The Chef’s Table and The Tasting Room to Expand into Winter Garden’s Historic Bond Building
The move carries the restaurants from one iconic historic address to another. For eighteen 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, the first brick building to rise downtown after the fire of 1909 and the oldest brick building in Winter Garden’s historic district.
Founded in May 2008 by Kevin and Laurie Tarter with nine tables, thirty 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, and expanded covered outdoor dining. The same management team guests know and love — 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.”
“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 Jim Larweth, a 20-year resident of Winter Garden and Windermere and founder of Anton Hospitality Holdings and Anton Property Investors. “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 Alicia Havard, General Manager of The Chef’s Table and The Tasting Room. “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.”
Additional details — including opening dates, menus, design previews, and hiring information — will be shared in the months ahead.
About The Chef’s Table and The Tasting Room
Founded in 2008 in the historic Edgewater Hotel by Kevin and Laurie Tarter, The Chef’s Table offers an intimate, chef-driven prix fixe dining experience, and The Tasting Room serves award-winning small plates and craft cocktails. Honors include Florida Trend’s Golden Spoon Award and Orlando Magazine dining awards. The restaurants have been a cornerstone of downtown Winter Garden for 18 years.
About Anton Hospitality Holdings
Anton Hospitality Holdings is a Winter Garden-based operator of restaurants and venues dedicated to creating memorable experiences for the communities they serve. Grounded in a commitment to hospitality, craft, and operational excellence, the group invests in the people, spaces, and details that turn everyday visits into lasting memories.
About Anton Property Investors
Based in downtown Winter Garden, Anton Property Investors is dedicated to preserving, restoring, and rebuilding the historic buildings that shape the character of the communities where it operates. In addition to restoring irreplaceable landmarks, under Larweth’s leadership the company is undertaking the rare work of reconstructing in exacting detail iconic historic buildings lost to time. Active projects span Winter Garden, FL; Tempe, AZ; and Nashville, TN.
SOURCE Anton Hospitality Holdings
