The Garden Bistro, formerly known as Island Time (Facebook), has announced that it will be closing on June 23, claiming their landlord had decided not to renew their lease.
An announcement was made via social media on Monday, June 3, sharing that a series of adversities through the years had made it too difficult for the concept to continue.
Island Time made a name for itself in late 2020 for its weekly outdoor drag brunches that would sometimes spill into the street, with local and visiting queens bringing sold-out crowds each weekend – launched in part with RuPaul alum Trinity the Tuck Taylor.
The outdoor performances were complimented by a City of Orlando parklet that helped double the outdoor seating, but that came to an end in the fall of 2023 when a drunk driver crashed into cafe’s outdoor patio, completely flattening the parklet.
The restaurant pivoted towards the rear of the property, transforming the space into a new, expanded outdoor performance space called the “Secret Garden.”
Read the full announcement below.
