It makes sense that The Tampa Downtown Partnership would try to meet the needs of restaurants based in downtown. Why import competition from food trucks or other operations that aren't from that area? The idea behind Lunch on the Lawn in Lykes Gaslight Square is to bring downtown restaurants together along with entertainment and other services Fridays at noon and provide a relaxing outdoor lunch for workers and residents of downtown. Historically that mix worked. Friday however, despite sunny and cooler weather, the third weekly installment of Lunch on the Lawn didn't have the typical crowds of takers leaving some vendors disappointed.
It is difficult to tell if downtowners are confused or disinterested. From 2008 to 2011 Fridays in October brought an entire downtown market every week until May. It was a popular event featuring not only fresh cooked food but several more vendors selling fresh produce, jewelry, juice and honey. This summer the Downtown Partnership announced that it was not sponsoring the market on Fridays in 2012.
This article appears in Oct 18-24, 2012.