After four seasons serving patrons from Downtown Tampa and beyond, the Tampa Downtown Market is will not return for a fifth season according to the Tampa Tribune.
By the looks of it, though, this doesn't mean forever. Officials representing the Downtown Tampa Partnership, the organization that puts on the market, say the market's closing is part of an effort to better the market experience.
"There was room for improvement," said Donna Chen, marketing and communications director for the Tampa Downtown Partnership, "We're seeing what we can do to enhance the market experience. We want to get our arms around it to make sure we're providing an outdoor community experience people can really enjoy."
The Partnership's decision to close the market was also influenced by objections from neighboring Downtown Tampa restaurants between the 200 and 300 blocks of Twiggs St. where the market took place every Friday afternoon. Many of these establishments claim that the market drew business away from their Friday lunchtime hours.
With the rapid proliferation of food trucks at the market, and in Tampa as a whole for that matter, downtown diners got new, mobile, and often-cheaper alternatives that obviously didn't sit too well with the city's brick and mortar restaurants.
The details are sparse regarding the Tampa Downtown Market's future, but the partnership is encouraging downtown restaurants to make brown bag-style lunches for patrons to eat in Lykes Gaslight Park while enjoying live music on Fridays as an alternative.
There's something to be said about the nature of capitalism and this situation, though. A challenge like this should ideally encourage downtown restaurants to innovate, compete, and think up enticing alternatives to the market and food trucks, right? Is it really that hard? Are we missing something here?
Let us know in the comments section below.
