EXPERIENCE THE RUM REVOLUTION AT LUGO’S.

LUGO’S Craft Distillery introduces a twist to the rum and spirits industry. Specializing in craft rum, each spirit undergoes a different distilling and aging process making each one unique with a distinct taste and aroma. Visit for a complimentary tasting and elevate your experience with a craft cocktail at the distillery lounge here in Lakeland.

Discover more at lugoscraftspirits.com.

Open from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, their bilingual team of six servers host and serve customers in the main dining area. Their menu is available all day, including breakfast foods, featuring the Mexican classic huevos (eggs with salsa verde and

Like any authentic Mexican restaurant, Mega Mercado does not shy away from using picante sauces to keep things traditionally spicy and flavorful. Their success over the years has led to incredible opportunities to bring their authentic Mexican cuisine to catering venues for special occasions like weddings. “Our wedding cakes are very intricate and elaborate, like a good Mexican bakery would have,” shares Roberto.

Their take on the art of gathering continues to inspire their determination of providing the best quality of authentically LatinAmerican piquancies.

“ Somos familia ––we are family here. We work hard together. We spend more time together than with our own family [here at Mega Mercado],” shares Roberto. “Our attention to the details sets us apart. The team comes up with all of the recipes in-house. And everything we serve stays the same so you can enjoy it any time [expecting the same delicious flavors],” he adds enthusiastically.

AM-9:00 PM

A refreshing Mexican classic made out of rice, milk, vanilla and cinnamon.

A vibrant and delicious drink made with juicy mangoes, chamoy, and chile-lime seasoning.

A variety of fruits, lime juice and chili powder pack a powerful punch in a memorable presentation.

Strawberries, fresh cream, ice and water are blended to create the perfect summer retreat.

Colombian flag hangs on a cement block wall, colorful counting beads are neatly organized on racks around the room and small groups of students spanning up to three grade levels in each class are spread out on rugs where they are having spirited, but congenial educational conversations. Other kids are tucked comfortably into corners— deep in thought and harnessing books, a notebook and writing utensils—and teachers are bringing key points home on white boards and through engaging discussions.

Mostly you hear Spanish dialogue, sometimes you hear students switch to English, but no matter what classroom you peek into there is a remarkable sense of camaraderie and cultivated independence that creates an immersive and flexible learning environment.

Watching a 3rd-grader help a 2nd-grader work through a lesson in a secondary language is the norm at Mi Escuela Montessori, a school of more than 280 students located at the corner of County Road 540A and U.S. Highway 98.

“The teachers in the classroom are not just the teachers. The children are teachers as well,” said Kelly De La Cruz, Mi Escuela’s executive director and the visionary who went all in to get a charter approved and finally open in 2021 one of only a handful of public bilingual Montessori schools in the entire country. “Especially when you nurture that in them.”

For the 2023-24 school year, Mi Escuela will offer preschool through 6th grade, and in 2024 the school plans to add 7th and 8th grade. Preschoolers are fully immersed in Spanish and K-6 students are immersed in Spanish nearly 50% of the time. It is the evolution and refinement of something so unique that inevitably it takes teacher’s, student’s—and yes, parent’s—long-term buy-in and patience to see the fruits of the self-directed, dual language experience.

La Cruz has long had a strong desire to open a Montessori school that was accessible to all, to push back against the reality that many people see the more than 100-year-old learning approach as “a form of education for the elite.”

Kindergarten and up is free, aside from afterschool programs. The sponsor of the school charter is Polk County Schools, so Mi Escuela receives per-pupil funding each year through the state.

Enrollment for students prior to kindergarten is tuition based, but the school has a strong partnership with the Early Learning Coalition of Polk County, who offers resources to help families apply for income-based scholarships through the School Readiness program.

After families apply for a student to enroll in Mi Escuela, they are placed in a computerized lottery, which truthfully any student in the state of Florida can opt in to.

De La Cruz said the school also offers some private scholarships, and she is motivated to connect with more partners to make Mi Escuela truly accessible for all because she believes so strongly in its benefit to kids and the community at large.

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Notable research studies from around the world continue to tout the benefits of being bi-lingual, including better memory retention, more self-control, stronger vocabulary, and an article in the February 2022 issue of the journal “Neurobiology of Aging'' even offered evidence it can protect against dementia.

Montessori philosophy is built on a foundation of fostering self-directed growth with a goal of nurturing children’s natural desires for knowledge, understanding and respect.

De La Cruz acknowledges that some children’s brains may develop better in a traditional classroom setting, but for the most part the Montessori method wonderfully equips children to become independent thinkers and prepare for life as a young adult and beyond.

2707 Derbyshire Ave, Lakeland, FL 33803

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“When you think of your work day…you do not go to work and have your boss say to you, ‘For the next 45 minutes you are going to read this report and answer these questions, and then I’m going to ring a bell, and it doesn’t matter where you’re at but you’re going to stop and then you’re going to go into the next thing,’” she said. “We give kids the opportunity to manage their day and also to be leaders really young…because whether you are 8, 18 or 48 years old, you have knowledge to share with your community.” www.brianstephens.org

Our experience with Brian was so smooth from start to finish. We had him list and sell our home in Lakeland Florida. From the details of the price to how our home should look he showed great diligence informing us along the way. Not to mention it only took about 3 days to find a buyer for our home. Brian thank you for turning what could be a stressful event into a great experience.

