Freehand Goods

Freehand Goods started in 2016 as a pop-up out of a 1978 military trailer, which is a detail worth knowing because it explains a lot about the brand’s whole approach. Founders Veronica Steiner and Jacob Zepf built the business around handmade leather goods, grooming products, and Florida-inspired dry goods, and that scrappy, build-it-yourself origin still shows in how the shops feel today. The College Park location on Edgewater Drive has grown into a store, bar, and tattoo shop under one roof, which sounds like an odd combination on paper but works because all three pieces share the same handmade, no-frills sensibility. You can pick up a hand-stitched leather wallet, get a tattoo, and grab a drink without leaving the block.

The product line leans heavily on leather: wallets, belts, dopp kits, and bags that are designed and produced with a Florida sensibility rather than shipped in from an overseas contractor. Grooming goods round out the shelves, along with smaller gift items that make sense for someone who wants something made close to home rather than another mass produced souvenir. The company has grown from that original trailer into a small footprint of Orlando area locations, including a spot inside East End Market in the Audubon Park Garden District and another in Avalon Park, but the business has kept its Florida roots and independent ownership even as it picked up stockists around the country.

What makes the College Park shop worth a special trip is the way it doubles as a neighborhood hangout rather than a pure retail transaction. Edgewater Drive is the main commercial corridor for College Park, lined with independent restaurants and small shops, and Freehand Goods fits right into that scene with regular hours that stretch into the evening on weekends. Stop in on a Friday or Saturday night and the bar side of the space tends to be as busy as the retail counter.

For anyone furnishing a gift list with something that was actually designed and made in Florida rather than dropshipped, or anyone who wants a well made leather item that will hold up for years rather than a season, Freehand Goods is a solid stop. The brand’s own materials note “10 Years of Freehand” milestones, tracking a decade of growth from that original trailer setup to a small but real presence across Central Florida, all while staying independently owned by the same two founders who started it. The College Park storefront also functions as a bit of a community space, hosting small pop-up events and collaborations with other Florida makers throughout the year rather than just moving product off a shelf.