Florida Trend Exclusive
50 Years of Golden Spoon Awards

Florida Trend's annual listing of the state's finest restaurants is live! This year, the Golden Spoon Hall of Fame welcomes five restaurants, and 13 make it onto the Golden Spoon list for the first time. Twenty notable newcomers are selected, plus the winner of the Robert W. Tolf Award for Best New Restaurant is named.

Browse all the winners at the links below. Winner's lists are sorted by region and include maps, contact information, cuisine type and comments.
  » Golden Spoons   » Best New Restaurants   » Hall of Fame

Holiday season bolsters consumer confidence in economy

The holiday season is bringing its signature cheer, especially when it comes to how Floridians feel about the economy. Consumer confidence rose in November to 96.7 after dropping for three straight months to 94.8 in October. Full story from UF's Bureau of Economic and Business Research is here. Also read more at the Tampa Bay Times.

Tax plan could drive rich Americans to Florida to flee higher taxes

The Republican tax plan has America's one percent worried about facing steeper levies on their income, and fat cats in the Northeast may have found a solution: Flee to Florida. The Sunshine State, which has no state income tax and business-friendly revenue codes, is eager to take them. [Source: Newsweek]

Puerto Ricans could transform Florida politics, and parties are taking notice

As American citizens living on the island, Puerto Ricans cannot vote in presidential elections and can send only nonvoting representatives to Congress. But once they make the move and are living on the mainland, they only need to register to be eligible to vote. Politicians from both parties are taking note. [Source: NBC News]

DACA’s economic hit to Florida looms large, proponents say

The end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program could come as soon as March, and as that deadline looms, proponents of the Obama-era program say its demise could mean a $1.5 billion blow to Florida’s economy. [Source: Florida Politics]

See also:
» This Miami Republican won’t vote for spending bill unless Dreamers are protected

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida Chamber Foundation summit focuses on poverty, child care and education [Tampa Bay Times]
In a time of high growth but rising inequality, the Florida Chamber Foundation gathered business executives and community leaders Tuesday to pose a few big questions: How deep is poverty in Florida? How broad? How can business create prosperity that reduces generational poverty?

› Newly-created Florida company won $30M Puerto Rico aid contract from FEMA but never delivered supplies [WSVN]
After Hurricane Maria damaged tens of thousands of homes in Puerto Rico, a newly created Florida company with an unproven record won more than $30 million in contracts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide emergency tarps and plastic sheeting for repairs.

› JEA resolves to explore privatization [Florida Times-Union]
JEA will determine what the market value is for the city-owned utility and give that information to city leaders for them to consider privatizing the electric and water utility.

› North Central Florida's biotech industry gets major honor [WCJB]
It's a major honor for North Central Florida's growing biotech industry. Alachua County is one of six communities in Florida to be showcased in the 8th Ace Exchange.

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› Business incentives backed by 58 percent of Floridians [Orlando Sentinel]
A majority of Floridians back the use of business incentives --- though support has dropped in recent years, according to results of a USF-Nielsen Sunshine State Survey released Tuesday.

› St. Pete businesses and city aiming to be more bike-friendly [WFLA]
It’s a mode of transportation that many have used for a long time, and now it’s making a comeback in St. Petersburg. The city believes riding your bike is good for your health, and good for business.

› Corcoran demands accounting on Nathan Benderson Park [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran is raising questions about the public funding provided to Nathan Benderson Park as local officials examine the reported economic impact of the park and this year’s World Rowing Championships there.

› Two Florida law firms to merge [Daily Business Review]
May, Meacham & Davell, a small six-lawyer Florida firm founded in 1992, will combine with Fort Lauderdale-based Tripp Scott on Dec. 1. The move will give Tripp Scott more than 60 lawyers and make it a major player in the charter school industry.