Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
I assume y’all heard that thunder Saturday night crackle through the sky? It rattled the house! I looked into it, and apparently, it was the result of a positive lightning strike.
In today’s issue: 👇
- Rogers House Inn
- On My Way to K
- Primo
- ….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 ⏪
The Dinner That Put Winter Park on the Map
On the evening of April 8th, 1882, seven people sat down to dinner at a modest Orlando area inn and accidentally founded a city. As far as origin stories go, that one holds up.
The host was Loring A. Chase, a Chicago real estate man with an oversized vision and apparently excellent taste in venues. The spot was the Rogers House Inn, planted at the corner of what is now Morse Boulevard and Interlachen Avenue, Winter Park's very first hotel, and the room where the whole thing got started.
Chase and his partner Oliver E. Chapman hadn't stumbled into this. In 1881, the two New Englanders dropped $13,000 on 600 acres surrounding Lakes Maitland, Osceola, Virginia, and Killarney, with plans to build the state's first planned winter retreat for wealthy Northerners fleeing the cold.
The Rogers House Inn was their anchor, and Chapman believed in the place so much he built one of Winter Park's first homes there that same year.
In 1904, industrialist Charles Hosmer Morse picked it up for $7,000, added steam heat, and eventually donated Central Park to the city. His name now graces the Morse Museum of American Art.
The Inn came down in 1966. The corner remains.
Seven people sat down to dinner there once, and a city got up from the table.
🔥 Want to dig into Rogers House Inn history? Check out my expanded version, right here.
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
No Tank You! 95 Pine Hills Homes Get a Free Sewer Upgrade
Orange County just handed 95 Pine Hills properties a rare gift: a free ride off septic tanks and onto the centralized sewer system, something no other county conversion project has managed to pull off.
A combination of American Rescue Plan Act funding and a state grant footed the entire bill, sparing property owners the typically steep cost.
The environmental stakes made it worth the effort: septic tanks are responsible for 29% of all nitrogen pollution flowing into the Wekiwa Spring and Rock Springs watershed.
With 14,000 septic tanks still lurking in the watershed, the county has its work cut out, starting with the 2,000 sitting closest to the springs.
(Learn a ton more about what's flowing, and what's not, into Central Florida's springs with Molly Duerig, right here)
Diapers, Dudes, and a Whole Lot of Dad Energy
Some already had kids at home. Others were still in the nervous-anticipation phase. Either way, more than 40 fathers showed up to the Florida Department of Health's annual Healthy Dudes & Diapers event ready to learn what they didn't yet know, and probably a few things they didn't know, they didn't know.
Part baby shower, part classroom, the event drops every June right at the sweet spot between Father's Day and Men's Health Month. Organizers built it for fathers who are eager but under-prepared, because let's be honest, nobody hands you a manual.
The goal is simple: get dads in the room and keep them coming back.
(Learn a ton more about dad prep done right with Ashley Engle, right here)
"On My Way to K"
Kindergarten is coming, and WUCF wants to make sure no child blinks first.
Central Florida's PBS affiliate is hitting the road this summer with its "On My Way to K" tour, dropping into libraries across nine counties for 10 free events packed with hands-on activities and take-home learning kits.
Built in partnership with PBS Kids, the program shows caregivers how to sneak skill-building into everyday life, no extra homework required.
Education Manager Chris Doucette's mission is to keep the tour growing until it runs year-round, reaching every family that needs it.
(Learn a ton more about WUCF's kindergarten readiness initiative with Gabriella Scozzafava, right here)
💼 This Week’s Curated Jobs
Sourced from the Orlando Signal Job Board!
💼 Sr Enterprise Sales Executive Paychex | Orlando
Sell HR, payroll, and benefits solutions to mid-size businesses and rake in serious commissions at a company that's been making boring payroll exciting since 1971.
💰 $75K-$150K/year (base + commission) | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🚀 Administrative Assistant / Executive Lockheed Martin | Orlando (On-site, clearance required)
Support the VPs behind America's most advanced hypersonic missiles and cruise weapons. If "Top Secret" sounds like your kind of office vibe, this is the role for you.
💰 Competitive hourly rate | 👉 Learn More & Apply
✏️ Associate Creative Director Push, Inc. | Orlando
Concept, brand, and design across local and national campaigns at one of Orlando's top ad agencies—bring the big ideas and the pixel-perfect execution.
💰 Competitive salary | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🏈 Marketing Assistant, Brand Experience UCF Athletics | Orlando
Help build the Big 12's next great fanbase—create gameday magic, activate brand experiences, and market Knights athletics to the passionate fans of Orlando's Hometown Team.
