FIRST LOOK: Connections Café & Eatery Has Soft Opened in EPCOT

We were strolling through EPCOT recently when we got quite the surprise!

We’ve been keeping a close eye on the construction of Connections Café and Eatery as the work on the spot seemed to begin wrapping up. Then, with the closure of the EPCOT Starbucks location, we expected this spot could open its doors at any time. Well, that time has come, folks! Connections Café and Eatery has soft opened!

Construction walls and barriers were down around the new restaurant as the Café opened up, with the Eatery following a few hours later.

This is not a drill! ? Connections Café is NOW OPEN‼️ pic.twitter.com/K6Y4DIevYl

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) April 21, 2022

Connections Café (Starbucks Portion)

As the new Starbucks location for the park, Connections Café is sure to be a popular spot.

The windows let in a lot of light to help brighten the white and wood tones of the spot’s interior.

There are also massive glass sculptures along the window featuring the EPCOT logo in vibrant colors.

You order at a sleek counter with the menus posted on the boards above and there is a semi-open kitchen that will likely be in use for the eatery.

There’s a huge mural along one wall of Connections Cafe, and it represents “connection” (hence the restaurant name!). It’s entitled “Global Gathering,” and it features people coming together to eat from all around the world. The scenes also change from sunrise to sunset along the mural!

You might want to stop and look for hidden Mickeys in the mural, which we spotted in several different scenes! You might want to look closely at the cactus in this scene…

…or the serving plate here!

If you follow the mural all the way down the wall, it leads to the restrooms.

The restrooms feature some grey tiling details…

…as well as white square titles and some sage green accents.

The sinks are available on different levels and they’re set up as troughs with separate faucets.

Need to check your fit? There’s a circular mirror near the exit/entrance.

And there are two changing tables available, with different sizes for toddlers and infants.

Seating is available by the windows in the form of booth and table seating.

And there is more unique seating with rounded booths and stools in the open areas. One seating area has blue armchairs around a glass EPCOT table.

Much of the seating is equipped with outlets!

The sunken floors feature a design calling back to the history of EPCOT and the wait for coffee weaves through this area.

Very unique light fixtures hang from the ceiling adding to the EPCOT aesthetic and the shop is decorated with shelves that feature caféware from different cultures around the world!

Connections Café also features a display of coffee setups from around the world ? pic.twitter.com/tS7VnYAB7f

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) April 21, 2022

As for the menu, it’s a standard Starbucks…

…but they did have the new Liege Waffle available!

Connections Eatery

The Eatery portion has soft-opened as well! You can glimpse the incredibly detailed mural that wraps around the restaurant.

Here is a look around the brand new home for Starbucks in EPCOT! ☕️

Check out that incredibly detailed mural ?? pic.twitter.com/q8q5GvRn0m

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) April 21, 2022

There was plenty of seating throughout the restaurant, which features a menu of eats including burgers, pizzas, salads, and more.

To get your food, you can place a mobile order. Ours was ready promptly after ordering, and we were able to pick it up to grab a nearby table.

For the menu, you can order a variety of burgers and chicken sandwiches, including the French Bistro Burger, Southwestern Burger, Banh Mi Burger, American Classic Burger, Hand-breaded Chicken Sandwich, and Mediterranean Burger.

You can also pick up a variety of pizzas including a Meatball Pizza, Five-Cheese Pizza, and Pepperoni Pizza.

There’s also a plant-based option, the Curry Spice Pizza, with tikka masala, carrot, potato, peas, tomato, plant-based mozzarella, lime “yogurt”, served with a Mediterranean Side Salad.

For salads, you can get the General Tso Chicken Salad, as well as the Nicoise-style Salad.

Side offerings include Coleslaw, french fries, Mediterranean side salad, and Cuties mandarin. 

Kids can grab a Cheesebruger, Grilled Chicken Bao, Chicken Strips, or a Five-Cheese Pizza.

For dessert, you have a few options! There’s the Liege Waffle with brioche dough, pearl sugar, strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce. Or you can grab an Apple Pie Gelato Shake, or Mango-Coconut Milk Shake.

For drinks, you have your regular beverage assortment…

…or you can grab a variety of beers, wine, or a speciality cocktail!

We picked up a few things to try, including the Meatball Pizza, which is made up of beef and pork meatballs, San Marzano tomato and basil sauce, and a cheese blend. This one comes served with a Mediterranean Side Salad for $10.99.

We also got some burgers, starting with the French Bistro Burger for $12.99. This delicious bite is made with a gourmet beef blend topped with caramelized onions, bacon, brie, mushrooms, dijon mayonnaise, and served on a toasted brioche bun (plus served with a side of fries!).

The other burger we got was the Southwestern Burger. This has a gourmet beef blend and is topped with roasted corn-chipotle salsa, Oaxaca cheese crema, chamoy, and guacamole spread all on a toasted brioche bun (this one was also served with a side of fries!).

We just had to grab that Hand-breaded Chicken Sandwich as well! This chicken sandwich comes with house-made pickles, signature sauce, a toasted brioche bun, and a side of Coleslaw for $11.99.

After having a plain Liege Waffle at Connections Café in the morning, we took things up a notch with this Liege Waffle, which is made with brioche dough and topped with pearl sugar, strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce.

For our sweet tooth we got this liege waffle ?

It’s a brioche dough with pearl sugar, strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce ?? pic.twitter.com/VvsJUtHt2g

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) April 21, 2022

Also for dessert, you can get the Apple Pie Gelato Shake and Mango-Coconut Milk Shake.

Of course we had to try the ✨NEW✨ Apple Pie Gelato Shake ? and Mango-Coconut Milk Shake ?? from Connections Eatery as well!

Which flavor would you try?? pic.twitter.com/IVgj4Ee4IB

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) April 21, 2022

We got the two specialty drinks here as well — first was the Cucumber and Thai Basil Cooler. This is an alcoholic drink made up of Hendrick’s Gin, Cucumber, Cane Sugar, Lemon, Thai Basil, and Ginger Bitters for $14.

The other specialty drink is non-alcoholic — it’s the Watermelon-Mint Agua Fresca for $4.99. These are both super refreshing options that aren’t too sweet!

All in all, if you’ve missed having your fill of burgers and chicken fingers since Electric Umbrella closed in EPCOT, Connections Café and Eatery will give you that plus more as a replacement.

While it has soft opened, Connections Café and Eatery will have its grand opening on Wednesday, April 27th, so stay tuned for even more from the newest spot to grab a bit in EPCOT!

What do you think of Connections Café? Tell us in the comments! 

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