Downtown shops put new spin on vinyl.
Cliff Tangredi and Nate Maners are giving vinyl records their moment.
The owners of Remix The Store are part of a handful of new shops that are putting the retro audio format front and center.
A hybrid shop that sells vinyl records along with vintage and restored furniture, Remix opened last week at 1217 Mills Ave. N. in Orlando.
“It’s a great mix that we are putting together to create something unique,” said Maners, who had previously sold his furniture through local furniture shops.
Tangredi, on the other hand, is a longtime disc jockey and had amassed a large collection of electronic and pop music records during his career.
But Remix isn’t the only store near downtown putting the focus on the low-tech audio format.
Another two-in-one shop, Vinyl Arts Bar, is set to open next week on Colonial Drive at the site of a former massage parlor downtown. Vinyl Arts will be an art gallery with pieces from local artists as well as a bar and lounge.
The shop will feature vinyl records as decorations along with ’80s memorabilia, said co-owner Wilson Santos.
And last summer Uncle Tony’s Donut Shoppe opened on Orange Avenue slinging an eclectic selection of international, jazz and hip-hop sounds.
Failed inspections
Graffiti Junktion’s restaurant at 900 E. Washington St. in Orlando was shut down by health inspectors Jan. 15, and the only highpriority violation was a bartender not washing their hands, according to a state inspection report.
A total of seven Central Florida eateries were shut down by state health inspectors since the beginning of the year, including a second closure in less than a month for downtown hotspot Schumann’s Jager House.
Graffiti Junktion founder Greg Peters said storm damage caused a roof leak at the Washington Street restaurant and was a major factor in the shutdown, even if it didn’t add up to a major violation.
Graffiti Junktion was closed for a day before reopening Jan. 16.
Schumann’s Jager House had five high-priority violations during an inspection Jan. 5, including evidence of rodents and roaches. That restaurant had been shut down Jan. 15 as well. Inspectors returned Jan. 16, but kept the restaurant closed because of roaches.
Schumann’s reopened later that day.
TR Fire Grill grows
TR Fire Grill is expanding from its sole location in Winter Park after franchisees picked up expansion deals for Hawaii, the United Kingdom, Indonesia and Malaysia.
TR Fire Grill is the chef-in-
spired bistro concept from the Orlando-based owners of Tony Roma’s, using locally sourced ingredients and craft cocktails to bring the traditional brand in line with modern dining trends.
Romacorp did have a TR Fire Grill near Orlando International Airport for about two years, but closed that one just before opening the Winter Park location in December. A Romacorp spokesman said they were using that location as a test before moving the concept to Winter Park.
One franchisee will bring a location to Waikiki, Hawaii, while the specific locations of the other res- taurants are still to be determined. The development deals, however, call for four locations in Indonesia and Malaysia.
I-Drive bounce
Trampoline park Sky Zone opened last week in their long-awaited space in Artegon Marketplace.
The 50,000-square-foot trampoline park is taking the indoor spot where Radbourne Skatepark had been anticipated.
Sandwich shop
Puerto Rican eatery Meson Sandwiches is planning its second area location after opening at Florida Mall last summer.
The restaurant expects to a open stand-alone eatery in Kissimmee at West Osceola Parkway and Centerview Boulevard in late March.
The company plans to open three stores in the region this year, but has not announced exact spots for the other two.
Jerky store
The Beef Jerky Outlet plans to open its third area store at Waterford Lakes Town Center in east Orlando on Feb. 8.
The retail store sells more than 200 jerky flavors and sizes, with exotic meats such as kangaroo, alligator and venison.