News

Sunday may be the Lord's Day for some, but it's also a chance to kneel before some savory barbecue. Florida-based barbecue chain 4 Rivers Smokehouse announced this week that many of their locations will now be opening their doors on Sundays for the first time, starting Sept. 22. "This decision was made to uphold the company’s mission to support the local community, protect jobs and ensure stability and prosperity of their dedicated team members," said the company in a press release.

Joli Lindsay, a 21-year-old server who works at the upscale Italian restaurant Maria & Enzo’s at Disney Springs, said she hears from guests all the time how lucky she must feel to work for Disney World. And she gets it.

A five-year, multimillion-dollar effort to expand student enrollment and continue other major changes at New College of Florida was approved Wednesday by the state university system’s Board of Governors, despite some concerns about the spending. The Board of Governors approved a New College strategic plan, which will allow the school to receive $15 million that was included in the state budget.

Meet Keisha! Keisha (A552801) is 3 years old, solid but small, and absolutely loves people and treats.

Heather LaVine, proprietress of Golden Hour Wine in Baldwin Park, is bringing the funk to Mills 50 this year. The owner of Orlando's best natural wine shop will open Quicksand, a bar focusing exclusively on natural wine, along with a small menu of Eurocentric wine bar fare (think olives, cheeses, charcuterie and tinned fish, a trending nosh in the city's dining scene). According to LaVine, Quicksand is intended to be a "community gathering space" in the neighborhood and, pét-naturally, will be a destination for those seeking wines made from organic, pesticide-free and biodynamically farmed grapes.

The City of Orlando opened its Hispanic Heritage Month art exhibit this week, inspired by this year’s national theme: “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.” With pieces from 19 local visual artists, the Terrace Gallery exhibit amplifies the achievements of Hispanic individuals and highlights their rich cultures.

Known for captivating customers with bold flavor, signature sauces and "im-peck-able" Korean flair, the fan-favorite fried chicken joint Chi-Kin is opening a second location in Windermere next month. The opening date has yet to be announced, but we know the eatery will reside in the former BurgerFi location at 5845 Winter Garden Vineland Road. With the same mouth-watering menu and a few new surprises, this spot will provide an additional location for Chi-Kin lovers to go instead of having to wing it without their beloved bites.

After filing a petition for a union election earlier this month, Starbucks workers in Orlando's tourism district on Tuesday voted 10-7 in support of unionizing. This establishes the first unionized corporate-owned Starbucks in Orlando and the 11th to unionize in Florida. “Winning this election means that we have succeeded in gaining agency as partners to have our jobs protected and to finally have the ability to have our voices heard,” said Yomna Abdellatif, a barista of three and a half years who works at the newly unionized location at 13401 Blue Heron Beach Drive.

Don’t miss the Canadian punk group Sum 41 on the Orlando stop of their farewell “Tour of the Setting Sum.” Hit up the Orlando Amphitheater Tuesday and travel back to a time of catchy pop-punk melodies and chain wallets. The electric performance of the nearly three-decades-old group is sure to feature high-energy stage antics and notable hits like “In Too Deep” and “Still Waiting” from the group’s early years. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser for Tuesday’s show is “Fat Lip,” the biggest early hit (making them an MTV mainstay) from the trio.

Zymarium Meadery’s stylish new RīZōM event space — think gothic Tron — gets sonically adventurous with a modular synth meetup. Dubbed Nectar+Noise — essentially honeyed mead plus analog drones and waves — the afternoon event is a co-presentation with the Circuit Church synth collective.