💰 Negotiable | 👉 Learn More & Apply
📦 Warehouse Supervisor UPS | Orlando
Kick off your management career at logistics' most legendary company. Lead 15-40 associates per shift and ride UPS's legendary internal promotion ladder straight to operations management.
💰 $26-$32/hour (~$60.3K/year) | 👉 Learn More & Apply
Tap/click here for lots more opportunities. Over 100 added last week!
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - Peach state hustle edition
Atlanta’s got more going on per square mile than it gets credit for. World-class food scene, neighborhoods that each have their own entire personality, and a creative energy that's been quietly building for years. Wander the BeltLine past murals and food vendors, grab lunch at Ponce City Market, and catch live music at The Earl or The Basement in East Atlanta. It's hot, loud, ambitious, and completely in its own lane.
Orlando (MCO) → Atlanta (ATL) for 110 bucks*, round-trip Thursday through Sunday, late-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 END OF THE YEAR: Paper Kites - Korean Pub Coming to Milk District
Soju, makgeolli, and bar snacks are headed to the old Hoods Up in the Milk District. Paper Kites (Insta), a Korean pocha, or pub, is sliding into the space in late 2026 or early 2027, bringing good-time vibes and, according to Korean folk tradition, a little good fortune too.
2️⃣ WEEKS AWAY: Azal Coffee - A Bold New Brew Arrives
Yemen's rich coffee tradition is about to land in Altamonte Springs, and it's bringing spices. Azal Coffee (Insta) is opening its doors within weeks, serving up bold spice-blended coffees, fragrant teas, and freshly made pastries, all crafted from beans sourced directly from Yemen. Consider your coffee routine officially shaken up.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Café Con Leche donuts (with coffee creme filling) @ The Salty
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍Audubon Park
Tag @orlandosignal to get your photo featured in the newsletter!
FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
Primo
📍4040 Central Florida Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32837. Map to this location.
There are restaurants that feed you, and restaurants that transport you. Primo (Insta), nestled inside Grande Lakes Orlando, is the latter.
Chef Melissa Kelly, James Beard Award winner, Puglia-rooted, and fiercely devoted to the land, built this place around an on-site organic garden long before anyone was calling it farm-to-table.
The Spring 2026 menu traces the Mediterranean coastline with dishes like kale-infused Agnolotti, Lobster Cacio e Pepe, and a showstopping Primo Bistecca for two.
Michelin noticed in 2022. You should too.
👉 Check out the menu, right here 👈
Source: Primo
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
🍽️ Cooking with Confidence: Fermented Foods
📅 Tuesday, June 16th | 6-7pm
📍 Center for Health & Wellbeing – Nutrition Theatre, Winter Park
Chef Erik unlocks the magic of microbes with sourdough toast, herbed coconut yogurt, blistered tomatoes, and lacto-blueberry corn. Your gut will thank you!
👉 Ferment & Feast
🏛️ Lunch & Learn: The American Revolution in Florida
📅 Tuesday, June 16th | 11:30am-1pm
📍 Heller Hall, Winter Garden
Dig into the intrigue and ambition driving Florida during the Revolution. Lunch provided, but RSVP fast because seats are limited!
👉 History with Lunch
🎵 Music and Story Time with Mark DeMaio
📅 Wednesday, June 17th | 11-11:30am
📍 Mennello Museum of American Art
Percussive sing-along and story time exploring visual and musical arts. Perfect for tiny art lovers with big imaginations!
👉 Kid-Friendly Fun
🎺 Summer Serenades: OPO Brass - A Salute to America
📅 Wednesday, June 17th | 7pm
📍 University Club of Winter Park
Celebrate America's 250th with fanfares, marches, and bold American classics from the OPO Brass; free lite bites and bar available.
👉 Salute & Sip
🏛️ Access for All at OMA
📅 Thursday, June 18th | 10am-8pm
📍 Orlando Museum of Art
Monthly free community day with gallery talks in English and Spanish, sketching materials, docent tour, and occasional Enzian film screening.
👉 Art for Everyone
🎨 3rd Thursday Orlando: Arts. Making. History.
📅 Thursday, June 18th | 6-9pm
📍 CityArts Orlando
Monthly celebration with six new gallery exhibitions, artist connections, live music, happy hour specials, and ArtCube installation in Parramore.
👉 Arts District
🎨 Flowing Into Creativity: The Art of Paint Pouring
📅 Thursday, June 18th | 6-8:30pm
📍 Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens
UCF surrealist painter Marlon Green Jr. guides you through fluid painting techniques. No experience needed, just bring your willingness to let color fly!
👉 Pour & Explore
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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
