Do This: Sample Sarasota - A Twilight Foodie Market

If Costco has taught us anything, it's that customers love free samples. Don't pretend you've never been excited about the free pizza rolls. We all know you're lying.

Not only do shoppers love getting free food, it's also a surefire way for retailers to increase their chances of selling the product. Everybody wins.

Starting tomorrow night, the Central Sarasota Farmers Market is teaming up with Mandeville Beer Garden to apply the same concept to a monthly evening foodie market called Sample Sarasota.

Christopher Austin, market manager for the Central Sarasota Farmers Market, says he came up with the concept to increase awareness of the local produce and goods available in Sarasota.

"People forget they have access to food and products that come directly from their backyards" he says. "I've been seeing successful pop-up markets like this all over the country. People are much more interested in locally produced products if they have the chance to try it and interact with the people who produce it. I saw an opportunity to do something like that here."

Billed as a "twilight foodie market," the monthly event takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. at Mandeville Beer Garden and will feature a variety of local vendors including farmers, bakers, chefs and other artisans who will provide free samples of their products to customers.

"I just want to continue to create that community vibe," says Rebekah Mandeville-Gelvin, owner of Mandeville Beer Garden. "I want people to come shop the local products, and hopefully they'll stick around for a beer or for dinner. That's really important to me. It's not just my space — it's for everybody to enjoy."