The Poor Porker, a vintage outdoor venue known for its beignets and live music, announced it is closing its doors after a farewell party on July 3 to make way for Unfiltered Lakeland, a “coffeehouse, marketplace, eventspace” scheduled to open later this year. More
Cat cafés, where adopting a feline becomes a social experience, are becoming popular in Lakeland. Botany Cats, a mobile cat lounge, already opened, and two more cat cafés, Purrology Café and Kitty Cat Lounge, are in the works.
“We all intend to get as many cats off the streets as we possibly can,” said Cindy Skop, 54, owner of Kitty Cat Lounge.
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After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Polk Pride Week is back for its sixth year with a theme of “Prouder than Ever” and events spanning June 11 to June 18. More
Kava bars are starting to pop up in Lakeland, providing a nightlife scene that doesn’t rely on alcohol. There’s N7 Nitro Kava Bar, Sun Kava & CBD, and Quinteassence Kava Bar, to name a few. More
The owners of a restaurant coming soon to Lakeside Village say they will specialize in gourmet brunches with a Caribbean twist. Frances Palermo, who owns several beauty-related businesses, and Lisandra Bezares, a special education coach for Polk County Public Schools, plan to open Sorrel Bistro in August and will also serve breakfast and lunch dishes. More
Forty-nine people including elected officials and a retired FBI special agent submitted letters in support of former Lakeland City Commissioner Michael Dunn, hoping to convince Judge Donald Jacobsen to be lenient while deciding Dunn’s fate. More
Behind the plain-vanilla title of research and development manager, Tarisha Gray might have the sweetest job in Lakeland. Among her duties: tasting all of the ice cream flavors made in the Publix Super Markets dairy plants to decide if they need improvements. She also helps develop new Publix ice cream flavors. More
Two local Asian-focused food businesses, Pinoy Cravings and Omusubee, recently won launch micro grants from Catapult Lakeland. Pinoy Cravings is a Filipino-inspired pop-up food company while Omusubee sells Japanese rice balls. More
Mayfaire-By-The-Lake is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Lakeland’s premiere outdoor, juried, fine arts festival is free to attend and organized by the Polk Museum of Art. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 7 and 8, the same weekend as Mother’s Day, at Lake Morton in downtown Lakeland. More
Mike & Mike’s Desserts, a Lakeland company, is debuting its vegan cupcakes in Publix GreenWise Markets next week, according to one of its co-founders, Nathaniel Kendrick, 31, of Lakeland. More
