In June, Tallahassee made headlines in a national article labeling it one of the most boring cities in America. While many of us bristle at that description, it underscores a challenge our community has long wrestled with: how do we make our city, and especially our downtown, more vibrant, welcoming, and alive?
Urban Tallahassee recently asked residents online how our city could be less boring. The overwhelming response focused on one thing—more and better options for dining and nightlife. People want small, creative restaurants and bars that reflect the culture and energy of Tallahassee. Unfortunately, our current laws make that vision nearly impossible.
Right now, to qualify for a Special Food Service license downtown, restaurants must meet requirements that sound reasonable on paper but are unworkable in practice: a minimum of 2,000 square feet of service area, at least 120 physical seats, 51% of revenue from food and non-alcoholic beverages, and a restriction that alcohol can only be sold when food is served.
These standards create huge barriers for restaurateurs, especially in historic downtown spaces. On top of that, the stock of ground-floor retail has been shrinking as lobbying firms and associations lease prime spaces for office use, driving up rents. For restaurants, this means fewer options and higher costs—costs that are even harder to absorb under restrictive licensing rules.
At the same time, the financial realities of downtown make alcoholic beverage sales essential. Virtually every successful restaurant in our core depends on cocktails, beer, or wine to make the numbers work. Without that revenue, the high cost of real estate downtown would push most concepts out of reach. In short, our laws no longer match the needs of entrepreneurs or the desires of diners.
Hayward House is located on South Adams, near the capitol building.
That is why the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority is supporting a legislative update tailored to our city. The proposal would allow smaller restaurants to qualify for a license under more realistic standards: a minimum of 1,200 square feet of service area, at least 50 physical seats, 60% of revenue from food and non-alcoholic beverages, alcohol sales ending at 10 p.m., and boundaries limited to the TDIA district.
Importantly, these new rules would not apply to any restaurant that already qualifies under existing law, meaning larger establishments could continue as they always have. The goal is not to restrict current businesses, but to open the door for new ones. Other Florida communities, including Jacksonville and Kissimmee, have successfully adopted similar changes, and their downtowns are stronger for it.
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Across the country, the trend is clear: small restaurants are reshaping urban dining. These restaurants lean into creative menus, craft cocktails, and local sourcing. They bring character and originality while lowering startup costs for entrepreneurs. That is exactly what Tallahassee needs—locally owned businesses that showcase who we are and give people more reasons to spend time downtown.
Adam Reiss, owner of The Filibuster, poses for portrait inside his business Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
If we want to change the narrative about our city, this is how we do it. We don’t need to become something we’re not. We need to empower residents and entrepreneurs to build the kind of downtown they’ve been asking for: a walkable, diverse, lively place to gather after work, bring visiting friends, and enjoy weekends.
For too long, outdated rules have kept us from realizing that vision. Updating them is not just reasonable, it’s essential. The choice is simple: we can keep being defined by articles calling Tallahassee boring, or we can embrace a smarter future and give our city the tools it needs to thrive. I know which path I prefer, and I hope our elected leaders will too.
Slaton Murray
Slaton Murray is the chair of the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority and a principal at NAI TALCOR.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Here’s how to make downtown Tallahassee less boring | Opinion
