WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — If you’re looking for a quick bite, authentic sit-down restaurant or a sweet treat, then Bowen Yard in downtown Winter Haven is where you need to be.
The new food hall has six dining options on-site. Ripples, a handcrafted ice cream shop, is one of them.
"Making from-scratch ice cream, from-scratch cones from a few simple ingredients. You can literally see in our facility; you can watch a strawberry turn into strawberry sorbet,” said Benjamin Vickers, co-founder of Ripples.
At the north end of the venue is SoCe Market, a garage that has been transformed into a corner market. Maritime, a full-scale restaurant, is the anchor for Bowen Yard.
“Predominantly seafood, we do have plenty of items that are not seafood as well for those that may not get into it. We're heavily focused on our raw bar program, oyster, ceviche,” said Jason Ellis, managing partner of Maritime.
Census data shows that Winter Haven is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Developers have taken note of the rapid growth and see it as an opportunity to revitalize downtown.
“Downtown Winter Haven is going through a huge revival. A food hall community where there is a lot of density and a lot of activity, there’s a lot of reason for people to come to one place, especially with some of the upcoming events like live music and outdoor events. It is very highly anticipated,” Vickers said.
Bowen Yard also features a large recreational yard with lots of outdoor seating. The concept is similar to The Joinery in Lakeland and Armature Works in Tampa.
The hope is that the food and event venue will become winter haven’s new hotspot.
“Before a lot of people were going to The Joinery in Lakeland and now, we have some Lakelander that are making the trip to see us. So, it’s a great feeling,” Vickers said.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
