MAY EDITION: News & events for Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis

Mount Dora's vibrant restaurant scene:  What to eat and where
Recently, Mount Dora was named one of the 10 best Small Town Food Scenes by USA Today. Now that it's off-season, downtown Mount Dora parking has become more available, which makes its acclaimed restaurant scene much more accessible to adventurous diners. Learn about what to eat and where in downtown Mount Dora here.

160 paratroopers to descend into Lake Dora
Whether by boat or by land, be sure to take in the amazing sight of retired paratroopers landing in the water of Lake Dora. The event has been occurring regularly over recent years thanks to the Phantom Airborne Brigade. Read more

New mural adorns Mount Dora's Northeast Community
While cruising down Johns Street in Mount Dora, pause a moment to appreciate the beautiful new mural on the western side of the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. The vibrant mural was designed and painted by two local artists. Read more

Empty Bowls event returns to Mount Dora
The fun community fundraiser returns to the heart of downtown on May 4. Learn more about the creative event that helps bridge the local hunger gap and how you can help here.

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New steak and sushi restaurant opens in Eustis​
One of downtown Eustis' perennial restaurant locations re-opened last month as a brand new incarnation. Taste of Brazil's diverse menu ranges from steaks, sushi and lasagna to burgers, hot dogs and stroganoff. The restaurant is located at 108 N. Bay Street.

A new hot dog franchise opened in Eustis
Craving a steamed foot-long Chicago dog, or chili dog? Coney Island Drive-Inn [sic] opened last month at 15851 U.S. Highway 441 and Kurt Street near Seminole Powersports.

New bar & grill open in Mount Dora
The iconic Zellie's Pub has transformed into Billie BaRooze Bar & Grill and is dishing up classic American fare like burgers, wings, smoked brisket, and po-boy sandwiches, plus a full bar. The new eatery is located at 4025 N. Highway 19A.

Scroll down for more local Buzz, events and most recent Best of Mount Dora winners.

Mount Dora purchases historic downtown building
To help ease the space crunch at City Hall, last month Mount Dora City Council agreed to purchase a historic downtown building on Fifth Avenue for $1,975,000. Read more

Mount Dora Mayor opts out of re-election campaign
Last month, Mount Dora Mayor Crissy Stile withdrew her paperwork to run for re-election. The race for mayor currently has former Vice Mayor James Homich and former Mayor Cathy Hoechst vying for the seat. Current Vice Mayor Marc Crail has filed the paperwork to run for re-election for District 4. Interested in running for City Government? Find out what you need to know here.

Mount Dora gains a permanent City Manager
Last month Mount Dora City Council decided to make Acting City Manager Vince Sandersfeld the permanent City Manager. The long-time City employee previously served as the City's planning director for several years. Congratulations!

Mount Dora's Deputy Fire Chief earns regional award
One of Mount Dora's hardest working first responders was recognized by his Central Florida peers. Mount Dora Fire Department's Deputy Chief Rich Loewer was recently awarded the 2023 Fire Chief Craig E. Haun Leadership Award by the Central Florida Fire Chief's Association. The award is named for the former Lake Mary Fire Chief who was a leader among Florida's fire chiefs. After Haun’s death, the annual Leadership Award was created to honor a deserving leader in Fire Service. Congratulations, Deputy Chief Loewer. We greatly appreciate you, too!

New Area Development in the Pipeline
The approval process for new developments depends on the type of project proposed. Check out the current list of local commercial and residential development projects here. As projects advance through the multi-step approval process, watch Mount Dora Buzz's website for more in-depth articles on some of the newsworthy developments.

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