ORLANDO, Fla. — Central Florida restaurants, shops and services are among the businesses recognized in Nextdoor’s 2026 Fave Awards, which are determined by votes from users of the neighborhood platform.
Nextdoor shared 10 local category favorites with Channel 9 following its announcement of this year’s winners.
The list includes businesses in The Villages, Wildwood, Leesburg, Fruitland Park and Palm Coast:
- Pizza: Bravo Pizza, The Villages
- Coffee shop: Miz Kathi’s Cotillion Southern Cafe, Wildwood
- Dessert: Miz Kathi’s Southern Sweetery, Wildwood
- Breakfast and brunch: Darrels Diner, The Villages
- Go-to restaurant: The Legacy Restaurant at Nancy Lopez Country Club, The Villages
- Mexican food: La Palma Mexican Grill, Leesburg
- Italian food: Red Sauce, The Villages
- Pet care: Flagler Humane Society, Palm Coast
- Hair salon or barbershop: Suly Beauty Salon, Fruitland Park
- Clothing or gift store: Bargains & Blessings, Wildwood
The awards reflect neighborhood voting rather than a single national ranking. Nextdoor said users across the country cast about 5 million votes for approximately 750,000 businesses across 20 categories.
Votes submitted Sept. 4 through Sept. 30 determined this year’s winners. Businesses cannot pay for votes or improve their chances of winning through purchases, according to Nextdoor.
Users can find additional winners in their neighborhoods through Nextdoor’s Fave Awards directory.
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