As football season kicked off, so did City Food Hall Gainesville.
Residents, investors, city officials and staff came together Aug. 29 to celebrate City Food Hall’s grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Located underneath The Standard at Gainesville, the new hall serves as a public eatery, offering visitors unique cuisine from 10 local restaurants and small businesses.
While there are other City Food Hall locations in Orlando, Destin, West Palm Beach and Georgia, the eatery’s vendors are all locally sourced.
Peter Rounce, the founder and chief executive officer of City Food Hall, said the new location has a duty to deliver its promise to vendors and the people of Gainesville.
“It’s the people who have passion for the craft that I want to be here,” he said. “Every vendor wakes up every morning, coming here to achieve their dream. I’m just humbled and pushing to be the platform to help them do that.”
Rounce’s promise is nothing short of supplying variety, offering students a game-day hangout while supporting small businesses.
The hall’s restaurants include Luke’s New York Bagels, GoNoodle, Gringo Taco, SmashCity, Nori, Peace of Pie, Miranda Gelato, Hummus & Flame, Wings & Co. and the Teacher’s Ade.
The grand opening gave visitors a taste of upcoming weekly entertainment plans, such as karaoke, quiz nights, bingo and open mic. The hall promises a curated selection of live entertainment and special events, with details to be determined.
The Teacher’s Ade was one of the first booths to accumulate a line. The restaurant, which was originally made for teachers, drew customers in with its colorful menu, offering handcrafted lemonades and hearty breakfast options.
Stephanie Hersey, a UF staff member who used to work with The Teacher’s Ade owner’s wife, visited the lemonade spot on her lunch break and decided to grab a strawberry mint lemonade.
Hersey said the drink was “very refreshing,” and she plans to frequent the place on her lunch breaks.
Filled with Gator decor, flat-screen televisions, board games and a TouchTunes jukebox, the hall creates a welcoming atmosphere for people of all ages.
Alexa Katz, a 21-year-old health education and behavior senior who grew up in Gainesville, is living at The Standard for a second year. Katz and her roommate said they had anticipated the food hall’s opening for months.
“I think I would have loved this when I was a kid in Gainesville,” Katz said. “I think this is good because it gives local places a time to shine instead of bringing in other places from chains.”
Katz and her roommate opted to try Wings & Co and awaited their meals with dine-in style pagers.
Though Katz’s roommate described herself as a picky eater who typically doesn't like wings, Katz said she thoroughly enjoyed her garlic parmesan wings. The roommates said they can’t wait to frequent the spot because of its proximity and convenience.
City Food Hall caters to more than just Gainesville residents and students.
Jason Hurst, the 21-year-old owner of Luke’s New York Bagel Shop, relocated his bagel joint from Main Street to City Food Hall. Hurst said he appreciates the opportunity to be close to the university.
“We’re always going to be where the crowds are,” he said.
The eatery is much more than a convenient location to grab a bite to eat.
Peter Rounce, the founder and CEO of City Food Hall, said creating the food hall chain brought him back from a retirement filled with anxiety.
“I started to get panic attacks and didn’t know why,” Rounce said. “I had lost a sense of purpose, so I needed to find something to do.”
Following a career in hospitality with companies like Marriott and Hilton, Rounce thought he was preparing for a life of golfing and caring for his daughter.
“My wife said, ‘You need to get a job,’” Rounce said.
After studying similar business models, Rounce brought his City Food Hall concept to Destin and West Palm Beach before expanding to the Gainesville location.
The community’s willingness to support local restaurants and small businesses encouraged Rounce to create a Gainesville location.
“This is a town where people actually appreciate good food,” he said.
City Food Hall Gainesville — located at 150 NW 13th Street — is open Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The eatery’s happy hours at their full-service bar are Monday to Friday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Contact Noor Sukkar at nsukkar@alligator.org. Follow her on X @noorsukkarr. Contact Rachel Mish at rmisch@alligator.org. Follow her on X @mish_rache62827.
Rachel Mish is a junior English and business major and the Fall 2024 Food Reporter for The Avenue. In her free time, she enjoys playing pick-up basketball or sewing a gameday outfit.
Noor Sukkar is a third-year journalism major with a minor in Arabic. She is the Avenue's Fall 2024 General Assignment reporter. When she's not writing, she's most likely talking to her cat or overwatering her plants.
