A recently created monthly event in downtown Gainesville has some business owners seeing an increase in downtown visitors.
First Friday, created by the Gainesville Downtown Owners and Tenants, aims to increase business in the downtown area by offering specials and prizes to visitors.
From 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the first Friday of every month, customers can get a booklet containing a list of participating businesses offering specials that night. When customers visit a business, they get a stamp in the booklet.
Customers exchange booklets for raffle tickets, and each business holds a raffle at 10 p.m.
Previous event participants have included Dragonfly, The Gelato Company, Maude’s Cafe, Sharab Lounge, Rockey’s Dueling Piano Bar and the Hippodrome State Theatre.
The idea came from Shawn Shepherd, president of GDOT and owner of Vellos Brickstreet Grill and Blue Water Bay. Shepherd said he’s seen First Friday events in St. Petersburg, Orlando and Tallahassee and he wanted to bring the concept to Gainesville.
“The goal is to bring a little more focus to downtown and show some of the changes that have been made over the past 12 months,” he said. “Downtown has grown about 30 to 40 percent with new restaurants, lounges and other businesses.”
Shepherd said the first First Friday, which was in February, didn’t have many visitors. But they spread the word before the March event, he said, and 140 people came out.
Kara Winslow, director of development at the Hippodrome, said First Fridays are a good way to raise awareness about how downtown isn’t scary.
Winslow said the Hippodrome gave away about 35 passports at the first event. This month, the theater gave away 30 passports within the first hour.
Randy Perez, a 22-year-old mechanical engineering senior, said he doesn’t go downtown very often because Midtown is more convenient for him. However, he said he would visit restaurants like Blue Water Bay on First Fridays, when it offers $3 draft beer.
“I would go downtown for dinner,” he said. “And I could have a cheap beer before going out later.”
