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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Shops and restaurants prepare for crowds from first Gators gameday

While the UF football team prepares to suit up for its first home game against Toledo on Saturday, businesses near the Swamp have been getting ready for the big day as well.

Dan Patterson, manager of Tijuana Flats’ Midtown location, said because the crowds are expected to be large, the restaurant will shift toward bar-style service to get more people in and out.

“We’re going to set all of the tables up against the wall,” he said. “Also, we’ll have a select menu with select hot sauces at the hot bar. Our beer specials change for gameday, too.”

Patterson said Tijuana Flats hired about six new employees for fall, and on gameday, most of the staff will be working.

“Gamedays are pretty crazy, but we have almost everybody here,” he said.

Bob Weygandt, general manager of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches on West University Avenue, also plans to have all of his employees working on gameday to help handle the crowds.

“It’s a requirement,” he said. “We’re having about 20 to 25 people max working inside the building with about 14 delivery drivers.”

Although new shops that have yet to experience gamedays in Gainesville may be in for a shock, Alix Kissinger, assistant manager of Henri Girl Boutique, said she is excited to see what the day has in store.

“We expect it to be pretty crazy,” she said. “We put new orange and blue stuff out every week, and we put orange and blue on the mannequins.”

Kissinger said the newly built six-story parking garage behind the shop may help.

“The parking garage going up out back should be open for the first game, so parking shouldn’t be an issue,” she said. “There should be a lot of foot traffic, too.”

A version of this story ran on page 8 on 8/28/2013 under the headline "Midtown preps for first gameday"

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