Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
I hope you’ve spent your extra hour “Fall Back” wisely! I sure did. Enjoy today’s edition.
In today’s issue: 👇
- Black Lights & Bell-Bottoms
- Your Medicine Cabinet
- Pho Huong Lan
- ….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 ⏪
Black Lights, Bell-Bottoms, and the Best Ticket Line
If you grew up in Orlando, odds are you remember the Infinite Mushroom, and the incense that hit you before you even reached the door.
It started in 1963 as Decor on the Mall, a Colonial Plaza interior-decorating shop owned by Grace Lindblom. When teenagers kept wandering in asking for incense instead of drapes, Lindblom took the hint.
By 1968, the store had a new identity and a new name, courtesy of a 12-year-old named Ian Bailey, who won a naming contest and walked away with a $50 gift certificate. Not bad for a seventh-grader.
Inside, you’d find black lights, lava lamps, tie-dye, bell-bottoms and concert tickets. The Infinite Mushroom was Orlando’s go-to Ticketmaster outlet, once drawing so many Genesis fans that hundreds pressed against the entrance and police were called.
Over obscene greeting cards in 1984, the owners were reportedly led away in handcuffs on TV. Just another Tuesday in the head shop business.
The shop closed in January 2004 after merchandise sales fell from nearly $800,000 to under $400,000 in three years. The lava lamps finally went dark at 2915 East Colonial Drive, behind Peaches, after 36 years.
Mention the name to anyone who grew up here before 2004. You’ll get a story, and maybe the faint memory of patchouli.
🍄 Somewhere in the full article, there’s a story about Tina Turner, a public library, and a plate-glass window that almost didn’t survive a Genesis ticket sale. None of that made the cut here. The rest is worth the read, right here.
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
Two Wheels, New Rules
Electric bicycles and scooters have taken over Orange County’s sidewalks, paths, and streets, and the county has finally decided to lay down the law.
At the end of September, the Board of County Commissioners adopted a new micromobility ordinance with teeth.
Riders are capped at 10 mph on sidewalks and shared paths, 20 mph on roadways.
Wheelies, stunts, and street takeovers? Completely off the table.
And obviously, pedestrians always have the right of way.
Park your scooter blocking a wheelchair ramp and you’re asking for trouble. Violations are civil infractions, but pull something truly reckless and officers can impound your ride on the spot.
The rules are hitting school campuses too, and holding up surprisingly well. Nine weeks in, 73% of parents and 89% of principals say OCPS’s e-bike ban has been smooth sailing, with 1,150 devices registered across 20 high schools.
Parramore Traded Its Food Pantry
for Something Way Better
No more numbered tickets. No more mystery boxes as is common with typical food pantries.
The Parramore Market has arrived. It’s a free micro grocery store in Orlando's Parramore neighborhood where residents actually get to pick their own food like, well, shoppers.
Founded in 2020, The Desire Foundation spent years running traditional food distributions before deciding the model wasn't cutting it.
Food insecurity, they learned, is never just about food. So the market pulls double duty as a community hub: stocking shelves with fresh groceries while also offering medical services, a computer lab, and benefits navigation.
One stop, with everything someone in need, needs.
Your Medicine Cabinet Is a Ticking Time Bomb
Medicine cabinets look harmless, just a graveyard of old prescriptions rattling around. But for one teenager, those forgotten pills became a terrifying lesson: a mistaken assumption, a borrowed pill, and suddenly a full-blown psychosis with a locked jaw.
She's four years drug-free now and spends her days helping others find their own way out.
Last Saturday, HCA Florida Healthcare held its annual Crush the Crisis take-back day for exactly this reason, keeping unused medications away from curious hands.
Since 2019, the program has collected more than 50 tons of pills nationwide.
Opioid-related deaths in the region dropped 69% between 2021 and 2025.
‼️ Local pharmacies keep year-round disposal bins on-site, so don’t be afraid to drop off your old, unused medications.
👉 Partner With Orlando Signal 👈
💼 Who’s Hiring in Orlando?
Sourced from the Orlando Signal Job Board!
💙 Social Services Director Courtyards of Orlando Care Center | Orlando
Champion the rights, dignity, and emotional wellbeing of skilled nursing residents, leading a social work team and building the community partnerships that help patients thrive beyond the facility.
💰 Competitive salary + sign-on bonus + full benefits | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🏰 Senior Sourcing Specialist, Technology The Walt Disney Company | Lake Buena Vista
Negotiate tech contracts, run RFPs, and drive cost savings across Disney’s global enterprise sourcing portfolio, working with VP-level stakeholders on software, cloud, and AI agreements.
💰 $95.8K-$123.8K/year | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🍽️ Field Marketing Specialist Aramark Correctional Services | Florida (Statewide travel)
Bring retail merchandising, menu innovation, and marketing programs to 80+ correctional dining accounts across Florida, turning data into better planograms and a better dining experience.
