RENDERINGS VIA CITY OF ORLANDO
A new restaurant is planned for the long-vacant former Hoods Up building at 2400 E. Robinson Street [GMap] in the Milk District.
Ustler Development and Good Salt Restaurant Group are behind the project through 2400 East Robinson Street, LLC, an entity tied to Craig and Charlotte Ustler, who have owned the building for the past couple of years. While the name “Paper Kites” has surfaced in city documents as the likely restaurant name, Sue Chin told Orlando Shine nothing has been officially confirmed at this point.
“While Paper Kites is the likely name, nothing has been officially confirmed,” Chin said. “At this stage, there are no confirmed details regarding the interior design, menu, concept theme, or opening date.”
The project is an adaptive reuse of the former gas station and auto repair facility, which has sat vacant for years at the prominent Robinson and Bumby intersection. Concept renderings from architecture firm Baskervill show a modernized structure that preserves the existing brick while replacing the canopy areas with enclosed, glass-fronted dining space.
“As is often the case with older buildings and adaptive reuse projects, the process has taken time,” Chin said. “There were no major environmental concerns, but the related work added time to the schedule.” The development team requested permission to provide 10 parking spaces on site where 18 would normally be required for a restaurant of that size. The Board of Zoning Adjustment approved the variance in 2024, clearing one of the early hurdles for the project. Parking is planned along the southern and eastern property lines with a mix of angled and parallel spaces.
The team also applied for a $50,000 grant through the City of Orlando’s Small Business Facade, Site Improvement and Adaptive Reuse Program. Total project cost is listed at $203,701, with the owners contributing $153,701 of that.
Chin said the current hope is to begin renovations in June or July 2026, with construction expected to take six to nine months.
