All remnants of the old NBA City restaurant are gone as work looks be wrapping up on the exterior of the new Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen. This original steampunk themed restaurant should be opening soon at Universal CityWalk. I was there Friday evening and the immense size of those smokestacks is incredible. They can be seen from everywhere on property, including from inside the parks! Check out the video and photographs below for a look at the new smokestacks, steampunk decor, and even working gauges that really spin! No word yet on an opening date but tables, chairs, and everything else is starting to show up inside and on the outdoor patios, so it shouldn't be too much longer now! Stay tuned for more Toothsome news as it happens.
Tag Archives: photos
Toothsome Chocolate Factory Update – Facade Takes Shape – With Video
The factory facade is starting to take shape at the upcoming Toothsome Chocolate Factory & Savory Feast Emporium restaurant taking over the NBA City in CityWalk Orlando. This incredible facade will include towering smoke stacks and funky gadgetry that is certain to catch the eye of all visitors to Universal Orlando. The new steampunk themed restaurant is planned to open later this year. See the video as well as some snapshots of the construction site below and stay tuned for more theme park updates coming soon! Check out the previous updates for concept art, food, dessert and milkshakes pics, and more video!
Toothsome Chocolate Factory Update – Themed Construction Walls – With Video
Themed construction walls have been added around the site of the new Toothsome Chocolate Factory & Savory Feast Emporium taking over the old NBA City Restaurant building in CityWalk. The walls feature oversized steampunk gears and whimsical designs, along with a couple of logos and signs describing the venue. The new highly themed dessert-heavy restaurant is planned to be opening later this year. See the video as well as some snapshots of the construction site below and stay tuned for more theme park updates coming soon!
Toothsome Chocolate Factory Replacing NBA City at Universal CityWalk – With Construction Update
Well the official word is in, and the replacement for NBA City at CityWalk will be Toothsome Chocolate Factory & Savory Feast Emporium! From Universal: "Opening later this year, Toothsome Chocolate Factory will transport you into a 19th century-inspired Steampunk chocolate factory. You’ll indulge your appetite amidst towering smoke stacks, funky gadgetry, and staff wearing unique Steampunk fashion." That explains why the rumors for what was coming ranged from the Cheesecake Factory to Willy Wonka, this idea kind of looks to me like a combination of both. In addition to crazy desserts you'll also be able to get breakdast, lunch, and dinner here as well. The menu will feature "unique twists on classic steak, seafood and pasta entrees, gourmet burgers, sandwiches, incredible salads, all-day brunch and so much more." See the full write-up, some incredible food images, as well as my construction update below, and stay tuned for more theme park news!
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NBC Sports Grill & Brew Construction Update at Universal CityWalk
The NBC Sports Grill & Brew was first announced back in the beginning of June, seven months after the former NASCAR Cafe closed its doors for good. We're now finally seeing some big action on the site as the structure is starting to really resemble the concept art that's been released. They had hoped to have the new sports themed restaurant and bar open in time for Halloween Horror Nights, as drinking has become a big part of that event and the new venue could be a great gathering place before and after guests enter the park, but it looks like they may just miss it unless they push it into high gear. (The Halloween themed event begins in just a few short weeks.) The NBC Sports Grill & Brew is officially scheduled to open sometime in the Fall of this year.
The new venue will host 100 HD TV screens throughout the restaurant showing NBC sports programming of all types. There will be several extremely large screens outside of the building, which will be visible from many parts of CityWalk, beckoning customers in with their warm glow. The establishment will offer an extensive menu of more than 75 different items, with favorites like burgers and steaks to custom creations like crab scotch eggs. And, of course, no sports bar is complete without the perfect beer. You’ll be able to select from over 100 different beer varieties, including an exclusive draft you’ll only find there. Check out the construction progress pictures below and stay tuned for more updates! ...continue reading
Raptor Meet and Greet Announced as Jurassic World Merchandise Lands in the Parks – With Photo Update
As I've been reporting since it was just a small hole in the ground, a Velociraptor Meet & Greet is coming soon to the Jurassic Park area in Islands of Adventure, and it has been officially confirmed by Universal! Well, sort of. In the Annual Passholder newsletter there's a short paragraph about the Jurassic World movie opening next month and to look for photo opportunities with a raptor in IOA. So, we should expect the area to open within the next few weeks, just in time for the film's release! The previously filed permits did show that they had until the end of June to finish their work, but it sounds like they'll be ready before that. Rumors have it opening as soon as Memorial Day later this month!
While visiting the parks today I noticed the DinoStore gift shop in the Discovery Center has gotten lots of Jurassic World toys. You can also find some select Jurassic World candies in various gift shops throughout both parks. Check out the images below to see how construction is going and check out the merchandise pics as well! ...continue reading
Raptor Meet and Greet Construction Update at the Old Triceratops Encounter in IOA
I'm going to go out on a limb and say I'm 99% sure they're building a Raptor Show/Meet and Greet near the entrance to the old Triceratops Encounter at Islands of Adventure. Construction is picking up pace, and with only 41 days until Jurassic World opens in theaters, they better hurry up to be ready. During my last visit I was able to grab some snapshots of what looks like a semi-circle of supports, done in a Jurassic Park style. They could be marking off what will become a stage-like viewing area, or maybe even a small set of bleachers for guests to view the animals. Either way, it's looking much more like a permanent viewing area (with scheduled appearances throughout the day perhaps) rather than just a staging area for street events. Check out the images of construction below as well as some more information and rumors! ...continue reading
Jurassic Park River Adventure Back Open After Refurbishment – With Video
The Jurassic Park River Adventure at Universal's Islands of Adventure is back open after being down for seasonal maintenance from February 17th to March 12th! The waterfalls and rockwork are looking gorgeous and the dinosaurs skins have never looked better, with no holes or unsightly patchwork visible. And it's just great to have all those construction walls finally down around the area. I took some pictures as well as some on-ride video to show off the cleaned up attraction.
While everything looked great, I did notice a lot of the dinosaurs eyes were closed during the ride, and the gate doors did not open as the boat passed through them in the beginning. Other than those small items though, everything else was in perfect working order. Watch the video to see for yourself and check out the images below as well.
Jurassic Park River Adventure Refurbishment Continues and Photo Update
The Jurassic Park River Adventure is still down for seasonal maintenance at Universal's Islands of Adventure. It appears that the water has been drained to facilitate cleaning and maintenance work. Other areas outside of the ride are also receiving some love such as planters and brickwork around the land. With the Jurassic World film less than 100 days from opening it'll be nice to have everything back in working order on the ride, including, hopefully, all of the animatronic figures' rubber skins, which need to be replaced and repaired quite often in the Florida sun and rain.
Check out the photos below, of both the ride rehab, and some sights around the area. I was fortunate to meet a baby triceratops on my travels and you can see a video below.
