It is sort of favored in this area, and it's certainly not universal. But in FL in the summertime, it's kinda nice to get to take a break mid-day.

There are a lot of different ways to run an autocross, some better than others, and none necessarily "the best".

One of the most interesting methods I've heard of was Nebraska Region SCCA (yep, right there in Omaha). They don't have run groups like most autocrosses. I don't remember how they handle workers, but they run ALL registered cars through the course for their first run before they start second runs. They claim this helps with cameraderie because people have a lot more time to chill out between runs (tweak tire pressures, adjust shocks, swap springs, change an engine... whatever you need to do), and the format also requires everyone to stick around all day. I suppose it has its pros and cons like every other method, but they like it.

Back on topic... given that providing lunch seems to be the norm for this area, I agree that CFR should perhaps try to follow suit. It's a minor pain in the butt, but it's getting to where people expect it.