Gator's Dockside
Gator's Dockside is a Florida-themed casual restaurant chain[1] started by brothers Tony and Paul Cipparone and friend John Foerst in May 1991.[2] Based in Jacksonville, Florida, the franchise[3] has since expanded to 27 restaurants throughout central Florida and eastern coastal areas of Florida. Heathrow, Florida-based Ultimate Franchise Systems bought a large stake of the company in 2001,[4] and planned to market the chain nationally, although as of 2017, such plans had not materialized.
The fare at Gator's is on par with comparable Americana-themed restaurants such as Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday, Chili's and TGI Friday's, but with a few "authentically Floridian" twists; for example, their most prominently featured dish is fried alligator tail. Its prices are on the medium to low range around $10.[5]
References
- ^ Benen, Steve (February 28, 2014). "Welcome to Gator's Dockside". MSNBC. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ^ "Gator's Dockside coming to Melbourne". Florida Today. April 11, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ^ Krueger, Jill (July 5, 2001). "Gator's Dockside to go national". Jacksonville Business Journal. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ^ Orlando Business Journal
- ^ Beth N. Gray (March 18, 2015), "Spring Hill's new Gator's Dockside offers a menu as big as its namesake", Tampa Bay Times, retrieved November 14, 2017