Kyle Arnold:

Central Florida Zoo gets Sonny’s BBQ.

Sonny’s BBQ will take over the concessions at Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, replacing the previous vendor in January.

Sonny’s is opening a restaurant at the zoo to take over the existing concessions area and replacing regular concession fare with dishes such as pulled-pork sandwiches and smoked chicken.

“We think this will really bring something new and different into the zoo,” said Charles Davis, president the zoo’s board of directors.

Sonny’s will replace concessions company Spectra Food Services, a subsidiary of cable giant Comcast. Spectra’s contract with the zoo runs out Jan. 2.

The restaurant’s franchisee, InFire Management Group, is planning a soft reopening in mid-January, and the full remodel will be finished sometime around the beginning of February.

Sonny’s is planning to redesign the main concession restaurant space, said Kennon Adkinson, a spokesman for InFire, the company opening the restaurant. Sonny’s will also take over catering operations at the zoo.

It will be a fast-casual setup where customers order from the counter. There will also be a limited menu and no salad bar at first, but Sonny’s is considering bringing one in later, Adkinson said.

The zoo’s contract with Sonny’s will last for a year and calls for Sonny’s to pay a percentage of sales to the zoo, the same setup under which

Spectra had operated concessions.

Bowling alley closes

The bowling alley on the second floor of Orlando Fashion Square mall has closed, ending the three-year experiment to bring more entertainment options to the struggling shopping center.

StrikeOuts Bowling and Entertainment Center is blocked off to foot traffic and its lights are turned off, with video arcade machines hedging off entrances to the alley. It was located near the movie theater.

The mall’s management did not respond to a request for comment.

The mall recently changed hands after the former owner, an affiliate of Tennessee-based Up Development, was sued by its lender for foreclosure after the owner fell behind on its $42.2 million loan on the property.

Up Development opened StrikeOuts in 2014 as the mall lost marquee tenants and Dillard’s changed its department store to a onestory clearance center. It coincided with other malls in the region, such as Florida Mall, bringing in entertainment options to draw in customers while mall retailers and department stores struggle and close nationwide.

New Oviedo restaurant

Marlow’s Tavern is opening a new restaurant in Oviedo in early 2018. The restaurant will be near the corner of Mitchell Hammock Road and City Walk Lane.

The restaurant intends to hire about 60 employees for the location, which will be 3,587 square feet.

It will be the company’s fifth location in Central Florida.