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Cafe 51 opens Tuesday, Jan. 27, in South Lakeland at 1023 E. County Road 540A. The family-owned restaurant is located in the former Charlie’s Mini Donuts and Coffee location.
The restaurant will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
A brother and sister’s vision
Tom LaBarbera co-owns the restaurant with his sister, Kathy Billings. In 2017, Kathy and her husband Bill Billings moved to Lakeland from St. Louis, following their daughter who went to college in the area. LaBarbera moved in 2020.
After coming to Lakeland, LaBarbera was the general manager for Lucille’s American Cafe in Winter Haven for about three-and-a-half years, but he and Kathy knew they wanted to open their own cafe. It took some time, but when they found the South Lakeland location, things fell into place.
The space had been very well maintained. “We just did a little extra cleaning. We put paint on the walls, and everything was here,” LaBarbera said.
Now LaBarbera and his “better half,” Renda Herchey, plus Kathy, Bill, and their daughter Ashley are all in the business. They envision Cafe 51 as “a place where memories are made … where families gather, friends reconnect, couples grow closer, and everyone feels like they belong.”
A comforting menu
“I just have a passion for food,” said LaBarbera. “My recipes are all mine.”
Cafe 51 serves appetizers like toasted ravioli and tenderloin tips, burgers, salads, wraps and sandwiches, along with charbroiled chicken and chili mac. House specialties include Nancy’s bacon noodles, named for their mother — linguini tossed in sauteed onions, garlic, bacon and marinara sauce — and nachos 51 — tortilla chips topped with ground beef and Italian sausage, queso, lettuce, tomatoes, roasted poblano peppers and fresh basil.
“We’re going to start doing small plates and incorporating a few beers and some nice wines,” he said. He hopes the restaurant will become a cozy gathering place in the neighborhood.
LaBarbera said he is excited for customers to try his charbroiled chicken — marinated chicken that is skewered and charbroiled — a dish that was so popular in St. Louis that he prepped 1,200 skewers a week.
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