Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
Happy belated birthday (July 31st) to Orlando. 151 years young. I celebrated the best way I know how. I scarfed down 2.5 donuts at Parlor Donuts over the weekend!
In today’s issue: 👇
- Hotel With An Orange Grove
- Big Band, Big Heart
- Guntur Kitchen
- ….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.
(GREATER) ORLANDO REWIND ⏪
Orlando Once Had a Hotel With Its Own Orange Grove
Orlando once had a hotel where guests picked their breakfast off a real citrus grove on the property, not a weekend gimmick, just a perfectly normal thing you could do before noon.
The Orange Court Hotel also had a heated indoor swimming pool, in Florida, where the sun does that for free, which tells you everything about the kind of place it was trying to be. It stood at Orange Avenue and Colonial Drive for 66 years, all of it 47 years before Walt Disney World showed up and rewrote the areas origin story.
Built in 1924 at the peak of Florida's land boom, it spent six decades being genuinely beloved and chronically unprofitable before Norwegian hotelier A.C. Kavli bought it for $500,000 cash, rebranded it the Orange Court Motor Lodge, filled in the legendary pool to cut costs, and kept the lights on through sheer stubbornness until he died in 1985. The wrecking crew came in 1990.
What survived was the neon sign, 115 bulbs, nearly 1,000 pounds, now hanging among world-class Tiffany glass at the Morse Museum in Winter Park, which is a remarkable afterlife for a budget motor lodge marquee.
In April 2024, curious crowds filed into the back lot at sunset to watch all 115 bulbs get switched on for the first time in over 30 years, a strange and rather lovely way to spend a Friday.
🍊 There's a lot more to this story. Seven ownership changes, a hurricane, a radio station that moved in uninvited, and a pool that met a very undignified end. Read the extended cut here.
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
Big Band, Big Heart as CFCArts Became Orlando's Community Stage
Central Florida Community Arts is where a grieving choir member rediscovers her footing. Where a drama teacher's whole family feels instantly at home. Where Big Band musicians and senior actors share a stage, and genuinely love doing it.
That didn't happen by accident. When financial and operational uncertainty threatened the organization in 2024, Executive Director Justin Muchoney helped steady the ship.
And the numbers back up the buzz: member participation is at an all-time high, corporate support is up 56%, private foundation funding has grown 137%, and over 26,000 patrons are expected to show up in 2026.
A brand-new intergenerational choir launches this fall, pairing older adults with homeschooled youth in a creative antidote to social isolation.
CFCArts isn't selling spectacle or chasing prestige. It's offering something far better, a place where Orlando shows up, makes something beautiful, and keeps coming back.
A Bus Full of Opportunity
Heart of Florida United Way has parked its ambitions inside a converted passenger bus, and it's heading straight for Central Florida's digital divide.
The United Learning Lab, two years in the making, runs on Starlink technology strong enough to connect more than 500 devices at once, rolling through Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties at least five days a week.
Climb aboard and you'll find digital education classes, college and FAFSA application help, and free tax filing from IRS-certified preparers for anyone earning under $73,000 annually.
Consider this the neighborhood's newest, and most mobile, community center.
🚍 Check out the ribbon cutting and see how this tech enabled bus is outfitted. Very neat.
(Dive deeper into Central Florida's coolest new community resource with Stephanie Rodriguez, right here)
Robots, Rec Rooms, and Ribbon Cuttings
And speaking of community centers, nearly 700 residents turned out to witness Orange County pull back the curtain on two standout new facilities inside its Multicultural Center campus: a 20,000-square-foot Innovation Center and a 17,000-square-foot Multicultural Senior Center.
The Innovation Center, the first of its kind in Central Florida, is packed with a makerspace, robotics lab, immersive technology lab, and a 300-seat multipurpose room, opening this fall for anyone ready to build, create, and upskill.
Right next door, the Senior Center brings social programming, recreational spaces, and the County's Office on Aging to Orange County's 208,000-plus residents aged 65 and older.
Consider the neighborhood officially upgraded.
☀️ Check out more info on the Multicultural Senior Center, right here.
👉 Partner With Orlando Signal 👈
💼 This Week’s Curated Jobs
Sourced from the Orlando Signal Job Board!
🌴 Director of Marketing, Margaritaville Vacation Club Travel + Leisure Co. | Orlando (50-75% travel including cruises)
Split your time between cruise ships and resort properties, running Margaritaville Vacation Club marketing operations and selling paradise to people who already want to be there.
💰 Competitive salary | 👉 Learn More & Apply
💸 Manager, Revenue and Distribution Priceline | Orlando (Hybrid)
Own pricing strategy end to end at one of the world's biggest travel brands, turning SQL queries and yield models into decisions that put real dollars on the bottom line.
💰 $110K-$140K/year | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🏥 Administrative Assistant III Orlando Utilities Commission | Orlando (Hybrid)
Keep two Directors of a major municipal utility organized, on time, and ahead of the paperwork avalanche while navigating JD Edwards, Chrome River, and a constantly moving calendar.