💰 Competitive salary | 👉 Learn More & Apply
☀️ Solar PTO and Utility Coordinator Sunwave Energy | Orlando (On-site)
Chase down Permission to Operate approvals from Florida utilities like FPL, Duke, and OUC, keeping a high-volume pipeline of residential solar projects moving from inspection to flip-the-switch.
💰 Competitive salary + performance bonuses | 👉 Learn More & Apply
Check out 100’s of jobs on the Orlando Signal Job Board, right here.
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - White sand and Gulf Coast charm edition
Pensacola has been quietly sitting on some of the most stunning white sand beaches in the country while everyone drives past on the way somewhere else. Early December means mild temps, zero crowds, and a laid-back Gulf Coast energy that’s hard to find right now. The National Naval Aviation Museum is one of the best free museums in the country. Give it a full morning. Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island has Civil War history plus views that’ll stop you cold. Eat at Jackson’s Steakhouse for a splurge, hit Hub Stacey’s for live music, and grab the freshest Gulf seafood you’ve had in years.
Orlando (MCO) → Pensacola (PNS) for 158 bucks* (non-stop!), round-trip Thursday through Sunday, mid-November. See the deal.
*Price shown above is accurate as of the time this newsletter was sent.
TASTY NEWS 🧑🍳
Orlando Area Eateries Coming & Going
1️⃣ JUST OEPENED: Hayashi Tarō - Japanese Bento, Elevated
Omakase just got pocket-sized. Hayashi Tarō (Insta) just opened in Mills 50: chef-curated Japanese bento boxes packed with Toyosu Market seafood, house-made sauces, and first-harvest Uji matcha whisked fresh to order. Fine dining energy, no reservation required.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Maze bushes in Storey Park
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍Storey Park
Tag @orlandosignal to get your photo featured in the newsletter!
FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
Pho Huong Lan
📍1216 E Colonial Dr Ste 7, Orlando, FL 32803, or map to this location, right here.
In Mills 50 District, the best bowl of pho hides behind an entrance most people never notice.
Step inside Pho Huong Lan (Facebook) and the aroma does the talking, slow-simmered broth, rising steam, the signal that something serious is happening in the kitchen.
Handmade rice noodles carry tender beef short rib and silky filet mignon in every bowl. Don’t overlook the Bun Bo Hue, a fierce, lemongrass-and-chili-laced crimson broth from central Vietnam’s city of Hue, hiding brisket, shank, and pig’s knuckles beneath.
Extraordinary bowls.
👉 Check out the menu, right here 👈
Source: Pho Huong Lan
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
📚 OMA Book Club
📅 Tuesday, November 3rd | 2-3:30pm
📍 Orlando Museum of Art
Literary gossip in the galleries! Join fellow art and book lovers for an afternoon discussion connecting great literature with works on view in the museum.
👉 Read and Discover
🎤 Laughter at Lizzy’s with Karl Anthony
📅 Tuesday, November 3rd | 8-10pm (doors 7pm)
📍 Lizzy’s Live, Dr. Phillips area
A Disney legend takes the comedy stage! Karl Anthony headlines this monthly standup showcase inside one of Orlando’s most gorgeous live venues.
👉Laugh Royally
🎭 Monty Python’s Spamalot
📅 Tuesday-Thursday, November 3rd-5th
📍 Walt Disney Theater, Dr. Phillips Center
Flying cows, killer rabbits, French taunters, and the Lady of the Lake collide in the Tony Award-winning Holy Grail musical comedy. It’s a great knight at the theater!
👉 We Are the Knights Who Say Ni
🎨 Dreamscapes in Encaustic and Mixed Media
📅 Wednesday, November 4th and 11th | 6-8:30pm
📍 Leu Gardens Studio C
Two-week workshop with Hazel Griffiths exploring encaustic wax and mixed media to create stunning organic and abstract textures on any solid surface. All levels welcome!
👉 Wax Poetic
🎖️ In Honor and Gratitude: A Musical Tribute to Veterans
📅 Thursday, November 5th | 7:30-9:30pm (doors 6:45pm)
📍 Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, Winter Park
Orlando Concert Band honors veterans with a special program featuring guest speaker Lt. Colonel Christine Youngquist in this moving Thursday night tribute.
👉 Honor and Gratitude
🍽️ Seasonal Gatherings: Polenta
📅 Thursday, November 5th | 6-8pm
📍 The Kitchen House, 26 East King Street
James Beard-nominated Chef Kevin Fonzo shares the savory secrets of Northern Italian polenta in a hands-on class where new friendships and delicious food happen simultaneously.
👉 Stir the Pot
🍷 25th Annual Taste of Thornton Park
📅 Thursday, November 5th | 6:30-9:30pm
📍 Four Rivers Fountain, Thornton Park
25 years of bringing neighbors together for unlimited food, drinks, and music under the stars around one of Orlando’s most beautiful fountains. The biggest one yet! Ages 21+.
👉 Quarter Century Feast
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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
