Located underneath The Standard at Gainesville, Gainesville City Food Hall serves as a public eatery, offering visitors unique cuisine from 10 local restaurants and small businesses.
The Eatery @ Broward Hall reopened its doors to students and Gainesville residents Aug. 22, almost doubling the hall’s original size and modifying its entire menu after an eight-month expansion project.
To help you navigate, The Avenue’s summer staff compiled a list of our favorite places to grab a drink. From hidden gems to popular game-day getaways, these are the spots that keep us coming back, time and again.
Whether looking for a casual bite to eat, a study spot or a restaurant to grab drinks with friends, Gainesville offers freshmen an endless variety of options. With an expansive array of eateries, the food scene continues to boom with culinary fusion and ingenuity. Here’s a guide to six fan favorites and underrated restaurants for freshmen and Gainesville newcomers.
The Top filled with balloons July 13 as a crowd of people waited outside to be let in for the 24th anniversary of the restaurant’s opening.
PrimoHoagies, specializing in Philadelphia-style Italian sub sandwiches, hosted a grand opening of its Gainesville location at 211 S Main St. March 21. The event attracted hundreds of people with its opening day special where more than 250 customers indulged in a free hoagie.
The opportunity to eat a dripping hot chicken sandwich in a light pink double-decker bus has come to an end. After three years in Gainesville, Birdie Box Sando, located at 2216 SW 13th St., announced April 2 it is permanently closing its doors in Gainesville. The closure was effective immediately following the announcement.
Nestled beneath a canopy of trees and twinkling lights, Gainesville residents came together to indulge in a comforting taste of home from cultures around the world. More than 150 Gainesville residents and food enthusiasts gathered at First Magnitude Brewing Company March 23 to celebrate Taste The World International Food Festival.
On a rainy Saturday morning, Girl Scout Troop 2370 stood anxiously under the red awning of Winn-Dixie on Main Street. Though the day was gray and gloomy, 8-year-old Kate Sarnoski couldn’t help but smile a toothy grin while greeting grocery shoppers with a question difficult to resist: “Would you like to buy Girl Scout cookies?” she asks.
Playa Bowls is a national health food chain corporation specializing in acai bowls, smoothies, chia seed pudding and oat and juice products. Founded by Abby Taylor and Rob Giuliani in 2014, the brand has over 200 locations and operates in 22 states. Now at 1260 SW Fifth Ave., the location is the company’s first in north central Florida.
Bagel Bakery owner Ken Rembert confirmed the restaurant’s reopening after the mandatory 24-hour call-back inspection. The restaurant’s management hasn’t released a public statement addressing the violations and the temporary closure as of Jan. 15.
A 1920s-themed grand opening party drew a glitzy and glamorous crowd Jan. 14, with many event-goers looking the part. Guests donning shiny flapper dresses, vintage fur coats and three-piece suits lined up through the parking lot, ready to attend the grand opening of Muñecas Taco Garden and Bar.
Halo Potato Donuts owners Drew and Leah Stuerman announced the closure of all three shop locations Nov. 27. The stores were closing because sales weren’t enough to cover the cost of operations, Stuerman said.
Disillusioned by the small market for dietary friendly alcohol, Ben Stone with his 34-year-old best friend and brother-in-law, Dale Tanner, began home-brewing to compensate for the lack of options Gainesville offered them at the time. Just short of a decade later, the Stones and Tanner would bring one of the biggest breweries for gluten-free and vegan cider to Gainesville: Dry Wrought Cider.
Residents may have to say goodbye to historic High Springs restaurants because the Community State Bank is foreclosing the Pink Flamingo Diner and Great Outdoors Restaurant. The bank is seeking over $2 million in damages in addition to lawyers’ fees, interest on the loan and reclamation of the properties.
Since moving to Gainesville and opening the Venezuelan-styled food truck La Maracucha three years ago, the couple’s journey has finally led them to opening a brick-and mortar store.
For more than four years, students have stolen signs and condiment shakers from the beloved pizza restaurant — located at 1728 W University Ave. — often stuffing items down their pants or shoving a parmesan shaker in their purses. The restaurant has increased its security measures following the ongoing battle with students.
Since pumpkin spice and other fall flavors were released in stores Aug. 24, many Starbucks locations across Gainesville and UF have experienced significant shortages of syrups on several occasions, according to employees and customers.
From juice bars to funnel cakes to Venezuelan-styled sandwiches, food trucks provide easy access to various dishes and flavors and introduce new cultures and cooking styles to customers.
The Traveler Wine Bar and Brasserie, which has taken inspiration from previous projects, has opened a new location downtown. While similar in its offerings, the Traveler differentiates itself with a new goal: a more expansive food menu with a more intimate feel.
Solutions by The State News
