Pop-up shops are a recent trend in the restaurant industry, a seemingly natural evolution of the food truck craze that has swept the nation. More owners are opting for the affordability and portability of operating a pop-up shop, instead of paying rent for an immobile brick-and-mortar location. Pop-ups also offer an air of exclusivity to attendees, given the limited availability, unusual menu choices, and even interaction with the chef. Many pop-ups don’t even have a website, and instead rely on social media and word of mouth to drive traffic. Orlando has seen its fair share of these pop-up restaurants, and a few have emerged as the city’s favorites.
Papa Llama
Papa Llama brings all the flavors of Peruvian cuisine to some of Orlando’s most popular local venues. Popping up at breweries and coffee shops in and around downtown Orlando and Winter Park, Papa Llama highlights fresh takes on classic Peruvian dishes like Huancaina and Picarones. Their food is prepared from scratch at the commissary kitchen in the East End Market.
Bangrak Thai Street Kitchen
Bangrak has made appearances fairly regularly at Whippoorwill Beer House and Redlight Redlight, two popular bars near downtown Orlando. The pop-up Thai restaurant emerged to fill a need in the local market when one of the founders couldn’t find anything in Orlando like the Thai street food he knew from his childhood.
Boca Fresca
Boca Fresca offers more than a pop-up restaurant with delicious Puerto Rican vegan food. On top of catering locally and providing cooking classes, they also make regular appearances at farmer’s markets around the area. Each dish of theirs bursts with color and flavors that dance across your tongue. Every bite leaves you wanting more even once you’re full.
Winter Park Biscuit Co.
The Winter Park Biscuit Co. restaurant usually pops up at the East End Market near downtown Orlando. Winter Park Biscuit Co. is the work of Mary Mattern, a former personal chef for a handful of Hollywood actors and musical acts. The pop-up restaurant specializes in delicious vegan versions of breakfast classics like biscuits and sausage gravy or chicken biscuit sandwiches.
Are you a foodie planning some Florida fun in the future? Book your stay at Rosen Inn International for easy access to the entire city of Orlando—after all, you never know where one of these restaurants will pop-up next! Click the button in the upper-right corner or call 407-996-1600.
