John Paonessa (L) and Mike Rogier at Hamburger Mary’s in downtown Orlando (Photo by Caitlin Sause)
ORLANDO | A staple in downtown Orlando for 16 years, Hamburger Mary’s announced via social media May 22 that it will be moving from its location at 110 W. Church St.
“We have spent a lot of time assessing these changes and have decided that it’s time to move,” wrote John Paonessa, who has owned Hamburger Mary’s Orlando with husband Mike Rogier since it opened, on social media.
Paonessa wrote that the restaurant has served nearly 2 million people since its opening, saying they have “celebrated more birthdays, engagements, bachelorette parties, weddings, and girls or guys night out than we could ever count.”
Paonessa and Rogier made national headlines last year when they filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis over his signing of SB 1438, a bill passed prohibiting children from attending “adult live performances” but was seen by critics as an attack on specifically drag shows.
Paonessa thanked those who helped make Mary’s the popular place it was in the community, writing that “Downtown Orlando has been great to us.”
“However, times have changed,” Paonessa wrote. “The hustle and bustle of Downtown Orlando has given way to a sleepy city with few people working downtown and opting for remote, and less traffic in the evenings.”
Paonessa writes that they are currently in talks with a couple of venues for Hamburger Mary’s to move into.
“However, if anyone knows of a space that you think looks like a good fit for Mary’s, we are all ears,” he wrote. “We are excited about what lies ahead and can’t wait to share it with you.”
Watermark has reached out to Hamburger Mary’s for comment and will update this story when more information is available.
Hamburger Mary’s Orlando’s last day open at the downtown location will be June 2.
