Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
Wishing you all a glorious week! In response to my poll last Thursday asking where you stood on books and related events, I had some wonderful local bookshops reach out. I’m going to chat with them and see what might make sense to put together for y’all. thanks for participating!
In today’s issue: 👇
- Lip Service
- The Dome Is Back
- Haven Burgers
- ….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 ⏪
Sticky Floors, Cheap Tickets, and 21 Years of Movie Magic
Before Orlando had megaplexes with reclining seats and $9 popcorn, it had Northgate 4, a scrappy four-screen cinema wedged into the back of Northgate Plaza on Edgewater Drive.
Eastern Federal Theatres opened the place on Christmas Day 1971 with three screens, added a fourth somewhere along the way (nobody wrote down when), and kept the projectors running for twenty-one years.
By the early ’90s, Northgate 4 had embraced its destiny as a dollar house, screening movies like A Few Good Men and The Bodyguard weeks after the fancy theaters were done with them.
The price was right, the floors were sticky, and nobody cared.
Eastern Federal pulled the plug on May 2, 1993. The building became a church, then apparently became nothing. But ask anyone who grew up in Fairview Shores about cheap Tuesday movies and a parking lot shared with the library, and watch their face light up.
Northgate 4 wasn’t glamorous. It was better than that, it was theirs.
🔥 Want to know a lot more about Northgate 4? Check out my expanded version, right here.
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
Lip Service That Actually Means Something
Sheryl Kurland of Longwood wasn't looking to change the world. But after one gut-wrenching evening in 2015 at a Seminole County Sheriff's Department civilian course on domestic violence, she couldn't sit still.
She started volunteering at SafeHouse in Sanford, and when a childhood memory of her mother's advice, that a little lipstick can make you feel better, inspired her to put 25 of them onto a conference table for the residents, something magical happened.
The pain in the room lifted, replaced by laughter, color comparisons, and women just being women again.
That spark became Find Your Fabulosity, a 100% volunteer nonprofit now celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Since 2016, Sheryl and her crew of about 40 dedicated volunteers have delivered over 110,000 lipsticks and 1,000 Get Help Gift Bags to domestic violence victims through 300-plus shelters nationwide, all coordinated from her Longwood dining room table.
💄Check out Find Your Fabulosity, right here. Or read an expanded version of Sheryl’s story, right here.
👉 Know a community superstar? Tell me about them, right here.
The Dome Is Back, And It Brought 8K
The old dome? Gone. The Orlando Science Center is pulling out all the stops with the newly christened Dome by Dr. Phillips Charities, and it's arriving fashionably late in May 2026.
We're talking 8K digital projection, 315 seats designed specifically for rubbernecking at the ceiling, and a sneaky Nano-SIM aluminum screen that hides speakers behind the image so the sound feels like it's coming from nowhere and everywhere at once.
Oh, and the lobby gets a floor-to-ceiling digital wall that shape-shifts from star fields to jungle canopies depending on what's showing.
Your neck will never be the same.
👉 Check out this cool video walking you through the details with Kara Moeller, right here.
Hands Off the Swans, Orlando
Lake Eola's famously pampered swans have a new rule: look, but don't feed. After avian flu tore through the flock in January, killing more than two dozen birds, Orlando decided it was time to rethink the whole operation.
As of March 18th, the coin-operated feeders that charmed tourists and locals alike since 2012 are gone, replaced by bilingual signs politely asking visitors to admire the swans from a safe distance.
The birds won't starve as staff-managed floating feeders keep them well-fed, but the city isn't taking any more chances with congregating crowds.
Updated care protocols are in the works.
(Learn a lot more about the Lake Eola public feeding pause with McKenna Schueler, right here)
💼 This Week’s Curated Jobs
Sourced from the Orlando Signal Job Board!
⏰ Workforce Solutions Manager CFS | Downtown Orlando
Lead the timekeeping and payroll team at a billion-dollar Best Place to Work, mastering Kronos while keeping 1,000s of paychecks accurate and on time.
💰 $100K-$115K/year | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🔌 Low Voltage Installation/Service Tech Technology Deployment Services | Orlando (Contract)
Run cables, troubleshoot networks, and work at heights across commercial buildings. Bring your tools, boom lift skills, and get paid well for hands-on tech work.
💰 $35-$40/hour | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🏠 Sales Representative - Day or Evening Shifts Leaf Home | Orlando
Skip the cold calls and close gutter protection deals with pre-qualified homeowners who actually want to meet you. Top performers bank $220K+.
💰 $80K-$220K+/year (commission only) | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🚐 Marketing Specialist OnSpot Dermatology | Orlando
Build the marketing machine for a mobile dermatology pioneer from scratch. Own the budget, fill the schedule, and make communities excited when the OnSpot van rolls in.
