In early September, Kevin Rodriguez opened a newly arrived shipment of two electric grease separators for his restaurant on East Stuart Avenue. They cost him about $10,000. Inspectors had required a larger grease-collection system before his restaurant could open, and the new machines replace the old in-ground filter that was holding him up. The restaurant is Downtown Pizza and Sports Bar. Its move from Dundee to 251 and 253 East Stuart Avenue is the latest sign that Stuart is becoming downtown's dining street. The city is also rebuilding the sidewalks and planting beds on that block with outdoor tables in mind.
The rest of this post follows that block, the work being done on it, and how it fits with the rest of the historic district.
Why a Dundee Pizzeria Picked Stuart Avenue
Kevin and Janay Rodriguez opened in Dundee in 2018. They started with two tables and grew to a 20-seat room, but that room still couldn't handle the larger groups who wanted to come in. The Stuart Avenue space seats more than 120 and has room for a full bar. The family is moving to Lake Wales along with the business.
Rodriguez told LakeWalesNews.net he had expected the move to cost him regulars:
"We were afraid we might be going too far away from our regular clientele, but most of them were already here in Lake Wales, and they're telling us 'we're so glad you're closer.'"
The restaurant uses both storefronts. The casual sports bar is at 253 East Stuart and the main dining room is at 251. The menu is New York-style pizza, hand-tossed and baked in a brick oven, in traditional, thick or super-thin crust. Gluten-free and cauliflower crusts are available, along with burgers, wings, beer, wine and a full bar. The September article said the restaurant hoped to open that month. Its online menu now takes pickup and delivery orders at 253 East Stuart Ave. Nothing published yet gives a first day of dine-in service, so call ahead before bringing a group.
The 200 Block, Address by Address
Downtown Pizza did not move onto an empty street. In the 200 block of East Stuart, here is what's operating or planned:
- 205 East Stuart: Lady B's Tea Parlour. This is an English-inspired room serving lunch and afternoon tea. Co-owner Deborah Partlow was serving guests there when LakeWalesNews.net reported its opening in January 2026. Lake Wales Main Street listed it at this address in April.
- 216 East Stuart: Dark Kafe. Signs announcing it went up in January 2026, and plans for a café at this address were reported in February. No opening date has been announced.
- 249 East Stuart: Sew Creative. The fabric, sewing and quilting shop lists this address and its store hours on its website.
- 251 and 253 East Stuart: Downtown Pizza and Sports Bar. The new dining room and sports bar sit right next door to the quilting shop.
Taken together, the block has a tea room for lunch, a fabric store for the afternoon and a full bar for the evening, all within a few hundred feet. Very few downtown Lake Wales blocks offered that range of hours a year ago.
The City Is Building Outdoor Seating Into the Street
On August 25, the City of Lake Wales announced a two-phase landscaping project for Stuart Avenue. To start it, two blocks of Stuart Avenue and Market Street were scheduled to close to cars from Saturday, August 29, through Monday, August 31. Sidewalks were to stay open so shops and restaurants could keep serving customers. The city said more weekend closures would follow but did not list the dates.
The first phase covers the basics. The city's horticulture team and contractors are installing irrigation, enlarging planting areas and planting shade trees with root barriers. They are also refurbishing light poles, benches and crosswalks and adding new trash receptacles.
The second phase matters most to the restaurants. The city plans to turn four areas along Stuart Avenue into flex spaces that can hold seating or outdoor dining. No completion date has been published for either phase. With a 120-seat restaurant, a tea room and a planned café on the same block, tables under new shade trees would get regular use.
How Stuart Fits Into the Larger Downtown Plan
Stuart Avenue is one stretch of a larger downtown rebuild. The work comes from the Lake Wales Connected plan, developed with urban planners Dover Kohl & Partners through a community planning process. It is paid for by an $18.5 million bond issue through the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency plus a series of grants. Over time, the plan calls for more than $50 million in improvements across many blocks. Park Avenue already has its new brick surface and greenery. The finished sections of Park Avenue and First Street now have shade and room for outdoor dining.
The next phase moves a block over. The Orange, Crystal and Market project calls for resurfacing two blocks of each avenue east of First Street, through the Market Street intersections. It adds sidewalks, lighting, street furniture, curbing, rain gardens, flowers and street trees.
Restaurants are opening along the same streets as the construction:
| Restaurant | Location | Status in published reports |
|---|---|---|
| The Thirsty Dragon | 126 North First Street | Open; beer, wine and quick-service food |
| Smokin' DJ's | Three doors south of The Thirsty Dragon | Open; barbecue |
| Vibin' Vinnies | Rhodesbilt Arcade, East Park Avenue | Open; 1950s-themed diner with an ice cream parlor next door |
| Galaxy Grid | Former locksmith shop, East Orange Avenue | Aiming for a December opening, with patio seating in St. James Park |
| Fresh Pasta etc. | Scenic Central building | Planned for 2027 |
| Park Pizza | Former Wales Point space, East Park Avenue | Planned for 2027 |
Gene and Lynette Hofferber run Vibin' Vinnies, serving classic burgers, fries and onion rings. Galaxy Grid plans sweet and savory waffles for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. Its patio would face St. James Park, which puts it right next to the Orange Avenue work.
Park Avenue is filling in with event space too. The former Ranch coffeehouse on East Park Avenue is slated to become McGowin's on Park, an event venue owned by Bill Whidden. Plans call for a full kitchen and an estimated 90 to 120 luncheons and banquets. The 1916 JT Rhodes Building on Park Avenue is already home to The Luxe Bride Boutique and The Emerson, an event and catering space. Further out, the Walesbilt Hotel is being redeveloped into a 104-room Marriott. That project is still in design.
So far, Park Avenue has gained event venues and bridal businesses, while Stuart has gained places to eat and drink.
A Saturday That Starts at the Market and Ends on Stuart
Market Place sits right next to Stuart Avenue, so the farmers market and the restaurant block are easy to combine. The City of Lake Wales calendar lists the Lake Wales Main Street Farmers Market at Downtown Market Plaza, 20 N. Market Place, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on October 10 and October 24. Either date works as an outline for the day:
- Start at the farmers market at 20 N. Market Place any time between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
- Walk over to Stuart Avenue. Check Lady B's Tea Parlour's current hours before planning on tea, then browse at Sew Creative.
- Head up to First Street for barbecue at Smokin' DJ's or a drink at The Thirsty Dragon.
- Finish at 251 East Stuart once Downtown Pizza's dining room is open, or place a pickup order at 253 East Stuart.
If the city schedules another weekend landscaping closure, cars will be detoured but the sidewalks are planned to stay open, so the walk still works.
At Engel & Völkers Lakeland - Lisa Matheny, we follow downtown Lake Wales block by block, including which storefronts are filling and where the next round of streetscape work is headed. If you own a home near the historic district and want to know how these changes might show up in its value, we're glad to walk you through a free home valuation built on what's actually happening downtown.
