By Jim Carchidi
June 9, 2026
Orlando developer Craig Ustler is partnering with Good Salt Restaurant Group to redevelop the Hoods Up building in Orlando’s Milk District.
Working together
The property was purchased in 2024 by a subsidiary of Ustler Development Inc. for $1.2 million after a code variance was granted for 10 on-site parking spaces. Ustler and Good Salt owners Jason and Sue Chin have been planning the adaptive reuse of the 1950s-era building into a restaurant, but its former use as a gas station and auto shop required environmental clean-up and assessments. Sue Chin provided an update to The Orlando Real in an email, stating that no major environmental concerns were found.
“The current hope is to begin renovations in June or July,” she wrote. “Construction is expected to take approximately six to nine months, so the opening is still some time away.”
Good Salt Restaurant Group is behind several popular restaurant concepts including Seito Sushi, Reyes Mezcaleria, The Osprey, and The Monroe.
Ustler said the designs are in early stages and the name is not yet official, though it has been used in city documents.
“Ustler Development and Good Salt Restaurant Group are involved in this project and the name Paper Kites is out there in a couple of places as the name of the tenant entity,” Ustler told The Orlando Real, “but we have not really defined much yet.”
Upgrade assistance
Preliminary project renderings reveal a nod to the original Hoods Up building design with similar brick facades and a dining room space where the former service driveway is located. Photo by Jim Carchidi, rendering courtesy of Ustler Developments, Inc.
This week, Orlando City Commission approved a funding recommendation by the Small Business Facade Review Committee for $50,000 in renovation assistance for new doors, windows, a new facade, and electrical upgrades. City documents list the total cost for the upgrades at $203,701.
The interest-free deferred loans are available to new and existing businesses within the Orlando city limits. Commercial property owners and business owners can apply for assistance with the cost of upgrades related to changes of use. Qualifying projects include exterior and site enhancements, safety and mechanical upgrades, and electrical and plumbing improvements.
Further developments
Funding approval was announced at the same meeting where council members voted to move forward with a nine-month strategic land use study for long-term growth in the Milk District. The Orlando Real recently reported on the plan, which includes redevelopment guidelines, recommendations for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and a shortlist of underutilized parcels suitable for redevelopment.
Updates on the Hoods Up project will be posted when available.
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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