Local markets are more than weekend events. They are test beds for new products, launch pads for entrepreneurs and reliable drivers of foot traffic that support nearby shops and restaurants. Tampa Bay Markets, a for-profit company founded in 2010, has built a network of 16 locations with 18 event days each month, creating measurable impact across the region.
Filling a gap
When Tiffany Ferrecchia moved to Tampa in 2007 as a personal chef, she was looking for a place to sell her sauces and prepared foods. A whole-foods chef focused on healthy cooking, she had developed a line of sauces she wanted to sell locally, but found no reliable venues to do so.
“I came here and I was like, where’s the markets?” she said. At the time, the area had only a few scattered options, leaving small food and craft makers without local exposure or low-risk ways to reach customers.
She decided to build what Tampa lacked. “I wrote a proposal and gave it to the City of Tampa and the Downtown Partnership,” she said. “They bid on it, and that’s how the first downtown market was born in 2008.”
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From that foundation, Ferrecchia co-founded Tampa Bay Markets in 2010. The company grew from a single downtown event to six locations by 2020 before the pandemic forced a complete shutdown.
During the closure, she created an online multi-vendor marketplace to keep small businesses visible. “We did what we could,” she said. “Then in 2021, we reopened and added seven new markets in one year.”
Ferrecchia now leads the company on her own after her longtime business partner retired in June. She oversees a team of more than a dozen market managers who help run events across Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.
Building a small-business engine
Tampa Bay Markets now hosts about 900 participating vendors each month. Booth fees range from $45 to $85, depending on location. Farmers are given their first year free, with discounted space afterward.
“We really try to support local farmers,” Ferrecchia said. “It’s important to us that they have a place to sell.”
The company operates some of Tampa Bay’s most popular open-air events, including the Dunedin Downtown Market, Fresh Market at Hyde Park Village, Fresh Market at Wiregrass, Sunshine Market at Midtown and the Sunday Market at Westshore Marina District.
Other signature locations include the Madeira Beach Wednesday Market, Seminole Heights Sunday Market, Kenwood Sunday Market in St. Petersburg, Sunset Market at Midtown, Carrollwood Market, Trinity Market and the Water Street Sunday Market in downtown Tampa.
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Each market attracts a distinct crowd, from young professionals to retirees and families looking for local goods, lunch options and live music. These weekend favorites have become destinations for residents looking for fun things to do in Tampa Bay while keeping their dollars local.
The company also manages programs that strengthen vendor sustainability. The Fulfill Your Destiny Vendor Grant awards $1,000 quarterly to help small businesses buy equipment or improve their setups. The program began when Air Force veteran Karen Mertes, who suffered a brain injury in a car accident, decided to give back to the community. She launched the grant during the pandemic and partnered with Tampa Bay Markets to reach local entrepreneurs.
The company’s Go Green campaign, created in partnership with the University of Florida and the University of South Florida, eliminates single-use plastics across all events.
Tampa Bay Markets draws visitors of all ages from across the region. Most attendees are active on social media, value local products and sustainability, and see the markets as both a shopping trip and a weekend experience with live music, food and family activities.
Another initiative, Kids Market, gives young entrepreneurs their own section to sell handmade goods. “We really have kids making things and selling things,” Ferrecchia said. “I just love it.”
Ferrecchia said the company is now focused on raising its own profile. “A lot of people don’t realize Tampa Bay Markets is the company behind the events,” she said. “We’ve been serving vendors for so long. Now we’re working to make sure the community knows all the cool things we do beyond just the markets.”
From tent to storefront
Markets have become natural incubators for brick-and-mortar success. Restaurants, bakeries and apparel lines have used the events to build followings before expanding to storefront locations.
“Gulf Coast Sourdough created a sandwich shop after starting with us,” Ferrecchia said. “It’s sad when they outgrow us, but it’s amazing to see their success.”
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The model works in reverse, too. Established businesses use markets to promote existing locations or introduce new products. “Back in 2010, Bavaro’s Italian restaurant sold sauces at our Hyde Park market,” she said. “It helped them get into Costco and Whole Foods.”
The measurable impact
The last study on record, conducted by the University of Florida in 2017, found that Tampa Bay Markets generated a combined annual economic impact of $13.4 million. On average, shoppers spent $33,000 per market day at vendor booths and another $177,000 at nearby businesses.
The organization has since doubled in size, meaning the true impact is likely far higher. “I’m sure the impact now is so much more,” Ferrecchia said. “The study actually showed how a market impacts the local community and how much money is driven to the businesses because of the markets we operate.”
Human connections that scale
For vendors, markets are more than sales channels — they are communities that create opportunity and belonging.
“Being part of Tampa Bay’s market scene has been a huge part of Holy Guacamole’s growth,” said Joaquin Lazcano Anaya, owner of Joaquin’s Holy Guacamole. “The markets give us direct access to people. It’s more than sales. It’s about building relationships and being part of something that supports small business owners like us.”
At his market booth, Joaquín’s Holy Guacamole draws crowds with its signature guacamole and ceviche, made fresh for every event. The menu includes traditional and spicy guacamole, mango and tomatillo salsas, jalapeño garlic dip and spinach artichoke garlic dip, along with shrimp and fish ceviche served with plantain chips or pita.
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Since joining, Lazcano Anaya has expanded into new markets across Tampa Bay and brought his business to new heights. “We’ve built a loyal following who look for us every weekend,” he said. “The energy and connection at these events are what keep us motivated.”
Ferrecchia said his story captures what Tampa Bay Markets was designed to do. “He’s been able to really expand his business under our umbrella, which is such a great thing for him,” she said.
Local spending, lasting results
Markets like those run by Tampa Bay Markets do more than fill sidewalks. They keep dollars circulating locally, foster new entrepreneurs and strengthen small businesses throughout the region.
“I think people see how they can have a full-time job but still make really great cookies or cupcakes,” Ferrecchia said. “They want to do something on the side, and the markets make that possible.”
Fifteen years after its first booth, Tampa Bay Markets has grown into one of the region’s quiet economic engines. Vendors may come and go, but the sense of community and the local momentum remain constant.
Visit Tampa Back Markets’ website to find the market nearest you.
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