Here’s a May event for your dinner calendar.
There will be a one-day only “Pop-Up Drive Through” Barbecue at Lakeland City Hall May 2nd with all proceeds going to the Lakeland Education Foundation (LEF).
The newest restaurant tenant announced for The Lake District (TLD), Memphis Barbecue Co., will come together with TLD to create the event in the parking lot at City Hall, according to Yehuda Netanel, owner of TLD project which is to be constructed at I-40 and Canada Road in Lakeland.
He said all money raised at the event will be donated to the LEF.
Pop-Up Drive-Through Barbecue
3:30 – 6 p.m. – May 2 – First Come, First Served
Lakeland City Hall – 10001 U.S. Highway 70
Suggested donation – $25 – RSVP suggested
“If you love BBQ (and we know you do), then mark your calendars for May 2nd, because The Lake District and Memphis BBQ Co. are serving over 300 lip- smacking, finger-licking meals to Lakeland residents,” said Mr. Netanel. 
“You read that correctly, over 300 steaming hot meals, which are being donated by Memphis Barbecue Co., will be on sale for a suggested minimum donation of $25 per meal. Within a matter of two and a half hours, we can raise nearly $10,000 that will go directly to the Lakeland Education Foundation! Since Memphis BBQ Co. is donating all of the food, 100% of all money raised, goes directly to the Foundation.”
Mr. Netanel continued, “Everything I have achieved in life is directly tied to the education I received. The students of today will become the leaders of tomorrow, therefore it is important to me that they get the best education possible. We are invested in the community in so many ways, our best investment though, will be in our students.” Through conversations with Melissa Cookston, owner of Memphis Barbecue Co., the idea of creating a fundraiser for LEF was born.
Ms. Cookston said, “Winning a world championship title for our BBQ takes dedication, hard work and the right education. So much of what I’ve been able to accomplish has been a result of the incredible support from teachers I’ve had along the way. As we make Lakeland a new home for Memphis Barbecue Co., we want to show our support and our pride to the students of the community. It is our pleasure to be donating all of the food for the pop-up drive-through. We look forward to seeing you there!”
Cookston described the menu for the evening as a perfect representation of fan favorites. The menu includes two options:
OPTION 1: Babyback Ribs – A whole slab of mouthwatering BBQ Ribs wrapped in foil with sauce.
OPTION 2: Meal for Four – 1 pound of pulled pork, 1 pint of beans, 1 pint of slaw, 6 oz. of BBQ sauce, and 6 buns
Suggested Donation is $25 for each option. Cash or check only, with checks made to The Lakeland Education Foundation.
Guests are encouraged to RSVP online on The Lake District’s website here. Supply is limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Expected quantity of food is 150 slabs of ribs and 200-250 of the “Meals for Four.”
About The Lake District
The Lake District is an upscale 160+ acre mixed-use community surrounding a 10-acre lake and waterways in Lakeland just outside of Memphis. Designed as a walkable village, The Lake District will have water features threaded throughout its five districts: Inline Retail District, Main Street District (curated retail, chef-driven restaurants and cafes), Hotel District (two hotels, one with lake view), Pad Sites and Office District (75,000 square feet of office space with lake views), and the Residential District (age-restricted living, Downtown-style lofts and custom single family homes). Phase 1 schedule of delivery of space for tenant build out is fall of 2020, with businesses opening for the 2020 holidays.
About Melissa Cookston
Melissa Cookston was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta and is a trailblazing female food entrepreneur smoking the competition.
She is a seven-time world barbecue champion; owner of restaurants Steak by Melissa, a successful steak house in Southaven, Mississippi and Memphis Barbecue Company, a successful barbecue restaurant with locations in Horn Lake, Mississippi and Dunwoody, Georgia; an author of two cookbooks, “Smokin in the Boy’s Room” and “Smokin’ Hot in the South;” and a celebrated southern Delta chef. Recognized nationally from many appearances on national news and talk shows as well as cooking shows and the Food Network, Ms. Cookston served as a judge on season four of Destination America’s “BBQ Pitmasters,” and was named one of America’s most influential BBQ Pitmasters and personalities by Fox News in 2015.