💰 $27.31-$34.14/hour ($56.8K-$71K/year) | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🎓 Director of Development, Regional UCF | Orlando (Travel required)
Take UCF's fundraising mission on the road, building major gift relationships in regions outside Central Florida and turning alumni passion into six-figure commitments.
💰 From $75.8K/year | 👉 Learn More & Apply
✈️ Director, Operations Support and Planning Signature Aviation | Orlando
Build the strategic planning engine for the world's largest private aviation terminal network, aligning 6,000 team members around priorities, capacity, and operational excellence.
💰 Competitive salary | 👉 Learn More & Apply
Tap/click here for lots more opportunities. Tons of jobs added!
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - Blue Ridge and farm tables edition
Here's what Asheville gets right in late August: everything. The hiking trails on the Blue Ridge Parkway are lush and green, the Biltmore Estate is genuinely jaw-dropping if you've never been (and worth revisiting if you have), and the River Arts District is packed with working studios where you can watch artists actually making things. The farm-to-table restaurant scene is no joke, and Grove Park Inn showcases a lovely rooftop view. Asheville rewards the curious.
Orlando (Sanford - SFB) → Asheville, NC (AVL) for 101 bucks* (non-stop!), round-trip Thursday through Sunday, late-August. See the deal.
*Price shown above is accurate as of the time this newsletter was sent.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Downtown Morning
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍City District
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FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
Guntur Kitchen
📍525 S Ronald Reagan Blvd #145, Longwood, FL 32750. Map to this location.
Guntur is India's spice capital, a city where chili cultivation is identity. It's a fitting name for a family-owned restaurant in Longwood that has quietly fed its community for more than seven years.
No fusion. No shortcuts. Just South Indian cooking carried over from memory: Ghee Karam Podi Dosa, Stuffed Mirchi Bajji, Punugulu made from fermented rice and urad dal.
Every dish can be customized to your spice preference, because food is only as good as how it lands for the person eating it.
👉 Check out the menu, right here 👈
Source: Guntur Kitchen
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
Presented by CFCArts Community Choir: Joyful, Joyful
Fair warning: you may leave with happy tears and a new favorite song.
CFCArts Community Choir brings 100+ voices, soaring ballads, rousing anthems, and crowd favorites like "Wind Beneath My Wings," "You Raise Me Up," and "Up Where We Belong," all packed with messages of strength, resilience, and pure optimism.
📅 The Rink at Northland Church in Longwood, this Saturday, August 8th. Catch the matinee at 2:00 p.m. or evening show at 7:30 p.m. Your soul will thank you.
Tap/Click here for more info & grab tix
🎭 Hannah McGinley Lemasters: Standards in Time
📅 Tuesday & Wednesday, August 4th-5th
📍 Judson's Live, Dr. Phillips Center
Broadway meets jazz as Hannah brings Gershwin, Porter, and beloved stage classics to life with a dynamic jazz trio in an intimate, unforgettable evening.
👉 Broadway Gold
🎸 Bryan Adams with Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
📅 Wednesday, August 5th | 7:30pm (doors 6:30pm)
📍 Kia Center
"Summer of '69," "Heaven," and hits spanning decades — Bryan Adams rolls into Orlando with rock royalty Pat Benatar for one iconic night.
👉 Rock Legends
🐾 Faire of The Dog Night Market
📅 Wednesday, August 5th | 6-11pm
📍 Wills Pub & Lil Indies, 1042 N Mills Ave
25+ vendors with vintage, plants, records, handmade goods, and food — plus every purchase helps raise donations for Pet Alliance of Orlando. Bring your pup!
👉 Shop for Good
💃 Pilates & Pastries
📅 Wednesday, August 5th | 6:30-8:30pm
📍 1420 Gemini Blvd
45-minute Pilates class, then cake decorating with Nothing Bundt Cakes, mocktails, Summer Fridays goodies, and a complimentary pass to Gatsby's House of Wellness.
👉 Sweat & Indulge
🎵 An Evening with the Orlando Vocal Collective
📅 Thursday, August 6th
📍 1010 West Venue, 1010 W. Church St.
Twelve elite singers and a four-piece band reimagine Janet Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire, Beyoncé, and Michael Jackson in thrilling, world-class harmonies.
👉 Vocal Magic
🎨 Timucua Talks: Art & Education
📅 Wednesday, August 5th
📍 Timucua Arts Foundation
Moderated panel with Lezlie Laws, Bickley Wilson, and Jolie-Joseph Spelman exploring how creativity navigates today's educational challenges; bring wine to share, pay-what-you-can.
👉 Creative Dialogue
🎨 "Mezuzah Traces" Exhibition Opening
📅 Tuesday, August 11th | 10am-4pm
📍 Holocaust Center of Florida, Maitland
Haunting and powerful exhibition casting bronze mezuzot from traces left on Polish doorposts, transforming absence into remembrance through sacred symbolism.
👉 Memory Endures
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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
