🌱 Sip & Savor Food Festival Coming + MCO Adds New London Route

Hey, everybody! It's Wednesday in Orlando and I'm Carlos Hernandez, back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in town, including updates on:

• A new route to London is launching this summer at MCO.
• The second round of Disney layoffs has started with thousands of jobs expected to be cut.
• LGTBQ activists rallied recently at Orlando City Hall amid new legislation making its way through Florida.

But first, today's weather: Cloudy with a heavy t-storm. High: 82 Low: 66.

Are you tired of blending in with all the other real estate agents in Orlando? Stand out with a premium sponsorship in our newsletter. Gain valuable exposure for yourself to our highly engaged local readership. Click here to learn more about this exclusive opportunity.

Here are the top stories today in Orlando:

1. The second round of layoffs has started at Disney with thousands of people facing job losses this year at the corporation. It is unclear if Florida workers will face job losses since Disney has not filed WARN Notice with the state of Florida. The job cuts are part of a plan to save the company $5.5 billion. (Orlando Patch)
2. Norse Atlantic Airways is launching a new route between Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Gatwick Airport (LGW) in London. The new route will further connect Central Florida to Europe. Flights start at $187 for a one-way ticket, although flights seem to rise to over $1,000 round-trip by June. (Subscription: Orlando Business Journal)
3. LGBTQ activists rallied at Orlando City Hall on April 24, amid new legislation targeting the community's Pride parades around the state, gender identity in schools, and more. A recent survey from the Trevor Project found that 45 percent of LGBTQ youth have considered suicide in past year. Florida continues to add more LGBTQ legislation to the legislative schedule. (Orlando Weekly)
4. Sip & Savor food festival is coming to ICON Park in Orlando's tourist district from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 30. Foodies will be able to enjoy over a dozen restaurants at the gathering. (Click Orlando)
5. A new restaurant is coming to downtown Orlando called City Beautiful Cafe. The breakfast and lunch concept will come from the minds behind Bem Bom and sell American food fare including burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and more. (Bungalower)

From our sponsor:

Today’s Orlando Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99 percent of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Orlando Patch newsletter possible.

Today in Orlando:

• TopGolf's Half Priced Tuesdays. (All day)
• Andretti Indoor Karting Two-fer-Tuesday's. (11 a.m.)
• Winter Garden Fair. (5 p.m.)
• Introduction To Barre Fitness at Center For Health & Wellbeing. (7 p.m.)
• Tuesdays at Senor Frog's. (11 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Publix has purchased a north Lake County shopping center as the grocery store expands its reach in the region near Apopka and Mount Dora. The Sorrento Hills Village shopping center was purchased for $13.42 million, according to records obtained by Orlando Business Journal. (Subscription: Orlando Business Journal)
• The Orange County Convention Center is having a hiring event today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Several jobs will be up for grabs at the event. (WFTV)
• Comedian Jo Koy is coming to Orlando for the first time in quite a while later this year. Tickets will go on-sale Thursday with pre-sale tickets available now. (Click Orlando)
• Orlando Weekly shared: "SeaWorld's newest "surf-themed" rollercoaster Pipeline looks to finally open next month. 🏄🏻‍♂️ Pipeline will launch lucky riders 110 feet up in the air while standing up." (Orlando Weekly via Instagram)
• Orlando Police Department shared: "Congratulations to Sergeant Branden Thornton on his retirement from the Orlando Police Department after 21 years of service with the City of Orlando." (Orlando Police Department via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Satisfaction Delivery
• Add your business here

Featured events:

• Ready, Set, Solar! Workshop: Learn how your nonprofit can go solar (April 30)
• Add your event

You're all caught up for today. I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with another update!

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Orlando Patch newsletter? Contact me at carlosreportsnews@gmail.com