Black & Brew Coffee House & Bistro is expanding beyond its downtown roots, opening a third location in south Lakeland that will include seating for 60 and a drive-through concept designed to minimize wait time.
Category: Business
Posted inBusiness, Downtown
Incentives Considered for Mystery Project That Could Bring 100 High-Pay Jobs to Downtown Lakeland
Local governments are being asked to sweeten the pot by a half million dollars to attract an unidentified company considering bringing 100 high-pay jobs to downtown Lakeland and investing $50 million here. The Polk County Commission approved up to $250,000 in incentives on Tuesday, and the Lakeland City Commission is expected to do the same […]
Posted inBusiness, People
Study Ranks Lakeland 7th Best City in the U.S. for Black Professionals
A new report from Apartmentlist.com ranks Lakeland as the 7th best city for Black professionals in the nation, scoring higher than Orlando, Tampa, Cape Coral and Miami. In all, 82 cities were included in the study. The news came as a shock to a few of the Black transplants we spoke with.
Posted inBusiness, Downtown
Web-Based Tool Will Visualize Development Downtown and Track Projects
The Lakeland Economic Development Council has a plan and the city of Lakeland has its own plan for downtown Lakeland. By April, all the different master plans plotting the future of downtown Lakeland will be integrated and “visualized” on a web-based platform that allows users to see what downtown’s street grid would look like if all proposed and […]
Posted inBusiness, People
Lakeland Chamber Honors Businesses and Volunteers
Winners of Lakeland Chamber of Commerce annual honors, announced Tuesday night, include Donna Kay Dinkins of Keller Williams FOCUS Realty as volunteer of the year, Joe L. Ruthven as George Jenkins Award winner, and Molly McHugh’s Irish Pub as Scott Linder Small Business of the Year.
Posted inArts & Culture, Business
Aquatic Murals Adorn Fishing Outfitter Coming to Former Red Lobster
Colorful fish murals are being painted on the outside walls at the building on Memorial Boulevard where the Red Lobster chain got its start, The Ledger reports. Kentucky artist Bob Gregory is painting the aquatic scenes on the building, which is being transformed into the 5,000-square-foot Lakeland Fishing Outfitters, under the same ownership as outfitters […]
Posted inCity Hall / Local Gov't
City Ponders Impact Fee Discounts in Innovation District Near Florida Poly
The Lakeland City Commission will be asked Monday to amend the city’s impact fee structure to allow 100% discounts for high-wage “target” businesses that move into a proposed 4,484-acre “innovation district” in the northeast reaches of the city near Florida Polytechnic University. FOLLOWUP: The proposal was approved 6-0. Commissioner Sara Roberts McCarley was absent from […]
Posted inBusiness, Sports
Spring Training Delay Worries Local Businesses
Lakeland businesses are worried about the financial impact of a stunted 2022 Detroit Tigers Spring Training season, News Channel 8 reports. The Tigers are scheduled to play their first game in Lakeland eight days from now, but the team’s 40 roster players are still locked out by MLB owners over collective bargaining differences. Nevertheless, minicamp […]
Posted inBusiness
Peleton Closes Lakeland Warehouse/Service Facility, Laying Off 58
Peleton Interactive, a manufacturer of high-end stationary exercise bicycles, is closing its facility at 5725 New Tampa Highway, resulting in the layoffs of 58 warehouse associates, technicians and field specialists. The closing, which takes effect immediately, is part of a company restructuring that includes 2,800 job cuts worldwide, the Business Observer reports. Source: Business Observer
Posted inBusiness, City Hall / Local Gov't
Lakeland Paid 13 Firms $363K for Legal Help in Last Quarter of 2021
The city of Lakeland paid $363,000 in legal fees and expenses to 13 outside law firms and individual attorneys during the last three months of 2021, according to the city attorney’s office.