Florida Southern opens outdoor eatery

LAKELAND, Fla. — The aroma of grilling pizza and burgers will now mingle with the scent of orange blossoms in the center of the Florida Southern College campus.

When students returned recently for fall classes, they found a new dining option.

The Buck Stop Outdoor Pizza Oven & Grill is a fixed structure located in the Badcock Memorial Garden, just north of Joseph-Reynolds Hall, one of the oldest dormitories on campus.

The eatery takes its name from the benefactors whose donation made its construction possible — FSC trustee Stephen Buck and his wife, Lynda Buck, residents of Lakeland.

The Buck Stop has bistro-style outdoor seating and a space for live music performances, a Florida Southern spokeswoman said. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tim Raible, Florida Southern's food service director, said the oven manufacturer told him the eatery is unique among colleges on the entire East Coast. Raible said the idea for the outdoor grill arose after he catered an event at the Bucks' home in Lakeland, using the wood-burning oven in the couple's outdoor kitchen to make pizzas.