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Dining choices in Lake Wales have expanded recently, and the official grand opening of one new restaurant drew a happy crowd of diners to celebrate.

Wales Pointe, already a popular spot for brunch, lunch and dinner. was welcomed to the business community at noon Thursday by Lake Wales Mayor Gene Fultz and Chamber of Commerce officials. A formal ribbon cutting ceremony at the stroke of 12:00 saw more than 30 crowding to be included in the celebratory photos.

Wales Pointe is located at 207 East Park Avenue, and offers a varied menu featuring choices ranging from Eggs Benedict to Shrimp and Grits. Mayor Fultz saluted the steady diet of jazz music owner Tiffany Davis is offering on many weekend evenings.

Davis, a veteran of tours of duty in Iraq and Korea, is still on active duty but runs the restaurant as a sideline. Her head chef, "Uncle" Willie Lockhart, assisted by Carmethia Lockhart, runs the day-to-day operations of the kitchen, but Davis lends her own skills, often making dishes she learned from her mother. Anna Kelly is the manager, overseeing the dining room operations.

“My dream was to bring diversity into the city, bring something from everywhere I’ve lived in my life,” Davis said. “And, I also have a love for music, I wanted something not so wild and rambunctious, but more laid back, so we’ve incorporated my diverse food background with my love of jazz and blues.”

Other favorites on the menu of the restaurant that many refer to simply as "Tiffany's" include chicken quesadillas, Reuben sandwiches, French Toast, and Tuna salad melts.

Robert Connors

Head chef "Uncle Willie" turns out delicious dinners including blackened seafood, Philly cheese-steak sandwiches, chicken quesadillas, and appetizers including crispy onion rings and jumbo chicken wings.

With assistance from the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency’s Restaurant Incentive program and a Small Business Administration Restaurant Revitalization grant, Wales Pointe had a soft opening on Dec. 13. City officials are excited that the restaurant will serve as another cornerstone to the redevelopment of the historic downtown area which is being guided by the award-winning Lake Wales Connected plan.

“We are beyond excited to welcome Wales Pointe to downtown Lake Wales,” CRA Assistant Director Karen Thompson said. “One of the main reasons the restaurant incentive was created was to help ‘turn the lights on’ in downtown after 5 p.m. The live entertainment they’ve planned on a consistent basis will provide an evening destination for those ‘hungry’ for socializing, dancing and date nights.”

The restaurant is closed only on Tuesdays. Normal operating hours are 9:00 am to 10:00 pm on Friday and Saturday, but closing at 8:00 pm on Thursday and Sunday. Wednesday she offers dinner only from 4:00 to 8:00 pm. Breakfast is normally offered all day long.