💰 $60K/year + performance bonuses | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🏥 Director Strategy and Growth AdventHealth | Lake Nona (Opening 2026)
Shape the growth strategy for AdventHealth's brand-new Lake Nona hospital, building physician partnerships and market share before the doors even open.
💰 $110.7K-$205.9K/year | 👉 Learn More & Apply
Tap/click here for lots more opportunities. Over 100 added last week!
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - Peachtree streets and patio season edition
May in Atlanta is when the BeltLine's buzzing with locals, patios are packed in Virginia-Highland, and you're bouncing between world-class barbecue, the largest aquarium in the country, and neighborhoods that each feel like their own universe. Atlanta’s not trying to be Nashville or Charleston, it's doing its own thing. The music history runs deep, the food scene is stellar, and somewhere between the civil rights landmarks and the absurdly good fried chicken, you'll figure out why this place works.
Orlando (MCO) → Atlanta (ATL) for 56 bucks*, round-trip Thursday through Sunday in early May. 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 SOON: Holy City Zoo BBQ - Global Flavors, Local Smoke
Holy City Zoo BBQ (Insta) is rolling into Longwood this April, and it means business: smoky, globally inspired business. Texas brisket, Korean short ribs, smoked porchetta, and house-made steakhouse bacon anchor a menu built for serious eaters, with an outdoor beer garden, vintage cartoons, and an '80s soundtrack setting the mood.
2️⃣ ON IT’S WAY: Southern Fowl - The Flock Is Spreading Its Wings
Orlando's boldest fried chicken claim is coming to a new neighborhood. Southern Fowl (Insta), the Avalon Park comfort food favorite that doesn't shy away from calling itself the best, is swooping into Curry Ford West, taking over the former Graffiti Junktion space. No opening date yet, but start loosening that belt.
3️⃣ OPENING SOON: Milkshake Factory - Pittsburgh's Sweetest Export Heads South
So Pittsburgh's favorite sweet shop is packing up its chocolate bark and heading to Orlando. Milkshake Factory (Insta) is rolling into town with 17 shake flavors, house-made rotating dipped strawberries, fudge bowls, chocolate bark, and more. A mid-April soft opening kicks things off, with a grand opening a month after.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Clermont Mural
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍Downtown Clermont
Tag @orlandosignal to get your photo featured in the newsletter!
FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
Haven Burgers
📍Food Truck at 7138 Narcoossee Rd, Orlando, Florida 32822.
Hat tip to reader, Felix, for putting this hidden gem on my radar!
Months before a single patty hit the grill, Haven Burgers (Insta) existed only as a stubborn, relentless idea.
Late nights. Early mornings. Napkin sketches evolving into brand decks. Every detail, the name, the look, the feel, was wrestled with until it was right. Nothing left to chance. Nothing settled for "good enough."
It was all built around one belief: that a burger experience crafted with genuine care lands differently.
Haven Burgers is open. Come find out.
👉 Check out their menu, right here 👈
Source: Haven Burgers
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
🎭 Forgotten Broadway
📅 Tuesday, March 31st | 7pm
📍 Judson's Live, Dr. Phillips Center
Orlando's top improvisers create legendary Broadway showtunes and storylines on the spot using audience suggestions; no two shows are the same.
👉 Unscripted Magic
🎭 UCF Celebrates the Arts 2026
📅 Tuesday, March 31st - Saturday, April 12th
📍 UCF and various venues
Annual celebration featuring performances, exhibitions, and arts events across campus and community.
👉 Arts Celebration
🍔 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
🛍️ Luminary Market
📅 Wednesday, April 1st | 5:30-9pm
📍 Luminary Green Park
Monthly market with 20-25 vendors followed by outdoor screening of "WALL-E" with LED visuals at 7pm.
👉 Shop & Watch
🎵 MOJ: Timucua Talks - Stories of Sam Rivers
📅 Wednesday, April 1st | 7:30-9pm
📍 Timucua
Kick off monthly Art & Wellness series with lifelong friends of Sam Rivers sharing stories about his life and The Rivbea Orchestra.
👉 Jazz Legacy
🍽️ Taste of Winter Park Grand Tasting
📅 Wednesday, April 1st | 6:30-9:30pm
📍 Winter Park Farmers' Market
Unlimited tasting from 40+ restaurants, wineries, craft beers, and cocktail brands with live music; VIP includes early access and exclusive tastings.
👉 Sip & Savor
🎭 Centennial Celebration Concert
📅 Thursday, April 2nd
📍 Orlando Family Stage
Alumni artists from across generations celebrate 100 years with music and storytelling featuring Michael James Scott, Leslie Carrera-Rudolph, Jack Griffo, and more.
👉 100 Years Strong
🎭 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
