In a Gainesville barbershop, colorful capes adorn each chair. Clippers buzz in the background of group conversations under a bright LED ceiling.
Costco 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.
Another 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.
After 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.
Chef 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.
Plastic cups of nitro cold brew circulated at a new Opus Coffee cafe Friday, carried by caterers offering free samples to eager coffee drinkers.
City 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.
At 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.
While 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.
The 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.
Underneath off-campus student apartment complexes, businesses hope to claim one of the recently built retail spaces, promising further development to the growing college town.
Local businesses and organizations set up tents and tables along the street outside Citizens Field in the second Revolution Before Evolution Festival.
Students, 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.
Tup Tim Thai Restaurant and Sushi Bar, located at 1228 W. University Ave. near the Publix Super Market at University Village Market, was shut down by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Sept. 13 for health violations. The infractions included multiple rodent droppings, one dead rodent and dead roaches, according to the inspection report. Following two inspections, the restaurant, which was a go-to spot for some Gainesville residents, was cleared to open.
Johnny Tung, 42-year-old co-founder of Bento, said he never imagined the amount of success Bento would have when their first location, 3832 W. Newberry Road, opened almost 20 years ago on Sept. 20, 2002.
No one was harmed at Peach Valley Cafe, located at 3275 SW 34th St. near Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Gainesville Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Stephen Hesson said.
Wendy Wilber takes her daughter to get ice cream when she gets an A on her report card. Sweet Dreams’ 42 chocolate flavors and “Chocolate Night” events, now hosted at the shop’s new location, drew the star-student in.
Many frequenters of Zeezenia International Market organized and donated to a fundraising campaign to support the store's renovations following a fire.
Miranda “Mimi” Mythen wants to revive the dying deathcare industry. Under her TikTok account @mimithemortician, Mythen has more than 1.3 million likes and 59.8 thousand followers. She has been interviewed by Allure and Refinery29 and she has been featured in the DailyMail and the New York Post about her viral videos on funeral service.
About 15 people gathered at the Porters Community Center Sunday to discuss creating a community farm on the lot on Fifth Avenue. Williams, a 67-year-old community activist, explained why affordable healthy food options are necessary.
Solutions by The State News
