The Chef's Table and The Tasting Room Expand Into Winter Garden's Historic Bond Building

Here's a growth story every seasoned operator will recognize: two beloved concepts, a loyal following, and one small kitchen doing the work of a room three times its size. For 18 years, that has been the reality behind The Chef's Table and The Tasting Room in downtown Winter Garden, Florida — nearly 200 seats served out of the same modest kitchen that opened with just nine tables in 2008.

That constraint is about to lift. Both award-winning restaurants will relocate to expanded new homes in the historic Bond Building at 2 and 12 West Plant Street, with openings expected in mid-2027. Until then, service continues uninterrupted at their current address, where guests will find both restaurants exactly where they've always been.

From the Edgewater Hotel to the Bond Building

The move carries the restaurants from one iconic historic address to another. For 18 years they have called the 1927 Edgewater Hotel home. Their next chapter unfolds in the Bond Building — the original Dillard & Boyd Building, built in 1912 by pioneering civic leaders James L. Dillard and Benjamin T. Boyd. It was the first brick building to rise downtown after the fire of 1909 and remains the oldest brick building in Winter Garden's historic district.

The Tasting Room will occupy 2 West Plant Street, at the corner of Plant and Main. The Chef's Table will sit next door at 12 West Plant Street.

A Growth Story 18 Years in the Making

Founded in May 2008 by Kevin and Laurie Tarter with nine tables, 30 seats, and one small kitchen, The Chef's Table was named Best New Restaurant in Orlando in its first year and went on to earn Florida Trend's Golden Spoon Award as one of the best restaurants in the state.

The Tasting Room followed in 2011 and was voted Best Appetizers in Orlando by the readers of Orlando Magazine. Together, the two concepts grew to nearly 200 seats — all served from that original small kitchen — and became the setting for 18 years of first dates, anniversaries, engagements, and family celebrations.

The Bond Building will finally give the restaurants what they have never had: room to grow. Plans include:

• A dramatically larger kitchen
• Expanded dining rooms for both concepts
• Multiple private dining and event spaces on the second floor overlooking Plant and Main streets
• Expanded covered outdoor dining

The same management team guests know — led by General Manager Alicia Havard — will remain at the helm of both restaurants, and the expansion will create new local jobs, with hiring to begin ahead of opening.

"Kevin and I always dreamed about what these restaurants could do with more room," said co-founder Laurie Tarter. "Watching Jim and his team carry that vision forward — and grow it in the heart of the town we love — means everything to us."

The stewardship behind the expansion comes from Jim Larweth, a 20-year resident of Winter Garden and Windermere and founder of Anton Hospitality Holdings and Anton Property Investors.

"When Kevin and Laurie entrusted us with these restaurants, we made a commitment to honor what they built and protect the people and guest experience that made it special," said Larweth. "This expansion is that commitment in action — a larger kitchen, more room for guests, new private dining and event spaces, and a long-term home in one of Winter Garden's most important historic buildings."

"Our guests will see the same familiar faces and the same experience they've trusted for years," said Havard. "What expands is everything around it — a larger kitchen for our chefs, new private spaces for celebrations, and more room for the memories our guests come here to make."

Why It Matters

For operators, this expansion is a case study in how to scale without diluting the brand equity that made you successful in the first place. The Chef's Table and The Tasting Room aren't chasing a new market — they're removing the operational ceiling (that undersized kitchen) that has quietly capped throughput, private-event revenue, and menu ambition for nearly two decades.

A few practical takeaways worth noting:

• Kitchen capacity is a revenue strategy. Serving nearly 200 seats from one small kitchen is a testament to the team's discipline — but it also signals lost covers, longer ticket times, and limited menu flexibility. A larger kitchen unlocks all three.
• Private dining and events are high-margin growth. Adding second-floor private and event spaces creates new, bookable revenue streams that don't depend on daily walk-in volume — a smart hedge in an uncertain consumer environment.
• Continuity protects the guest experience. Keeping the same management team and messaging "same familiar faces" is a deliberate move to retain loyal regulars through a disruptive relocation. It's a reminder that people, not just square footage, are the brand.
• Historic real estate is a differentiator. Anchoring in the oldest brick building in the district ties the concepts to Winter Garden's identity — a durable competitive moat that new-build competitors can't replicate.

For those tracking the broader trend, this fits a pattern we're seeing across the industry: independent operators reinvesting in place, craft, and long-term community roots rather than rapid multi-unit sprawl.

What's Next

Additional details — including opening dates, menus, design previews, and hiring information — will be shared in the months ahead. Both restaurants remain open at their current Edgewater Hotel location until the mid-2027 debut.

Following how independent restaurants are engineering smart growth? Read our look at Woodbine Hospitality's strategic growth under new leadership and leadership changes at The Rebel Room and The Ava Hotel. Are historic-building relocations the next play for legacy independents? Weigh in with your take in the comments.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.