Off-Downtown Project Getting Bistro, Diner and Butcher-Wine Shop

ORLANDO-Thornton Park Central, a $30 million, mixed-use, off-Downtown venture being developed by Craig Ustler’s Thornton Park Center, has tapped Manny Garcia and his Culinary Concepts Inc. company to operate and manage a bistro, diner, and butcher shop-wine loft scheduled to open by fall.

Ustler and Garcia couldn’t be reached at GlobeSt.com’s publication deadline for construction cost estimates. But area industry estimators tell GlobeSt.com the three retail projects will probably be built for about $100 per sf or a total $850,000. That would give the 3,600-sf Hue restaurant an estimated construction value of $360,000; the 1,100-sf Thornton Park Diner, $110,000; and Central City Market, the 3,800 butcher shop and wine loft, $380,000.

Owners of the Downtown Ichiban Japanese Restaurant owners are negotiating with Ustler to open Roll Sushi Lounge at Thornton Park Central later this year.

Garcia was Central Florida’s largest Burger King franchisee with 57 outlets before he sold the chain five years ago. Garcia and his partners, Tony Pace and Hal Valdes, through Culinary Concepts Inc., operate Harvey’s Bistro and Manuel’s on the 28th, both at the Downtown, 28-story Bank of America building; four Pebbles Restaurants; and Chef Creations.

Thornton Park Central is being completed on the 10-acre site which previously housed the headquarters of the Orlando Regional Realtors Association.