Waco Kitchen, a farm-to-table restaurant owned by Waco Aircraft Corporation, will be building its second location at Lakeland Linder International Airport. Its flagship location is at Battle Creek Executive Airport in Michigan.
The Lakeland City Commission voted unanimously on Nov. 1, 2021, to approve the restaurant for the second floor of the airport. The $3 million construction and renovation project will begin immediately and should be open by March 22, according to city officials.
Sven Lepschy, of Palm Beach Gardens, is CEO of Lakeland Aircraft Corporation and the registered agent of DiMor Eats LLC.
Lepschy, who moved to the U.S. from Germany, told the Lakeland Ledger that he decided to open the Waco Kitchen in Battle Creek because he was frustrated with the lack of food offerings — and he sees the same opportunities in Lakeland, where there aren’t a lot of places to eat in the area surrounding airport.
“The restaurant is open to all of the residents of Lakeland, not just to the airport workers,” Lepschy said. “I’m not focusing on commercial or business aviation to make this restaurant successful. It’s about the local community, it’s about the people,” he said.
Lakeland Linder Airport is located along the I-4 corridor, midway between Tampa and Orlando with easy access to I-4 via the Polk Parkway.
By the way, WACO Aircraft Corporation currently produces two biplanes at its factory in Battle Creek, Michigan. They are the WACO YMF-5 and the Great Lakes 2T-1A-2. These biplanes are produced by hand — based on original techniques from the 1920s and 1930s. Although they may appear to be original aircraft, these flying machines are brand new and feature modern technology for improved flying characteristics and safety.