Our selling experience with Brian and his team was outstanding. He made excellent recommendations and continuously kept us informed during the process. His knowledge and experience were invaluable.

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La Cruz’s dream for this school is deeply personal; she taught at Lakeland Montessori for eight years, she is married to Milton De La Cruz, who is from the Dominican Republic, and she has experienced time and again the advantage and beauty of young people being bi-lingual, especially in Polk County, where at least 27% of residents were Hispanic as of 2022.

She recalls years ago when her daughter, Sophia, now 21, took a 6th-grade Spanish class, and for the first-time in her life she could hold a substantive conversation with her paternal grandmother.

“My mother-in-law stepped out onto the patio with me, and she burst into tears,” De La Cruz said. “She said, ‘I’m so, so happy. I always thought that I would never get to share my stories with my grandchildren because none of them speak Spanish.’”

She believes every student should have their culture affirmed and to have an educational experience that includes a broader vision of the world, and she’s more than willing to pour herself into making that a reality.

A student once gave De La Cruz a hand drawn photo that was an illustration of “Miss Kelly” in a hard hat. The artwork was metaphorical but accurately represented reality.

To make the school come to life, volunteers and staff turned over a building that had sat vacant for six to seven years, teachers were hired and some had to be trained in Montessori, and De La Cruz did not have an assistant principal during the inaugural school year. She was working 14-15 hour days for many months and said it became normal to come in before sunup and leave long after sundown.

She and her family also donated funds for the large wooden playground that is on site, hauled countless loads of mulch and constructed the playsets.

De La Cruz said one of the greatest blessings is that the teachers at the school mirror her passionate dedication.

“When you’re creating something…figuring out how to make all of the parts move all over the place and how to train all of the different players in different roles is really challenging,” she said. “But all of my teachers came in with grit, like they know it’s going to be hard, but we’re going to get this done and do it together. We have teachers who come in on weekends to practice giving lessons in a different language and teachers who dedicated their summers to becoming Montessori certified.”

MONTESSORI PHILOSOPHY IS BUILT ON A FOUNDATION OF FOSTERING SELF-DIRECTED GROWTH WITH A GOAL OF NURTURING CHILDREN'S NATURAL DESIRES FOR KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECT ne intrinsic challenge to starting this kind of school is that it can take years to build a strong instructional understanding and language comprehension for kids. A school is truly “fully implemented” when kids who began in kindergarten are now in the highest grade.

De La Cruz said realistically it takes people five to seven years to speak a language effectively, so it’s helpful for parents, students and interested onlookers to understand a grade of “I” for incomplete is most appropriate when currently evaluating the school.

She proudly states that the school already has a “very robust special education program” and they are adding a resource room for the upcoming school year.

De La Cruz said the school's long-term growth and impact on the community will directly correlate with community influencers and business partners' willingness to share wisdom and resources with the students, encouraging them about the benefits of being bi-lingual and culturally aware. While it’s the broad vision that pushes De La Cruz to strive for excellence every day, it’s the specific victories that keep her going.

“There is a student who will be in kindergarten next year, and [when he came to us] he was dysregulated and could not control his body, he could not focus on any kind of work,” she said. “And now he’s entering kindergarten as a reader and he is able to sit down at a table and take a task from one point all the way through to completion.”

Pueblo Flea Market has sprouted into an enclave for the Latin community in Lakeland. It’s a hub of hundreds of vendors representing a plethora of Latin American backgrounds who sell their specialty products that, in some cases, go back generations or, in others, demonstrate a novel passion toward a greater vision.

Before Mi Pueblo came to fruition, it was the Lakeland Farmers Market, and there were just a few regular Latin vendors. But since Giovanna “Joanna” Loyola Contreras took over, her vision of creating a home away from home for Latin-born people has been actualized.

When she came to the States from Peru, Joanna fell in love with the people, culture and environment of how Americans do business and decided this is where she wanted to start her own entrepreneurial journey.

Since then, Joanna has brought the essence of Latin America, its people and sprouted a minivillage that comes alive on the weekends along Swindell Road in north Lakeland. She bought the market five years ago to create a familyfriendly environment for the Hispanic community.

Gauging by the lively crowds and passionate vendors, she has done well.

Joanna wanted Mi Pueblo to be distinct from the usual experience of going to a flea market. Attention to detail was imperative when bringing the air of Latin America onto the 13 acres the market sits on. Everything from the beaten dirt roads, the aroma of piquant meals and the variously colored buildings all emulate the ornamental aesthetic of a Latin village.

One recent Sunday, a line of people along the main road of Mi Pueblo wrapped around a bright red shack waiting to get to the front door, where Olivia Mederos clamps tortillas on a press and fries them on a flat-iron griddle. For 10 years she’s been in the same shack bringing her children to work at Taqueria Mederos, specializing in antojitos or traditional Mexican street food.

