College Park Diner after reopening in January 2025. (Photo by Fabiana Ungaro)
ORLANDO | College Park Diner, formerly College Park Cafe and Orlando’s oldest diner, has closed its doors, according to a statement from owners Joey Eckenfels and Alan Saunders.
A handwritten note on the door reads “Out of Business! Toodles :)” next to an official state-issued closure notice citing health and safety concerns. Their Instagram and Facebook have been deleted.
In a statement shared by The Community Paper, they said, “We’re proud of the space we built and incredibly grateful to the members of the community that supported us through our journey as owners — whether they knew us as College Park Diner, Cafe, or anything in between.”
The state-issued closure was filed on June 17 with a complaint partial. That means a complaint was filed and the inspection revealed some, but not all violations but an emergency order was recommended, according to the records from the Department of Business & Professional Regulation. Included in the health code violation was a significant roach issue.
The iconic fixture has been on Edgewater Drive since the early 1950s. Eckenfels and Saunders bought the restaurant in the early 2000s.
The diner faced challenges in the last year including a fire that shut down operations in December. During that time, Eckenfels and Saunders changed the name from College Park Cafe to College Park Diner. The diner reopened in January. The diner was set to be closed to address structural repairs and pest control.
Most recently, the diner hosted its first drag brunch as an effort to bring people back through the doors.
Just a few doors down, Yaya + Lou, a locally owned children’s shop, announced it will be moving exclusively online after struggling with rising cost and foot traffic. The store will be gone by the end of June.
