Santiago’s Bodega has quietly shut down its Altamonte Springs restaurant after a decade in the suburb, closing the book on a run that began in December 2015. The Spring Centre tapas spot had built a loyal following as a weekend destination for brunch and late-night diners. Its Ivanhoe Village outpost in Orlando is still open, leaving Altamonte regulars suddenly without their familiar neighborhood standby.
As reported by the Orlando Business Journal, the Altamonte Springs location closed yesterday after 10 years in operation. That report places the shutdown in the context of broader cost pressures that continue to squeeze independent restaurants across the region.
Santiago’s website still lists the Spring Centre address and notes that the Altamonte location opened in December 2015, while steering customers toward its remaining Orlando location for reservations. The Ivanhoe Village spot continues to market itself as a go-to for brunch and late-night tapas, and reservation platforms still show active service at the Orlando address. Local listings and review sites list the Altamonte address as 1185 Spring Centre S Blvd, Suite 1080.
Industry headwinds behind the decision
Restaurant operators across the country say rising food, labor, and occupancy costs remain top worries, a trend reflected in recent operator surveys. According to Toast, inflation and profitability concerns have pushed many full-service restaurants to raise prices or trim their hours. The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index has also slipped below the expansion threshold in recent months, signaling softer sales and traffic for the industry overall, and analysts say that kind of environment can make marginal locations tough to keep afloat.
What Altamonte loses and where to go
For Altamonte diners, the loss is concrete and immediate: the Bodega’s weekend brunch and tapas service was a reliable draw in the Spring Centre corridor, and local restaurant roundups have long counted the chain among the area’s brunch staples. Orlando Weekly and other local outlets have repeatedly singled out the Bodega’s brunch, underscoring how firmly it was planted in the weekend rotation for many customers. With the Altamonte dining room closed, nearby competitors and the Orlando Ivanhoe Village location are likely to see more weekend traffic…