Happy Friday, Orlando. A partly cloudy morning will lead into potential showers later in the day. Highs remain steady at 94° with lows of around 75°. Here’s what’s on deck:

• Florida High School Athletes Get Green Light for NIL Deals

• Jeff’s Bagel Run Expands with 30-Store Franchise Deal

Let’s dive in.

ATHLETICS

Florida High School Athletes Get Green Light for NIL Deals

What’s new: Florida's State Board of Education has approved a plan for high school athletes to earn money through name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, mirroring college athletes' opportunities.

Key details:

• Earnings opportunities: Athletes can now secure endorsements, promotional deals, and monetize their social media presence.

• Protections in place: The Board stressed safeguarding minors, suggesting NIL deal registration and legal advice for families.

• Recruitment rules: Schools can’t use NIL deals as a recruitment tactic to lure athletes.

Regulations to know: Athletes can’t hire agents, receive unauthorized awards, or be paid for on-field activities, and NIL deals are restricted for mid-season transfers. Additionally, deals can’t use school logos or endorse businesses like gambling or tobacco.

The bottom line: While the move presents many high school athletes with new financial opportunities, the Board expressed the need for additional protections to ensure athlete safety in this rapidly evolving space.

Read more here (Orlando Business Journal)

ON THE DOCKET

What’s Happening this Weekend?

1. The Milk District’s Bar + Bites Crawl is tonight from 6-10 PM. Tickets are $10, which includes free merch for the first 100 guests.

2. Orlando City takes on Montreal in the Leagues Cup tonight at Inter&Co at 8 PM. The game will be streaming on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass.

3. Church Street’s Cheyenne Saloon will host its Tacos and Tequila food festival on Saturday starting at 12 PM.

4. The Pride take on Monterrey in the Summer Cup on Saturday night. The match starts at 7 PM at Inter&Co.

5. Then, to cap things off, the Orlando Farmers Market is back on Sunday from 10 AM to 3 PM at Lake Eola Park.

BUSINESS

Jeff’s Bagel Run Expands with 30-Store Franchise Deal

What’s happening: Orlando-based Jeff's Bagel Run is set to expand significantly through a franchise agreement with VHP Retail Holdings, led by CEO Enzo Potolicchio.

Key details:

• VHP Retail Holdings will open 30 Jeff's Bagel Run stores in South Florida.

• The first store will launch in Coconut Creek, followed by Boca Raton and Pembroke Pines.

Context: Potolicchio, a Venezuelan race car driver and businessman, also owns U Break I Fix franchises and car washes. He sought a quality food brand and found a fit in Jeff's Bagel Run, leading to franchise talks starting in March.

In other recent news… We also recently reported that Jeff's Bagel Run acquired Otus Coffee, its coffee supplier of four years, to enhance its product offering.

Zooming out: Founded in 2019 by Jeff and Danielle Perera, Jeff's Bagel Run gained notoriety after being recognized at New York City's Bagelfest in 2023. President Justin Wetherill, aiming for a nationwide expansion, plans to surpass 50 locations by next year, seeking both single and multi-unit operators.

Read more here (Orlando Business Journal)

QUICK HITS

In Other News…

1. A local restaurant group led by restaurateur Tim Liu is expanding across Orlando with a Japanese tapas-style concept.

2. Southwest, amidst its transition to offering assigned seats, will also soon be debuting red-eye flights in Orlando.

3. Winter Park is working to make parking on Park Avenue less painful with a recent study leading to potential recommendations to the city.

Thanks for tuning in to today’s edition of the newsletter. See you back here on Monday.

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