Tampa-based SunPubs Hospitality Group has acquired four major Midtown Gainesville bars over the past two years after declining student attendance pushed longtime owners to sell.
The company entered the Gainesville market in 2024 by purchasing The Social, which it later rebranded as MacDinton’s Gainesville.
The firm quickly expanded by acquiring JJ’s Tavern, Lil’ Rudy’s and Rowdy Rudy’s — converted into The Grove, Fats and Rowdy’s, respectively. While the ownership changes stabilized the venues, employees and students say rising cover and drink prices are driving nightlife away.
Randy Esponda, the CEO of SunPubs, said he was approached by the former owners soon after his company entered the market. The sale was inevitable, he said.
“If we hadn't bought them, someone else would have,” Esponda said. “Both ownership groups of these bars wanted out.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, younger customers have been spending less at bars, Esponda said. Shifting purchasing habits and lower tipping rates aren’t unique to Gainesville, he added.
However, he said the company saw a strong opportunity to grow the MacDinton’s brand in a college market and still sees about the same number of customers on an average night. The company sets cover and drink prices based on demand and nearby competition, he said.
When asked if SunPubs has future plans to expand further into Gainesville, he said, “Never say never, but it is highly unlikely.”
Jackson Ryan, a manager at MacDinton's Gainesville, said some UF students are also prioritizing academics over nightlife.
One study attributes Gen Z’s less frequent drinking to reasons such as changes in parenting style, social media use and encouragement of a healthier lifestyle.
MacDinton’s attendance had begun to slip before the ownership transition, Ryan added.
“Some days are dead, some days are busy,” he said. “It used to be busy every day.”
Some venues now charge cover fees earlier in the night — rather than charging cover only as the nights become busier — which further discourages patrons from going to the bars.
“No one is paying $20 cover when it's not that busy,” Ryan said.
Despite slower weekdays, both Esponda and Ryan said Midtown still fills during Wednesday drink specials and Saturday football game days. Fall semesters are consistently busier due to football season, Ryan said, which keeps students in town on weekends.
Parker Ayer, a 21-year-old UF finance master's student, said his peers have become more selective about going out, often drinking before leaving their homes to avoid high bar prices. SunPubs has greater influence over local pricing, he added, since the company now owns multiple Midtown properties.
“It's kind of annoying,” Ayer said. “They can charge higher prices because they have a monopoly on all the bars.”
Some longtime Gainesville residents said the ownership changes reflect a broader shift in Midtown. Marcus Richardson, a 40-year-old Walmart associate who grew up in Gainesville, said the local bar scene has become increasingly corporate.
Gainesville’s social scene once revolved around house parties, pool parties, postgame gatherings and promoters, Richardson said, and he rarely struggled to find something to do. Drink specials, including 5-cent drinks and buy-one-get-one margaritas, were far more common, he added.
“Most of the bars I used to go to in Gainesville have all closed,” he said. “[Bigger companies] are definitely taking over all the small-town, mom-and-pop local bars.”
Emma Fetter is a contributing writer for The Alligator.
