Mills 50, Orlando's eclectic stretch of locally owned restaurants and shops along Mills Avenue and Colonial Drive, is about to get a lot more interesting. Orlando Weekly has rounded up 22 incoming businesses — a mix already open and others on the way — that reflect the neighborhood's longstanding identity: Asian-influenced, independently owned, and always evolving.
A handful of spots have already unlocked their doors. Jay Lucy's, a grass-fed smashburger concept from Team Market Group, soft-opened at 1030 N. Mills Ave. after the group sold its former plant-based burger brand, Plantees. Catchè, a Vietnamese dessert house specializing in chè, is also open, as is Cowboy Curry, the scratch-made Japanese beef curry spot from Sorekara chef William Shen, now running full-time inside Mills Market.
The most anticipated openings still ahead include Pomelo, where Top Chef Season 3 winner Hung Huynh will serve Southeast Asian shareable plates and live-fire dishes at Mills Park. Chef Lewis Lin of Susuru and Juju fame will bring Hayashi Tarō to the former Royaltea space, offering omakase bento boxes to go and an eight-seat counter experience. Udon Fifty, from Domu and Tori Tori creator Sonny Nguyen, will fill the old Dochi spot on Colonial Drive with udon noodles.
Other notable additions include Robin's Creamery (halal-friendly ice cream and gelato), Little Sister Dumpling (fast-casual dumplings with late-night weekend hours), Fan Hwa (Chinese dessert soups and bao from the team behind Sushi Izuki), and Uji Matcha Cafe along Colonial Drive. On the non-dining side, locally owned guitar shop Amp'd Guitar Den is already open and planning instructional programming, while cocktail bar Rews on Mills — inspired by 1960s geometric design — is slated for early next year.
This roundup was originally reported by Orlando Weekly.
