Under a new big cheese, Orlando's takes larger slice of DI pie

Have any doubt that a pizza joint can become a town icon? Ask a Daniel Islander standing anywhere from Church of the Holy Cross to Daniel Island Animal Hospital what that heavenly smell is, and they’ll know. Inquire of any island tailgater or pool partier where all the massive slices of gooey pie came from, and they’ll answer in a heartbeat. Ask a resident where that line of kids in Bishop England uniforms is heading at noon on any given weekday, and they’ll tell you. And those colorful square boxes in hundreds of island recycling bins every Thursday stump no one around here. When Orlando’s Brick Oven Pizza opened its doors at 295 Seven Farms Drive in September 2004, the landscape of Daniel Island became more delicious. David Orlando had spent the previous three years cooking in Italy, and jumped at the opportunity to open an authentic pizzeria in a developing community. The space was a great corner unit of a building that marked the entrance of the town center from the residential south side of the island. In just 30 days, the chef-entrepreneur had his ovens fired and was slinging pies for dine-in and carry-out. Whether the new island resident knew it or not at the time, the day would come when his pizzeria would outgrow its digs. In 2014, Orlando’s acquired the suite next door and began an expansion and renovation project that would take the eatery to the next level, with added dining and kitchen space, a new bar, a rear patio, and other new amenities and venue offerings. It was an exciting time, to be sure, but about halfway through the work, in the summer of 2015, longtime general manager Jonathan Dearing left Orlando’s to relocate to the northeast. Considering the volume of changes happening at the restaurant, this left a void that needed to be filled expeditiously, but very thoughtfully. Brandon Fleskes was with Hall’s Hospitality Group, and had been running Rita’s Seaside Grille on Folly Beach. A resident of Daniel Island, Fleskes was one of Orlando’s regular customers, and learned of the open GM seat. “David and I started talking about me coming over and where we would like to see the business go,” Fleskes recalled of the initial discussion that ultimately led to him taking the managerial mantle. “We complete each other very well and have the same goals in mind.” The pathway to some of those goals had already been paved with the expansion, but others would come about as the renovations revealed exciting new potential for Orlando’s Brick Oven Pizza. Concurrent with the April 2015 opening of the “new side,” the team closed up the “old side” to begin a major makeover. It was all part of a well-executed plan to have seamless service, and allow patrons to enjoy all the trappings of the spankin-new space - the full-service bar, additional seating, televisions, and cool view of the action in the renovated kitchen - while continuing the work on the overall restaurant. When the finished original space welcomes customers by mid-November, the inside seating will have grown by 40 seats, and al fresco dining will offer 30 more. The redesigned configuration will also allow for private parties, business functions, and more HD-spectating of sports in every season. The restaurant is once again open seven days a week, with Sunday service recently added to the schedule. Even the HVAC is brand new. But two things have not changed. The first is the high-quality supply of ingredients Orlando has always favored in creating his pastas, salads, desserts, and amazing pizzas (seriously, that Orlando’s Special pie is pure genius). The second is the pool of high-quality people - not only the loyal customers that have been drawn in by that captivating smell coming from 295 Seven Farms Drive for 11 years, but also the folks that make that magic happen every day. Some have had a hand in building that iconic status since the fall of 2004. “Our product and employees are the backbone behind the success,” acknowledges Fleskes. “Our team, I know sounds cliche, is like family. You rarely find employees with the level of pride and customer focus that I see in ours day in and day out!”