As upcoming development Lake Nona West enters its phased opening this year, it’s been popping up in more and more What Now coverage. Thus far, What Now has reported on plans to open a new Nordstrom Rack store there, as well as a new Jetset Pilates studio.
As it happens, Tavistock Development, the developer behind Lake Nona West, is also investing $4.5 million in a new Mexican restaurant that will join the development, according to the Jared Jones realty team.
Opening in late 2026, Cañonita will open in a 9,321 square foot space at 5947 Lake Nona Blvd. It’s the first restaurant announced for the development, which will also include Target, Nordstrom Rack, Total Wine & More, Barnes & Noble, and Sephora.
Details have yet to be released about the new restaurant, which will be part of the Tavistock Restaurant Collection. The Jared Jones team coverage notes that while there is another restaurant nearby called Cañonita Street Taqueria, at Boxi Park, Cañonita at Lake Nona West will not be replacing it. Cañonita Street Taqueria will continue to operate.
Cañonita is also the name a longstanding restaurant at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.
With Cañonita and a number of big-name retailers planned, Lake Nona West is also envisioned as a “lifestyle center,” with “shaded pedestrian pathways, public gathering areas, plazas, green space, and an art-focused streetscape.” It’s opening in stages over the rest of this year.
