issue.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
