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Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect that the Lakeland City Commission approved a lease with the restaurant operators.
Two food entrepreneurs have a novel idea to reignite the vacant restaurant space at Lakeland Linder International Airport: a food hall that combines Asian-inspired dishes with American classics.
Sora Eatery LLC has proposed opening “a new food destination concept similar in nature to a food hall” on the airport’s second floor.
On Monday, Lakeland city commissioners unanimously approved the lease for an eatery that “will house several distinct vendors anchored by a sweeping central bar. Most of the vendors will primarily focus on Asian-inspired dishes including onigiri, curry, and taiyaki (a Japanese fish-shaped pastry), while others will offer traditional American favorites such as burgers, salads and sandwiches.”
The owners are aiming for a soft launch by January 15 and full operations by the time the Sun ‘n Fly-In starts on April 1, 2025, Airport Director Kris Hallstrand told city commissioners Friday at an agenda review session.
Sora will be open seven days a week. Beer and wine are part of the plan, Benjamin Paniagua said. “It is our goal to have (the license) on day one, and preferably during our soft opening.” After that, he plans to apply for a liquor license, a more time-consuming endeavor.
Sora intends to serve “not only airport passengers but also the many businesses located on airport property, as well as the growing residential communities surrounding the area,” Paniagua said in a press release issued by the city of Lakeland Friday morning.
While several vendors will be involved, customers will be able to be order from a single menu, according to the press release.
Who: Paniagua, 35, and Anna Imai, founder of Omusubee, are behind the concept.
Paniagua is a native of Lakeland and a 2009 graduate of Kathleen High School. He has operated Wafu, a Japanese-inspired dessert business that started at the Lakeland Farmers Curb Market and as a pop-up at Catapult Lakeland. The operation, which offers Japanese waffles and soft serve ice cream, grew into a brick-and-mortar business, opening in 2022 at Orlando’s East End Market.
Imai developed Omusubi at the Catapult Lakeland business incubator. The mobile business operates in several locations around Central Florida, including the Lakeland Farmers Curb Market. Japanese omusubi, also known as onigiri, is a grab-and-go rice ball snack that has been around for thousands of years.
Vacant space: Paniagua and Imai were among the restaurateurs who responded when airport administrators sought a restaurateur to occupy the space that was vacated when WACO Kitchen, abruptly closed in April. Their proposal “best met the needs of the airport,” according to a memo from the City Attorney’s Office.
Appropriately for its airport location, Sora – the name of the restaurant – is the Japanese word for sky
Paniagua and Imai are buying the furniture and kitchen equipment used by the previous airport restaurant. They are purchasing it from a man who won the items at auction several months ago.
Meals: Sora’s owners plan to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily to accommodate passengers from all Avelo Airlines flights in and out of Lakeland, Hallstrand told commissioners.
“It is advantageous for them to be open for the whole flight window” of 18 hours a day, Hallstrand said when commissioners asked why the proposed contract allows Sora to serve one of the three meal times. But the contract leaves room to make adjustments based on business conditions, she said. “We are trying not to be overbearing government and let business be business.”
In addition, Sora plans to provide pre-packaged items to be sold in the airport’s concession area located past security counters, she said.
Returning to Lakeland: “I’m overwhelmed. I cannot believe I get to come back to Lakeland,” Paniagua said.
He said his culinary skills began at Kathleen Middle School in a home economics class. While in high school, he began working at Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ outdoor food area.
After graduation, he moved to Australia and landed a job at a 120-room boutique resort in the Northern Territory’s Alice Springs in the middle of a national park.
“It was just me and the head chef,” Paniagua said. “They took a gamble on me, and I had no experience other than Disney. I worked there for six months, learning from scratch. The head chef was very nice to be patient with me.”
From there, he went to another resort and eventually moved back to Florida.
From banking to entrepreneur: He was working at Wells Fargo in downtown Lakeland and began taking entrepreneurial classes at Catapult. When the pandemic hit, he began working from home more and more and he and Zachary Allam decided it was time to make their dreams come true.
“We got really stir crazy, and we’re like, Well, why don’t we just start this side project for fun, and we launched our tent at the farmers market in Lakeland and it kind of took off,” he said. “The food truck is really what helped expand our market. We were able to travel from St. Pete to Orlando to Winter Haven, and, through that, we got exposure to East End Market, where our restaurant’s at now”
Lease agreement: Sora Eatery has a five-year lease, effective Jan. 1. The annual base rent for the first year of the lease is $51,864; however, the company will not be charged base rent for the first six months of the lease “in consideration of Sora starting a new restaurant venture.” The base rent includes water, electric, stormwater and solid waste, but does not include any applicable taxes, which Sora will be required to pay.
After Sora moves in, obtains licenses and permits and after completing a soft opening of 45 days, it will be required to provide food and beverage services seven days a week for a minimum of one meal per day (breakfast, lunch or dinner).
Once Sora achieves profitability, which the lease defines as $750,000 in gross revenue during a one-year period, then Sora will pay an annual concession fee of 6%, minus applicable taxes, for any revenue in excess of that $750,000.
There is one additional five-year renewal option in the contract if both parties agree. Base rent would then increase by 12.5%.
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