Red Lobster's next ownership group; Opening date for new SunRail station revealed; New Japanese tapas concept & more

Welcome to Orlando Business Journal's LinkedIn newsletter. I'm Digital Producer Steven Ryzewski, rounding up Orlando business news to keep you in the know when time is short.

The latest domino to fall in the ongoing bankruptcy proceedings of Orlando-based Red Lobster was the revelation that the stalking horse bidder to buy the seafood chain amid its bankruptcy proceedings — an entity led by Fortress Investment Group — will, in fact, be the next owner of the troubled restaurant group.

Our coverage of the pending sale doesn't stop there, though, with a deep-dive look at Fortress and an update from later in the week about a timeline shift for the deal to close .

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On this week's cover

It's no secret that The Villages, the retirement mega-community northwest of metro Orlando, is a real estate powerhouse. Perhaps less well-known, though, is the extent to which the community has attracted non-retirees to its borders — and even to one community within The Villages, itself — and the effect these workforce and family newcomers are having on commercial real estate in the region.

This week's cover story takes a look at those implications and the retail and restaurant demand created by it. Give it a read, and don't forget to check out our digital e-edition.

Real estate news of the week

• Popular beachside retail center in Brevard County sells
• 90-acre I-Drive property near Disney hits the market
• Prominent Ivanhoe Village property listed for sale
• Developer seeks to annex 1,000 acres into city of Orlando
• Historic downtown Orlando building put on the market

Orlando news bites

Don't miss these other top stories:

• Here's when DeLand will debut its SunRail station
• Local company sold for more than $1 billion
• Cocoa takes steps toward Brightline station, downtown hotel
• XL Soccer World acquired by entity linked to English Premiere League team
• Conn's HomePlus to close Orlando-area locations

Restaurant news & notes

Check out the latest news on popular local places to eat and drink:

• Restaurant group opens new Japanese tapas restaurant
• Hollerbach's German Restaurant to open nearby burger concept
• Popular Boxi Park venue in Lake Nona Town Center to get upgrades
• Why owner of Thornton Park Graffiti Junktion decided now was time to close
• Jeff's Bagel Run inks big expansion deal with race car driver

Nominations & Events

Things to put on your busy calendar:

• Register now for 2024 Doing Business in Brevard County , where we'll join business leaders from both the private and public sectors in the fast-growing county for a panel discussion and networking event. Event date: August 1.
• Are you on The List? Each week we bring you our popular Lists. Upcoming survey deadlines to be considered for Lists include August 8 for Construction Cos./General Contractors and August 9 for Modeling Simulation & Training Cos. Email OBJ Data Reporter Logan Dragone for more information at [email protected] .
• Register now for the 2024 Best Places to Work in Central Florida celebration and networking event, where we'll recognize which companies have the best climate, team atmosphere, benefits and most importantly, engaged employees.
• Nominate for the 2024 Inno Under 25 awards , a recognition of the top founders, entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders under age 25. Deadline: August 30.

That's all for this week's top headlines, and thanks for supporting OBJ. This weekly round-up of Orlando business news was compiled by Steven Ryzewski , digital producer. Questions? Comments? Concerns? News tips? Send them to [email protected] .