A new storefront on West Colonial Drive is now filling the air with the smell of flame-roasted shawarma. Evoo Fresh Mediterranean Kitchen has opened at 10968 W. Colonial Drive in Ocoee, bringing Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare to the Village Marketplace shopping center, open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The restaurant's menu leans on flame-roasted chicken and beef shawarma slow-cooked on traditional spits, open-flame grilled kabobs, and lamb gyros, according to the chain's own listings. As reported by the West Orange Times Observer, the new location includes four types of wraps and four different platters, alongside sides such as grape leaves, fries, hummus, falafel, and rice.
The space carries some history for longtime Ocoee diners. The storefront previously housed That One Spot, a locally loved gourmet burger joint that closed in October 2025 after 12 years in business when lease renewal negotiations with the landlord fell through, according to the West Orange Times Observer's earlier reporting. That closure left a 1,200-square-foot gap in the plaza that Evoo has now stepped into.
A High-Traffic Corner Built For Foot and Car Traffic
Village Marketplace sits at the southeast corner of West Colonial Drive and Maguire Road, a commercial gateway linking Ocoee, Winter Garden, and Windermere, per marketing materials from Atlantic Retail. The shopping center also hosts tenants like Planet Fitness, Starbucks, and Pizza Hut, giving Evoo built-in foot traffic from neighboring businesses.
The road itself does plenty of the marketing work. West Colonial Drive, known as State Road 50, carries between 47,000 and 51,500 average daily vehicles past the plaza, while Maguire Road adds roughly 37,500 more, according to figures from Maury Carter & Associates. That volume reflects a $37.5 million, five-phase FDOT widening project completed in 2018 that expanded SR 50 to six lanes and improved access to SR 408, Florida's Turnpike, and SR 429, per FloridaNeighborhoodRealty.com's account of the corridor's buildout.
Less than two miles east sits Orlando Health – Health Central Hospital, a major employer whose daytime workforce feeds customer traffic to the corridor, according to the same Maury Carter & Associates materials. Combined with the highway access, the stretch of Colonial Drive functions as one of West Orange County's busiest retail spines.
A Franchise With Roots Across Central Florida
Evoo Fresh Mediterranean Kitchen operates under Chickpeas Franchising LLC, which registered the brand's trademark in June 2022 and has since pushed into Central Florida entertainment hubs, including a location announced for Orlando's ICON Park on International Drive in March 2024, according to Orlando Theme Park News. The brand is also listed in the U.S. Small Business Administration's Franchise Directory, which streamlines federal financing for prospective operators under SBA guidelines.
Ocoee's demographics help explain why a Mediterranean concept might find a foothold here. The city is home to roughly 48,000 residents, with an estimated 22% to 24% born outside the United States and more than 21% of households primarily speaking Spanish, according to U.S. Census Bureau and AreaVibes data. That mix has supported a growing appetite for diverse fast-casual dining along the city's commercial corridors.
Part Of A Bigger Shakeup Along Ocoee's Corridors
Evoo's arrival is the latest in a string of fast-casual restaurant transitions across Ocoee this year. Hoodline previously reported on Barrio's Ocoee expansion near Silver Star Road, and Stoner's Pizza Joint took over a former Hungry Howie's spot on Clarke Road after that pizza chain closed following 12 years in business. Together, the openings point to regional fast-casual chains steadily filling storefronts once held by smaller, independent operators along the city's main arteries.
The West Orange Times Observer's coverage of the Evoo opening was written by managing editor Liz Ramos, who previously covered education and community topics for the East County Observer and spent two years as an education reporter for the Lynchburg News & Advance in Virginia. Ramos is a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism.
