By Jim Carchidi
September 3, 2026 (updated at 7:52 p.m.)
Downtown Orlando’s upcoming Eola Food Hall has a new opening schedule and a tenant announcement. A social media post confirmed Croissant Gourmet as the first vendor in the 15,000-square-foot venue.
Changing the plan
The food hall will occupy half of the former four-story University Club of Orlando, located at 150 E. Central Blvd. Developer James Ekbatani began renovations in 2024, transforming the third and fourth floors into the Eola View event space. The plan for the lower floors featured food vendors and a restaurant on the ground floor with bar and lounge spaces on the second floor. Menus would span a variety of flavors including American, Mediterranean, and Mexican.
Original floor plans show the first-floor restaurant, which will be replaced by additional vendor spaces. The second-floor layout shows the speakeasy and wine bar. Images courtesy of Lake Eola Food Hall Instagram
A change was reported by The Orlando Real in June when the restaurant was removed to meet the demand for additional food hall stations. The revised plan calls for 12 vendors and a full bar on the ground floor. The second floor will house a sports bar/lounge, a wine bar, a private meeting space, and a speakeasy. The opening had tentatively been scheduled for September.
New updates
Activity on the Eola Food Hall Instagram account increased this week with ads for available retail space and video of ongoing construction. Additional posts announced a November opening and promised upcoming vendor confirmations. On Thursday, Sept. 3, a video was posted featuring Croissant Gourmet owners Francois and Paola Cahagne announcing their authentic French bakery would be joining the food hall. Efforts by The Orlando Real to confirm additional vendors were not successful.
Eola Food Hall Director of Operations Justin Dunlap informed The Orlando Real in a text that the plan is to open in the latter part of this year, but a specific date is not yet available.
"We want to have events, musicians, DJs, etc. on certain nights," Dunlap stated. "We plan to make Eola Food Hall a destination and event center."
Croissant Gourmet’s menu features a wide selection of pastries with breakfast and lunch items. Five varieties of French Toast are offered along with nine varieties of crépes. Eola Food Hall will be the brand’s third location and the first in Orlando. The others are located in Winter Park, at 120 E. Morse Blvd. and at 900 N. Orange Ave.
What’s next
Eola Food Hall will debut as the City of Orlando is advancing a multimillion-dollar facelift of the downtown core. A groundbreaking for The Canopy public space is planned before the fall and designs for a refresh of Lake Eola Park are in the works.
Sponsor: The Orlando Real is sponsored by the Pozek Group — the #1 real estate team in Orlando and the Official Real Estate Team of the Orlando Magic.
About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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