Posto 9's rooftop dining, drinks and tapas till late will connect Munn Park to the Rio de Janeiro beach where it draws its culinary influences, name and aesthetic, restaurateur Marco Franca said.

LAKELAND — Posto 9's rooftop dining, drinks and tapas till late will connect Munn Park to the Rio de Janeiro beach where it draws its culinary influences, name and aesthetic, restaurateur Marco Franca said.



Franca plans to complete the $2.5 million renovation of 215 E. Main St., part of a $4 million project, by December, just in time for the holidays and Brazil's summer season.



The building, recently Preservation Hall, and notably Lillian's Music Store (and later Lillian's Music Store Lounge), has been everything from a bank to bar to retail store. It will be reworked top to bottom to highlight its exposed brick walls wrapping trendy, modern furnishings.



The front, now an open patio, will be closed in to bring the front door closer to the property line, similar to how the building was constructed when it was Central State Bank 110 years ago.



The first floor will have a lounge and 90-seat dining area featuring an open kitchen. The second floor, "a hidden jewel untouched since the 1940s," will serve up to 100 for events.



The result will be a destination restaurant in the heart of his adopted city, Franca said, where people will come from throughout Central Florida to experience the New World, the melting-pot cuisine of his native Brazil combined with Florida ingredients in an "upscale, assertive and friendly atmosphere."



Franca has begun teasing through social media what diners and visitors can expect, like moqueca, a tropical fish stew native to Brazil that shows the country's deep culinary connection to Africa.



"Brazil, like the U.S., is a mixture of a lot of cultures," Franca said. That mixture creates a particularly Brazilian palate. "There's a lot of spices — not spicy — but spices. I have to make the distinction. It's very richly flavored."



The growing desire in the United States for locally sourced, naturally produced food mimics the food culture of his Brazil, Franca said, and his restaurant will cater to those expectations.



In Brazil, "the beef is already grass fed, everything is already organic," he said. "For us, it was natural for us to say we are going to do what we already do.



"We're bringing the best of the best we have in Brazil," he said.



As such the menu will be updated twice each month, crafted by a "wonderful chef," and will not be ignorant of the seasons. Franca said he's not ready to divulge the name of the chef.



The restaurant starts and finishes with tastes, Franca said, but "we believe people will come in and be enthralled by the experience."



Downtown planners welcome the addition to the central business district, a step toward making downtown a self-sustaining destination.



"We don't want people to decide where to eat and come downtown," said Julie Townsend, the director of the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority. "We want them to have it in their brain that there are a lot of choices downtown. … Any time we can get a restaurant that's going to serve full into the evening hours it's just going to add to our entertainment district mentality, to build that 24/7 feel."



Franca's company already has met with the city's development staff members, who have agreed to do their part to keep the aggressive development schedule on track for the December opening.



"People are interested," Community Redevelopment Agency Manager Nicole Travis said. "Downtown has a synergy people are trying to capitalize on now. It's really positive for the district."



The 1920s-inspired design already has received concept approvals by the Historic Preservation Board for how it will fit into the Munn Park Historic District.



The Community Redevelopment Agency's staff also will recommend the City Commission make tax incentives available to aid in the development.



Franca said he "is big into the I Love Lakeland" campaign, and ultimately would like to see his restaurant contribute to downtown Lakeland being considered in the same voice as Winter Park or Hyde Park for its upscale food sensibilities.



"We would like Lakeland to become a culinary destination," Franca said.



There are 11 million people within a 100-mile radius of Lakeland, Franca said. It's not impossible to get them to see it as a place for great food.



"We've begun to see a few changes in the last nine months," particularly the opening of Nineteen61, an upscale Latin restaurant, Franca said. "I think we're seeing this happen and we're really, really excited."



— Christopher Guinn can be reached at Christopher.Guinn@theledger.com or 863-802-7592. Follow him on Twitter @CGuinnNews.