Restaurant Goals
Even with a plate full of options, there is room for more.
Gainesville residents said they are hungry for more local spots, greater variety in cuisine, and better ways to connect with what’s happening in the local restaurant scene.
I think Gainesville has an amazing culinary scene. There's an option for almost every type of food, and the restaurants are so amazing that it makes it hard to save money from eating out because the food scene here is too damn good!
Some marveled at how much Gainesville’s culinary landscape has grown, while others bemoaned the proliferation of chain restaurants and a dearth of creativity. They lamented limited free parking downtown, the rising cost of eating out, and the lack of late-night options.
There are good local restaurants in Gainesville but I would be excited for more unique local restaurants to open with interesting ambiance and dining experiences.
We curated their feedback into food and dining wish list to spark ideas, inspiration, and conversation. Everyone has a seat at this table and input in this dialogue.
Craving Local
Less chain restaurants. More locally owned by people who care about the food they serve, using quality ingredients from local sources and we need more places that are good that are open Mondays. Less focus on booze more focus on food, flavor combos.
In recent years, it's been very sad to see the takeover of corporate/chain establishments, not just taking over Butler Plaza but also expanding to other parts of Gainesville and shutting out local establishments that had been here forever. While I still think Gainesville has a great food/beverage scene, I do miss the wider variety of unique, family-owned shops that I remember from 5-10 years ago.
Too many corporate restaurants. Support local.
A Diverse Menu
We are 10-15 years behind the scene here. We need more options that aren’t clones of what we already have. But we also need more talent available in kitchens.
Wish there were more places with interesting menus.
Not enough Latin food (a few Mexican places) but would love more Caribbean food, like the Haitian pop up. Also, we don't actually need any more burger joints, Gainesville is saturated.
Survey takers also specifically wished for Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Indian, upscale, late-night, and breakfast restaurants. And more spots open on Mondays.
A Better Grapevine
Love to support local restaurants. Would be great to see a more official way for local restaurants to let the community know what they've got going on. Currently just following a few FB groups to try and get that information.
I feel like local restaurants struggle because they don't get the word out enough.
The culinary scene lacks fresh ideas. A large part of this is the bar to entry that is set by outside influences (cost of a lease, zoning, viable land and buildings, etc.). There is also a lack of a unified outlet for culinary news; this could be from a lack of events, but it's much more likely due to the fractured nature of the community.