WACO Kitchen

A restaurant that maximizes the visibility of its airport environment.

Following the success of the first WACO Kitchen located in Battle Creek, Michigan, the owner recognized a similar opportunity in Lakeland, Florida and decided to open a second location at the Lakeland Linder International Airport. The program includes a restaurant and FBO and revitalized an existing restaurant space that had been sitting vacant for two years. The project also involved renovations to the public restrooms and a stair tread / corridor flooring replacement to provide a more modern look and feel.

Our design seeks to maximize the visibility of the plane in the atrium and views to the airfield below. Acoustics were another important consideration. We selected acoustic coffered ceilings with led up lit coves in the dining area, an acoustic baffled ceiling in the bar area, along with an abundance of upholstered booth seating. A large outdoor seating area – which looks over the airfield – accommodates around 40 guests.

Our team used laser scans within our models to verify existing conditions and to eliminate the possibility of coordination issues in the field.