ORLANDO, Fla. – Joseph Aintabi and Carlos Croes are taking a corner space in downtown Orlando to new heights.
“This corner was really screaming for a café where we can serve the community and do something different,” Aintabi said.
Soon, I Love Orlando Café will be open for business.
“It was just a bar, and now we’re changing it to something everyone can enjoy,” Aintabi said.
They’ll be serving breakfast, coffee, ice cream and more.
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The co-owners are also working on getting a license to serve beer and wine in the future.
Although the café isn’t open for business just yet, a large group of people surrounded the building on Friday.
Many of them are fans of the runners competing in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials this weekend.
Hoka, a running shoe brand, partnered with the café for a pre-marathon event.
Alex Lohr, a manager for Hoka, rented out the cafe’s building and the building of a neighboring business for the weekend.
Lohr said they are hoping small businesses see an economic boom this weekend.
“With the Olympic Marathon Trials plus the Pro Bowl, I hope the local economy feels it,” Lohr said. “At Hoka, we want to support those local businesses when we can and so that’s why we turned a small salon space into what we call our fly lab experience and a brand-new café next door into a studio.”
Lohr hopes this propels the businesses forward.
Other businesses like Gringos Locos Tacos in downtown Orlando are expecting a boom too.
Grant Foster, the manager at that location, said they are gearing up for the huge crowd.
“Any of the major events that happen downtown we have lines that can go all the way down the block,” Foster said.
He said he is looking forward to the influx of customers this weekend.
He also hopes this isn’t just one busy night, but an opportunity to spread the restaurant’s name so people can keep coming back.
The owners of I Love Orlando Café feel the same way.
Aintabi said they plan to have a grand opening within the next week.
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