Terry Richards | The Valdosta Daily TimesVarun Thaker and Mitt Patel are the owners of the new Dairy Queen coming to Lake Park.

LAKE PARK — Owners and officials broke ground Tuesday on Lake Park’s newest restaurant.

Officials from the City of Lake Park and Lowndes County joined Mitt Patel and Varun Thaker, partners in ADWAIT LLC, in heaving the ceremonial first shovelfuls of dirt to kick off construction of a new Dairy Queen on Ga. 376, next to the Francis Lake Golf Club.

Thaker also manages the Dairy Queen on Ashley Street in Valdosta, which his parents own, Patel said.

“Lake Park didn’t have an ice cream place,” he said. “So this is good for Lake Park, especially with the 60 jobs we expect it to bring.”

The restaurant will offer both dine-in and drive-through service, Patel said.

The owners hope the DQ will be finished in four months.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.