Mederos was at the market long before it was so well established and has seen first-hand the vision Contreras has, not only for the market but also the people who make it special.

“The old owner wasn't worried about improvement and improving the quality here and helping the vendors,” Mederos says. “Joanna’s focus is helping and improving the process, improving the people and improving the vendors. Her focus is on the people.”

Joanna dubbed her market Mi Pueblo or "My People" to reflect her dream of turning the market into a place where Hispanics can come, feel comfortable and experience a family environment that is inviting to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Olivia Mederos has been serving up tasty fare at the market for 10 years at Taqueria Mederos.

“I wanted people to look at this piece of land, this tiny swath of land as their pueblo, their town, their city for Hispanics to view,” Joanna says. “This little piece is ours.”

Just across the road is Mi Pueblo Restaurant that serves Mexican and Peruvian dishes. It is owned by Joanna but managed by Andrea Reyes. The 21-year-old Reyes came from Venezuela with her family and brought with her an immeasurable work ethic that landed her the assistant general manager role after serving as a waitress for less than a year. She learned the ins and outs of the restaurant business and continues to expand her knowledge under the watchful guidance of Contreras who took her under her wing. While working as a waitress at Mi Pueblo, Reyes bussed tables at another restaurant where she would connect with other customers, and tell them her story and about Mi Pueblo. Through word-of-mouth, she sparked their curiosity about Mi Pueblo, driving more traffic to the market.

Ultimately, Reyes wants to establish her own cosmetics and clothing line and also become a veterinarian. Many like Reyes have been guided by Contreras’ impeccable managerial skills. The market has become a playground not only for unique businesses to build their base but also to thrive thanks to Contreras.

“They started off here or they built a solid foundation here and then they opened their own location afterward,” said George Loyola Contreras, Joanna’s son who works with his mother on the weekends.

Bibiana Gelves has been a general manager at Mi Pueblo for a year and also operates a booth where she sells Colombian children’s clothing and calzado ,

Mi Pueblo Is Open

EVERY WEEKEND, FROM 9 A.M. TO 4 P.M. ON SATURDAYS AND FROM 8 A.M. TO 4 P.M. ON SUNDAYS sandals, imported straight from Colombia. She utilizes a connection with her brother that allows her to browse catalogs and request whatever’s in demand.

She has locations at multiple flea markets that sell these articles of Colombian children’s clothing, which she notes are made with all-natural products to help prevent rashes. Knowing what sells has always been her forte, so when she noticed what Mi Pueblo was doing she saw the market as a gold mine of potential and instantly wanted to be a part of it.

With the same mission in mind, Contreras has opened a second Mi Pueblo in Belleview, Fla. thanks to the big loyal following of customers and vendors who follow Joanna because they know they’re going to be treated like family.

“The biggest objective I have for my locations is that when people come here, they feel at home, they feel relaxed, they feel at peace,” Joanna says. “To keep developing as business owners, as entrepreneurs, as women, men, sons, students and also as a place where we can mix all of our cultures while respecting the American culture and having the American culture respect the Latin culture.”

Mi Pueblo is open each weekend from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Sunday is when the market truly comes to life, and thousands of visitors come to envelop themselves in the wide cultural umbrella of Latin America, including eating authentic fare that leaves them immersed in culture and often has them coming back for more.

A Venezuelan Heritage That Paved the way for Local Success

mack dab between Nineteen61 and Linksters Tap Room is the up-andcoming coworking conglomerate COHatch, where you will be welcomed by sleek modern furnishing and Adriana Eraso’s warm smile behind her desk in the main lobby in the center of a vibrant community of professionals.

By title, Eraso is a community manager, but her uplifting affability and compassion for others have earned her the moniker “COHatch Mom.” For employees like fellow Community Manager Daniela Suasnavar, Eraso helped her bravely express her Hispanic culture in the workplace.

“She is just the definition of the word mother because she’s just warm,” Suasnavar says. “She is community. She looks out for you. She’s welcoming. She’s like a servant in any sense of the word. Like she’s just always looking to help the community.”

Eraso’s entrepreneurial spirit and kindness toward others is an extension of how her parents raised her. In Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, Adriana Eraso’s mom and dad sold clothing from the back of a 1970s van before they landed in Baltimore, carrying the values that would be the bedrock of the Eraso family name.

Before they made the momentous step across the Caribbean Sea, Eraso’s father, Hugo Eraso, was in medical school in Caracas while her mother, Ligia Rico, attended university. When she was 16, Eraso took the opportunity to visit Venezuela and be with family. Visiting her family gave her ample perspective on the difference between being Hispanic in Latin America versus the States.

“I think being a Hispanic Latina means all the beautiful things that come with that: the music, the food, the love, the warmth, the caring, the nurturing, the sense of community and family,” Eraso said. “I think it's, it's all of those things.”

Before joining the COHatch family, she worked as a territory manager for food delivery service Bite Squad, when its popularity was at its peak during the pandemic. She was looking for the next step and found a job application for COHatch on LinkedIn and fell in love with the mission.