The corner of West Morse Boulevard and Pennsylvania Avenue is serving food again. The former Coop building had no tenant for more than three years. It reopened on October 6 as Mecatos Bakery & Cafe. Two blocks away on West New England Avenue, Chez Vincent's former home still has no restaurant in it, and its next tenant has moved its opening into 2027.
These two spaces are among the square's most recognizable dining rooms, and they point to the same pattern. In Hannibal Square, a restaurant space now takes a long time to change hands. The announced opening dates for new places have moved back, too. Both the Mecatos and The Reverie timelines slipped by a season or more on the way to the door.
Three Years at Morse and Pennsylvania
John Rivers closed The Coop in July 2023 after nearly a decade on the corner. Bungalower reported that he said the cost of renewing the lease at market rate was more than the business could justify. After that, the building sat empty through three more summers.
A new tenant took a long time to appear. In December 2025, Bungalower reported that Mecatos planned to move into the vacant corner and expected to open sometime in 2026. In March, Orlando Weekly's roundup of 2026 openings listed the café for a summer opening. Owner Edwin Lurduy told the paper the building would get a thorough refresh, including the outdoor area. The soft opening came on October 6, after summer had ended.
From The Coop's last service in July 2023 to Mecatos's first morning, the corner went more than three years without a tenant. Bungalower used the same frame when it covered the opening, saying the former Coop was "finally serving food again" after "more than three years sitting empty."
A Morning Menu on a Former Dinner Corner
The Coop served Southern comfort food. The new tenant runs on a café schedule, and its menu comes from a different tradition. Mecatos is a locally grown chain known for Colombian empanadas, buñuelos, pan de bono, the Colombian cheese bread, and specialty coffee. Per Bungalower's opening report, the hours at 610 W. Morse Boulevard are:
- Monday through Friday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Ana Rosabal operates the location with her parents, Juan and Linda Rosabal, and partner Barbara Moreno. Two features are still planned rather than in place. The first is an on-site coffee roaster. In the March report, Lurduy said it would let customers "see the process and have access to freshly roasted coffee daily," something other Mecatos bakeries do not have. The second is a liquor license for coffee-based cocktails.
So the corner is back in use, but on different hours. It closes at 6 p.m., before many of the square's dinner reservations begin.
The New England Avenue Room Still Waiting
Chez Vincent was one of Winter Park's longest-running restaurants. Chef Vincent Gagliano and his wife, Teri, opened the French restaurant 28 years ago. Hannibal's Lounge followed next door in 2007. The address is 533 W. New England Ave. In November 2025, the Gagliano family announced that they were retiring and had sold both businesses to a local chef and restaurateur. The final service was December 21, 2025. Their farewell, as quoted by Bungalower, read:
"Chez Vincent and Hannibal's have always been more than restaurants; they have been part of our everyday life and the backdrop to so many treasured memories."
The buyer turned out to be Chef Brandon McGlamery, a two-time James Beard Award nominee, working with The Foundry Group. Their restaurant is The Reverie, described as "a refined yet approachable American brasserie." Plans call for French and European influences, a curated wine and cocktail program, and a menu built on classic technique. McGlamery is known locally for his work at Luma on Park, Prato and Luke's Kitchen + Bar. Orlando Weekly reported in March that the former Chez Vincent and Hannibal's Lounge spaces would be combined into one dining room and bar.
The opening date has moved. In August, WhatNow Orlando reported that The Reverie was aiming for later in 2026. The restaurant's own site now says "Coming Soon" and gives an opening in early 2027. It lists no specific date. If the restaurant opens early in 2027, the space will have been closed for more than a year. It will open beside established neighbors on the block, including Armando's, Mynt Fine Indian Cuisine and Cafe-Boutique Piano.
How the Square's Corners Changed Hands
Put the recent turnover on one timeline and the gaps between tenants become the clearest part of the story. Only one changeover was quick, and it happened at 558 W. New England Ave.
- July 2023: The Coop closes at 610 W. Morse Blvd. after nearly a decade.
- February 2025: Bungalower reports that Park Avenue Tavern has closed its Winter Park location at 558 W. New England Ave., the former Dexter's space.
- September 5, 2025: Corner Chophouse opens in that same space. Later that fall, Orlando Weekly wrote that the steakhouse had beefed up Hannibal Square.
- December 21, 2025: Chez Vincent and Hannibal's Lounge serve their last night after 28 years.
- October 6, 2026: Mecatos soft-opens in the former Coop building.
- Early 2027: The Reverie's current opening target at 533 W. New England Ave.
The 558 W. New England space was empty for roughly seven months between tenants. The Coop corner was empty for more than three years. The Chez Vincent space will have been closed for more than a year by The Reverie's target. The two long gaps followed a lease renewal The Coop could not justify and a sale tied to the Gaglianos' retirement.
The Streets Around the Tables
Other work around these blocks is on its own calendar. The City of Winter Park's proposed FY2027 budget lists a road-diet test on Morse Boulevard, with on-street parking, as completed in January 2026. Farther west on the same street, the city has finished expanding the parking lot at the Winter Park Library & Events Center, 1052 W. Morse Blvd. The lot went from 149 spaces to 182.
East of the tracks, the Park Avenue Refresh reaches New England Avenue next. According to the city's fall newsletter, Phase 2, from Garfield Avenue to New England Avenue, begins in January 2027. That puts it on roughly the same calendar as The Reverie's opening target. Phase 3, from New England to Fairbanks, is scheduled for January 2028.
Shady Park and the Ruby Ball Amphitheater at 721 W. New England Ave. still host the square's civic calendar. The city held its Veterans Day Celebration there on November 6. In January 2026, the 24th Unity Heritage Festival filled Shady Park, and the Hannibal Square Heritage Center was open during the event.
By early 2027, the Morse corner will have been serving coffee for a few months. If The Reverie keeps to its current target, the New England Avenue space will also be open again, more than a year after Chez Vincent's last service.
If you own near Hannibal Square and want to know how changes in a commercial block like this one figure into what your home is worth, I'm glad to go through it with you. I've watched these corners for a long time. Let's Connect with Andy Williams.
