A Shells restaurant, part of a Tampa Bay chain of casual seafood eateries with entrees in the $10-$20 range, is coming to the South Florida Avenue location recently vacated by Manny’s Chophouse.

Under the headline, “Is Lakeland Florida’s next hip food city? It sure seems like it,” Tampa Bay Times Food and Lifestyle Editor Michelle Stark takes a culinary tour of Lakeland.

Her tourguide was Maggie Leach, kitchen director at the Catapult small-biz incubator, so the tour leans heavily on Catapult friends and alumni. Featured eateries include soon-to-open spots such as The Joinery food hall, Yard on Mass food truck park and Honeycomb Bread Bakers downtown bistro. Established restaurants Stark visited established restaurants including Cafe Zuppina, Black & Brew and Born and Bread Bakehouse.

Also mentioned: The Poor Porker, Concord Coffee, Cob & Pen, Stuffed, No Guilt Baked Company, Cravory Cakes & Convections, A Cow Named Moo, and Patriot Coffee Roasters.

The Aztec d’Oro Mexican restaurant chain is expanding to Lakeland. It will occupy the stand-alone Oakbridge Square building built for TooJays Deli and will compete with nearby Tex-Mex chains Abuelo’s and Chili’s. Target opening: September-October | Website

James Kerr, a 34-year-old professional poker player from Winter Haven, is bringing a biscuit-centered, breakfast-and-brunch restaurant to the Dixieland spot that housed Nineteen61 until it moved downtown recently. He tells The Ledger he’s hoping for a September opening for “Biscuits and Benedits,” which is modeled after the Denver Biscuit Company and aims for a “Southern-modern, farmhouse vibe.”