Pizza Fusion to open in Orlando

Orlando Business Journal

Pizza Fusion, an eco-friendly national restaurant chain, plans to open its first Central Florida location in the Dr. Phillips area in February.

Orlando-based FreshCrafters Inc. is the franchisee for the new 2,723-square-foot, 100-seat restaurant on West Sand Lake Road. The eatery is slated to be the first organic-certified restaurant in the area, according to a news release.

Fort Lauderdale-based Pizza Fusion incorporates environmentally-sound elements in building, service and operations. All locations are built to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. The chain also delivers food in company-owned hybrid vehicles and offsets all power consumption by buying renewable energy certificates.

The chain already has six locations statewide with another three slated to open soon, according to its Web site.

Port Canaveral: At least $234.8M worth of projects creating 4,000-plus jobs.

Orlando Business Journal - by Chris Kauffmann Staff Writer

There's a nationwide economic slowdown? Not at Port Canaveral, which now has at least $234.8 million worth of construction in the pipeline that will create 4,000-plus jobs.

The construction activity is so intense, the Canaveral Port Authority has upgraded its Web site to be more user-friendly for contractors and other businesses to get in on the action.

In addition, it's considering holding reverse trade shows at its offices to give businesses the opportunity to pitch their ideas and services.

Both measures are part of the port's efforts to manage and "bring focus and order" to the high number of inquiries it's getting. "There's been a dramatic surge in interest in doing business with the port," says J. Stanley Payne, port authority CEO. "As the economy has cooled down, the port is heating up."

The $234.8 million in port projects include the $100 million Vitol fuel tank farm, as well as two marinas, a restaurant, cruise ship terminal improvements, road projects, cruise and cargo pier improvements, and a port basin widening. All of those projects should be done by 2010.

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