Access to fresh food threatened by federal grant cuts
By Allison Bonnemaison | June 17Program cuts for Florida food assistance programs leave patrons with fewer options for fresh produce, impacting several farmers markets in Alachua County.
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First Magnitude’s Drag Yoga sessions combine inclusivity with introspection
By Sara-James Ranta | June 25, 2024Under a canopy on a warm day, about 30 attendees gathered to practice mindfulness, grounding and positive affirmations at a drag yoga session June 23.
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Female barber navigates sexism in male-dominated space
By Sara-James Ranta | Apr. 19, 2024In a Gainesville barbershop, colorful capes adorn each chair. Clippers buzz in the background of group conversations under a bright LED ceiling.
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A Costco desert: Gainesville residents pine for Kirkland Signature
By Zoey Thomas | Nov. 20, 2023Costco Wholesale, beloved big-box warehouse chain and world’s largest organic food retailer, has 31 Florida locations. But Gainesville residents must drive two hours north to Jacksonville or two hours south to Orlando if they want to stock up on industrial-sized bags of coffee beans, browse free samples or feast on $1.50 hot dogs from the food court.
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High Springs restaurant owner faces another lawsuit
By Bea Lunardini | Nov. 20, 2023Another lawsuit was filed against a High Springs restaurant owner, who’s being sued for defaulting on mortgages of the Pink Flamingo Diner and Great Outdoors restaurants, Nov. 7.
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UF Midtown favorites The Rowdy Reptile and Fat Daddy’s to be replaced by Lil Rudy’s
By Alexandra Burns | Aug. 28, 2023After 12 years of business, The Rowdy Reptile and Fat Daddy’s — located at Midtown on the corner of University Avenue and Northwest 17th Street — announced Aug. 25 they will be closing their doors and reopening under new ownership.
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On-campus exposure brings off-campus success to local restaurant owners
By Zoey Thomas | Aug. 27, 2023Chef JJ is one of several local restaurants that Chartwells Higher Education, UF’s dining partner since May 2022, brought to campus since launching the Florida Fresh Dining brand in July 2022. The brand was founded with a pledge from Chartwell to invest in local businesses — including launching the Taste of Gainesville section of the Reitz Union, which opened Summer 2022 and features two local eateries per day in a pop-up setting.
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Opus Coffee celebrates grand opening at Row location
By Zoey Thomas | Aug. 25, 2023Plastic cups of nitro cold brew circulated at a new Opus Coffee cafe Friday, carried by caterers offering free samples to eager coffee drinkers.
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Proposed East Gainesville cultural arts center strives to uplift community
By Amanda Friedman | June 12, 2023City Commission plans to bring a cultural arts center to East Gainesville as an effort to support at-risk youth and Black residents. The proposed center aims to provide arts and cultural programming, workforce development, skill cultivation and after-school activities resources, according to a January 2022 General Policy Committee meeting presentation.
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Local businesses show support for Pride Month amidst recent backlash experienced by big companies
By Emma Parker | June 5, 2023At the beginning of May, Target released its 2023 Pride collection in anticipation of Pride Month. Due to backlash, threats and protests of the different products included in the collection, Target decided to remove some of the collection items from displays and relocate displays to less trafficked areas of the store in select locations.
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Asian American-owned Coterie Market turns pop-up into brick-and-mortar store
By Emma Parker | May 22, 2023While attending local farmers markets, Kate Yeung noticed the lack of representation of Asian American business owners among the vendors. The 23-year-old Gainesville resident left her 9-to-5 banker job to start her own business, Coterie Market, empowered by her family’s experience owning businesses in Hong Kong and Singapore.
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Historic Black neighborhood honored in 43rd annual 5th Avenue Arts Festival
By Aidan Bush | Apr. 30, 2023The Cultural Arts Coalition hosted the second day of its 43rd-annual 5th Avenue Arts Festival Saturday. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., attendees browsed vendors selling cultural items, singing performances and a variety of local-made art. The festival is held each year to celebrate Fifth Avenue, the city’s oldest Black neighborhood, according to Gainesville Neighborhoods United.
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Franchises, business ventures seek off-campus retail spaces
By Sarah Marks | Mar. 2, 2023Underneath off-campus student apartment complexes, businesses hope to claim one of the recently built retail spaces, promising further development to the growing college town.
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Swarthy empowers local Black-owned businesses in its second festival
By Mickenzie Hannon | Nov. 28, 2022Local businesses and organizations set up tents and tables along the street outside Citizens Field in the second Revolution Before Evolution Festival.
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Selling in the Swamp: Gators football fuels Gainesville gameday micro-economy
By Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp | Sep. 19, 2022Students, alumni and loyal fans flock to Midtown just to see the Gators play at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, sometimes traveling hours from out of town. Beneath all the noise is a thriving gameday micro-economy, ranging from some of the most popular restaurants in Gainesville down to every booth stationed along West University Avenue.
