For over twenty-five years, The Swamp Restaurant has served as a staple restaurant, bar and event venue in the Gainesville community, acting as a gathering place for University of Florida students, alumni and Gainesville citizens alike.

We opened the doors to our original iconic building, located off of West University Avenue, on December 30th, 1994. Its façade quickly became iconic to those familiar with Gainesville: the two-story building with its white trim, white picket fence, and sprawling front lawn, which was originally constructed in 1914 as a professor’s house and then remodeled in 1993 after it was nearly destroyed by a fire, stood out as a charming and unexpected landmark amongst the adjacent college bars.

It was announced in early 2019 that the land The Swamp was located on was to be purchased and our building to be demolished. After learning about the potential closure of our beloved restaurant, the Gator Nation banded together in an effort to save our business and keep it located in its existing building. A Change.org petition urging the preservation of our original building received over 34,000 signatures, and a Florida State Representative even filed an amendment to a House Bill that would designate the century-old building as a fully-protected historic landmark in order to prevent its demolition.

Despite these collective efforts, our time located in the historic landmark had come to an end. After over two decades of hosting gameday tailgates, beautiful afternoons spent on the front lawn, and National Championship watch parties, the original Swamp Restaurant closed its doors on June 30, 2020, and the building was razed to the ground in July 2020.

The Swamp Reborn

After receiving overwhelming support from the Gator Nation, we knew that this couldn’t be the end of our story.

We decided to come back in a new building that would completely capture the likeness and historic charm of our original landmark. In August 2022, we re-opened our doors for Swamp patrons in a new location just 4 minutes away from the original building. It includes everything you remember most about The Swamp: same front lawn, same white picket fence, and same Gator Nation spirit.

We are elated to be continuing our legacy in our new location and can’t wait for you to be a part of our permanent history!