Zaza Cuban Comfort Food (Website) soft-opened its 11th Central Florida location today at 1621 S. Orange Avenue [GMap] in Orlando’s SoDo neighborhood, marking the chain’s largest and most expensive build to date. If you’re mad we didn’t give you advance notice, talk to them about it because they made us swear to secrecy.
CEO Luis Fernandez said the SoDo location’s design and added floor space are meant to make it a gathering spot for area residents and the medical professionals who work nearby. The new location spans 2,500 SF, a larger footprint than the chain’s other restaurants, and cost about 50 percent more to develop than most of its existing sites. The restaurant includes a beer-and-wine bar and extended hours to serve late-shift workers, along with the artisan-roasted coffee bar, made-to-order meals, and fresh-baked pastries found at Zaza’s other locations.
Co-founder and owner Ruben Perez said he has long envisioned Zaza as a neighborhood diner built around family recipes and a sense of home, and SoDo Main Street District executive director Misty Heath said the chain’s decision to make the location its flagship reflects the area’s growing identity.
Zaza will hold a grand opening celebration on Saturday, October 10, starting at 6 a.m. The first 25 guests to arrive will receive a free Zaza coffee mug made exclusively for the event, and Magic 107.7 will broadcast live from the restaurant while giving away free coffee throughout the day. The SoDo location’s regular hours will run 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday are currently subject to change. Be sure to check their website for updates.
The chain just opened its 10th location in Casselberry in July 2025. Zaza has also announced plans for locations in Winter Park on Lee Road and at Orlando International Airport’s Terminal A, both expected to open in the coming months, along with a location at The Loop retail center near Kissimmee planned for spring 2027.
Zaza was founded by Ruben Perez, whose family immigrated from Cuba in 1957, and opened its first Central Florida location in 2008.
