By: Mariel Carbone | WCTV Eyewitness News

July 16, 2018

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- As the summer months linger on, Tallahassee Downtown is trying to draw more locals to downtown restaurants.

"Typically July is the slowest month for the downtown restaurants," said Paige Carter Smith, CEO of the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority. "The legislative session is in its lull, everyone is campaigning, the students aren't here. So this is a way to infuse the economy downtown."

The DIA is holding a Lunch Downtown Summer Giveaway and is handing out cards for people to take to downtown eateries, order a sit down lunch, get the card stamped and potentially win prizes.

A dozen restaurants are participating including Jasmine Cafe, Harry's, Brick Haus Pizza, Backwoods Bistro, Starbucks, Power Plant, The Edison, Metro Deli, Andrews, Jacob's on the Plaza and Aura.

The goal is to get eight stamps by August 3. Those stamps can be from any mix of restaurants. Those who receive eight stamps will be entered for the grand prize of season football tickets for Florida State University. Those who get four or more stamps will be entered for other, smaller prizes. Once the card is complete, you can hand it to a server at a participating restaurant.

"It's important that everyone understand that we're still open for business. Downtown Tallahassee is still very much open for business. We're very vibrant. And it's important because we need active, thriving restaurants in downtown Tallahassee and if they can't survive during the summer the won't be here when everyone is downtown," said Carter Smith.

For those who already routinely eat downtown, the answer to getting more people to eat downtown, is to have more options.

"We have not much of a choice other than to go to the deli, or Goodies. Which we love, but you don't want to have a sandwich everyday," said John Mixon, who works downtown.

However, more options are on the way.

"I do think pizza is missing downtown," said Rob Bazemore, owner of Metro Deli, which has operated downtown for 16 years.

Bazemore will soon be launching The Deck Pizza Pub, a Neapolitan pizza place where Southern Public House just closed.

"(It's going to have) a big cool wood oven, a lot of beer and cocktails. I've always loved that deck so we're going to try and make it fun again," he said. Bazemore hopes to open mid-August, but no official opening date has been set.

And a few blocks away, Aura Restaurant and Bar has also just opened. The two eateries are helping to revamp the downtown dining scene.

"I think we're getting closer and closer to what people want, but I think we're still a little short of what people think of for downtown," said Bazemore.

As Bazemore and others keep moving the dial, the DIA hopes to see the customer base grow through campaigns like Lunch Downtown.

"It's a real effort in the downtown community to pull together to create an atmosphere, of this is the place to go," said Carter Smith.

Winners will be drawn on August 8.