A new Howey-in-the-Hills restaurant is serving up more than pancakes and coffee – it’s also helping people rebuild their lives.
From the outside, Virginia’s Pancake Palace looks like a warm and welcoming breakfast diner in the heart of Lake County.
Inside, the restaurant is dishing up pancakes, coffee and opportunities.
The restaurant, located in the former Howey Market at the corner of Central and South Palm Avenues, opened this summer. It is named after 11-year-old Virginia Cowherd, whose love of pancakes helped inspire the family business.
“The pancakes are delicious,” Virginia Cowherd said. “Banana strawberry, that one’s my favorite.”
But the Cowherd family wanted the restaurant to offer more than just good food.
“When we decided to open a restaurant here, we wanted to make sure that it also did good in the community,” said Christina Cowherd, Virginia’s mom.
“So we partnered with The Penitent Thief to employ second-chance employees,” said Virginia’s dad, Brad Cowherd. “Folks that have been previously incarcerated and need a second chance to make it.”
One of those employees is Tara Nordick.
Nordick said she relapsed after 10 years of sobriety and got into trouble. While in jail, she wrote a five-page letter to a judge asking for help.
“If I just sit in jail and get released, I’m going to go back to the same thing,” Nordick said. “I need help.”
She ultimately spent 14 months in rehab before connecting with The Penitent Thief, which is an Orlando-based non-profit.
“I’m not a bad person. I just made some mistakes in my past,” she said.
For people with criminal records, finding housing and employment can be difficult. Nordick said she often avoided applying for jobs if she knew the employer conducted background checks.
The Cowherds said they understood that stable housing and reliable work were critical to helping employees rebuild their lives. They, along with The Penitent Thief, provide housing for some of their workers and say their second-chance employees have become some of their most dedicated team members.
“There’s not a roadmap for how they can start to rebuild their life. There’s no secure, safe residence. There’s no reliable employment,” said Christina Cowherd. “To be able to provide that for people who are wanting to rebuild has been immensely rewarding. They are absolutely our hardest workers, and it has been a privilege to work with them.”
The local effort comes as lawmakers in Congress consider the Safer Supervision Act, a proposed bill that could allow early termination of supervised release in some federal cases. Supporters say the measure could reduce burdens on law enforcement and taxpayers while helping people rehabilitate and reintegrate into their communities.
Meanwhile, for Nordick, the support from The Penitent Thief and the Cowherds has helped her regain stability-and reunite with her family.
“I have a 13-year-old daughter, and now she’s back with me permanently, which is great,” she said.
Virginia’s Pancake Palace is located at 101 S. Palm Ave., Howey-In-The-Hills, and is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., seven days a week.