MAITLAND — An old bank building soon will become home to a place called Maitland Social, featuring new locations of Foxtail Coffee Co., Wave Sushi, and Pizza Bruno.
A fitness center called Urban Body Works is already open inside, and Thrive cocktail bar is also on tap as one of the future tenants, according to owner and developer Lamont Garber.
“We feel when it’s open … and all the businesses are going that it will create a different feel for Maitland,” Garber said.
Garber called it “an environment where [people] can relax and enjoy. So it’s kind of a destination hub.”
Maitland has been seen as a suburban residential community for years, but that’s changing in the city of 19,000 north of Orlando as more places to eat, drink and shop move in.
“If Orlando was New York, this would be one of the boroughs,” said David Craig, who opened Maitland’s Blackbird Comics and Coffeehouse with his wife, Candice Craig, in 2018. “We wanted to be in the forefront of Maitland becoming a true borough because it’s always just been a pass-through community.
“Maitland is becoming a hub to where more and more things are coming here and you don’t have to go outside of it to get them,” he said. “That’s the change.”
The city has worked for years to create a downtown off U.S. Highway 17-92 between Lake Avenue and Maitland Boulevard, with Independence Lane as its “spine,” said Maitland spokesman Robert Sargent. Independence Lane is west of U.S. 17-92 and runs parallel to the highway between Packwood and Horatio Avenues.
A new Maitland City Hall opened in the area in 2012 and the mixed-use Maitland City Centre project in 2018, Sargent said. A new park called Independence Square followed in 2020.
Businesses at Maitland City Centre include Starbucks, Sanford Brewing Company, and other local restaurants and retailers.
Elsewhere, Orlando’s popular Lazy Moon pizza shop is planning a restaurant in a former Einstein Bros. Bagels south of City Hall, Sargent said.
Sargent characterized progress on downtown Maitland as “midway” and said the city is planning to extend Independence Lane north to George Avenue. Design work on that project is expected to take place this year with construction possibly starting next year.
Maitland Social, at 360 E. Horatio Ave., is fully leased with Pizza Bruno as the latest eatery to join the roster.
While opening dates for the tenants will differ, Garber expects the building to come more alive in about five months. His company bought the property in 2018 for $1.34 million, records show.
“We actually took a long time, but I think it’s a home run,” Garber said. “We’re very selective. We’ve turned down a lot of tenants. … If you put the wrong tenants in, it’s a joke.”
Bruno Zacchini expects his third Pizza Bruno to open early next year at Maitland Social. He said the pizza offerings will be closer to the woodfired options at his Curry Ford Road restaurant instead of what he calls the South Jersey style being served up at his College Park eatery.
“There will be garlic knots,” Zacchini said of his popular menu item.
Garber said he spent “several million” on improving the Maitland Social property. The solid-steel original bank safe was “a very big challenge to take out,” he noted.
Maitland Social is now 7,400 square feet, but Garber said he expanded the building by 2,400 square feet.
Across the street at Blackbird Comics and Coffeehouse, owner David Craig likes that Maitland Social reused an old building even though one of the tenants is another coffee shop.
“I’m not happy that Foxtail’s moving in 50 yards from my front door, but I’m also not angry that the development’s happening,” David Craig said. “That’s what I want Maitland to do … redevelopment of old buildings, if possible, if it makes it look like a good and thriving retail space.”
Sargent agreed that transforming properties will be important for the 6.5-square-mile city that has little open land left.
“Redevelopment is a key point in moving forward for new businesses and new jobs,” Sargent said.
The Craigs, meanwhile, are hoping Maitland doesn’t lose its character as more new things come to their town.
“I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like 10 years from now or even five years from now,” Candice Craig said.
afuller@orlandosentinel.com
