As students fill tailgates, restaurants in downtown Gainesville and the walkways surrounding Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, local restaurants and pop-ups fuel Gators through game day. Food trucks line Gator Walk hours before kickoff, serving fans through the first quarter, while Gainesville staples such as The Swamp Restaurant and Mom’s OG Pub and Grill keep the crowd going long after kickoff.
Local businesses set up hours before each home game, while vendors from across Florida make the trip to Gainesville once or twice a season to serve thousands of fans and offer a taste of their hometowns.
Brandon Grabhorn, the owner of B’z Gelati and a UF alum, is a game day regular. He was determined to elevate game days post-graduation with a refreshing treat near the stadium.
After graduating, Brandon and his parents, both also UF alumni, moved back to Gainesville to start the business, eventually bringing B’z to Gator Walk during football season.
“We’re big Gator fans,” Grabhorn said. “If we’re not working a game, we’re closed because we want to either be watching or at it.”
Now, Grabhorn experiences game days from the other side, combining his love for Orlando gelati with his love for Gator football while treating fellow fans.
One of his favorite game day moments is when “everyone’s in a good mood” and stops by for some Italian ice, he said. This season, B’z is promoting game day spirit with its mango-blue raspberry gelato inspired by the team colors.
Game day eats don’t stop at the stadium. The Swamp Restaurant, a 20-minute walk from the stadium, “speaks for itself” on game days as the perfect post-game eat or spot to watch the game, said Abby Conrad, a server and administrative assistant at the restaurant.
For both home and away games, The Swamp fills with fans.
“College kids come and camp and sit and watch the game for the entire day,” Conrad said.
At The Swamp, energies are at an all-time high, she added.
“There’s nothing like when everybody comes together,” she said. “The Gator fanbase is like none other … Really any game day, they’re all just amazing.”
Beyond its energetic atmosphere, The Swamp also offers a curated game day menu crafted at the beginning of each season to feature its most popular items, she said. It also includes classics such as the single smashburger and its Caesar wraps, “which the girlies love.”
As the sky darkens and stadium lights flood the field, Mom’s OG Pub and Grill offers the perfect destination for late-night game day drinks and hangouts.
Rachel Hickey, the bar’s co-owner, said what makes Mom’s so special on game days is that it’s packed “shoulder to shoulder” despite its laid-back atmosphere. The pub offers popular $4 Long Island iced teas and double wells, as well as $15 beer buckets specials.
“We have a lot of students that will come in, but we also have our die-hard regulars that will come in and watch the game, too,” Hickey said of the game day crowd.
More students begin to arrive after the game to fill the pub late into the night, Hickey said, which creates a rare opportunity for students to interact with alumni.
Beyond the food and game day specials, Gainesville’s restaurants, bars and food trucks have become shared spaces for students, alumni and fans to come together and experience Gator football. And those moments become even more memorable as the season progresses, Hickey added.
“When they start winning, it’s really something to see here,” she said.
Contact Katharine Litman at klitman@alligator.org. Follow her on X @katealligator.
