A new restaurant and entertainment complex is now open in Gainesville. The 16,000-square-foot complex, Decoy, combines an elevated dining experience with gaming opportunities.
The restaurant is owned and operated by Rand and Macy Carswell, best known for their work on The Chattahoochee Grill and Pop Catering & Events. Before opening those businesses, Rand worked as a private chef for celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez and the Kardashians.
In 2014, Rand appeared on the Food Network’s Food Truck Face Off and won a food truck. He traveled through South Florida serving gourmet sandwiches and opened two brick-and-mortar locations. He then returned to Gainesville in 2021 to change the food landscape in his growing hometown.
“Part of Gainesville’s changing scene includes new dining opportunities, but few entertainment options other than live music,” says Carswell. “As the ‘eatertainment’ model quickly gains traction across the restaurant industry, Gainesville is the perfect place to sustain this size and type of restaurant and gaming venue.”
A ‘remarkable addition’
Decoy is open to the public now. It includes a large restaurant and 30-seat bear. Entertainment options include a 9-hole miniature golf course, six duckpin bowling lanes, two golf simulator bays, and a stage for live music. A separate area is also available for private parties and corporate events.
“It’s a privilege to bring a dining opportunity of this caliber to our hometown,” says Rand. “Decoy offers Gainesville and surrounding areas an upscale dining and gaming experience you’d typically find in a big city. We are humbled by this opportunity to both strengthen our roots and create a restaurant legacy in a city so special to both of us.”
Gainesville Mayor Sam Couvillon calls Decoy a “remarkable addition” to the city’s dining and entertainment options.
“Not only will Decoy help anchor our downtown establishments, but it has also created new employment opportunities and an economic boost from visitors choosing to spend their time in Gainesville,” says Couvillon.
The new Decoy ‘eatertainment’ complex is located at 123 Green Street in historic downtown Gainesville.
