2024 Restaurant Application & Agreement

If you have a brick and mortar location in Alpharetta or a neighboring city, we invite your restaurant to apply to the 2024 Taste of Alpharetta!  Now in it's 32nd year, the event has become an annual tradition for 40,000 festival-goers, families and foodies! No food truck vendors or food vendors without a brick and mortar facility are accepted to the event. Restaurants will promote and sell their highlighted specialties by charging up to eight tickets (tickets are $1.00) per sample. This allows you to market your restaurant to more than 40,000 people in one evening! NEW OPPORTUNITIES for 2024 - 1) We are excited to offer a revenue payout incentive to our Restaurants this year. The more you sell, the higher percentage you get paid!; 2) There are two possible ways to compete for culinary awards. NEW INITIATIVE for 2024 - The City is teaming up with a local food rescue partner, so any leftover food samples you have can be collected at the event conclusion and delivered to people in need. IMPORTANT DATES
Application Deadline.........................................April 12Notification of Acceptance................................April 15Alpharetta Culinary Competition.......................April 25
Mandatory Restaurant Orientation....................April 30People's Choice Responses Due.......................May 3Taste of Alpharetta............................................May 9Sales Reconciliation.........................................May 15
Checks Mailed Out...........................................May 24-31 For any questions regarding this application process, please reach out to Claire Thurber at cthurber@alpharetta.ga.us.

Taste of Alpharetta has become an annual tradition for festival-goers, families and food connoisseurs. Mark your calendars to dine in Downtown Alpharetta at over 60 local restaurants in one fun night. Sample delicious appetizers, entrees and desserts from the top chefs in town. Enjoy culinary demonstrations, activities for all ages and entertainment to please every palate. Admission is free and food tickets are available for purchase pre-event and on-site through the Taste of Alpharetta mobile app.

GENERAL INFORMATION & AGREEMENTBy reading the information below and submitting this online Restaurant Application & Agreement, you are agreeing to abide by all rules and regulations set forth by the event organizers in the 2024 Taste of Alpharetta and made a part hereof by reference. 1) MANDATORY RESTAURANT ORIENTATION will be held on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, from 3 - 4 PM at City Hall. Mark your calendars for this REQUIRED kick-off meeting. More details in upcoming emails! 2) RESTAURANTS will be notified of acceptance on a rolling basis until April 15. Email cthurber@alpharetta.ga.us if payment by check is requested. Restaurants must have a brick and mortar restaurant location within Alpharetta city limits or a neighboring city, to apply. Criteria for acceptance includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Complete application received by the deadline 
2. Past compliance with Health Department & fire code regulations
3. Attendance at the mandatory restaurant orientation on April 30
4. Alpharetta mailing address or neighboring city
5. Restaurant's hospitality at your booth. The City of Alpharetta reserves the right to accept or decline an applicant.

3) RESTAURANTS MAY RESERVE ONLY ONE SIZE food tent space (either a 10x10, 10x20 or 10x30 food tent space).

• For each 10 x 10 food tent space, you will receive (1) 10 x 10 open-sided tent, (3) 6 foot tables, (2) chairs.
• For each 10 x 20 food tent space, you will receive (1) 10x20 tent [or (2) connected 10 x 10 tents], (5) 6 ft. tables and (4) chairs.
• For each 10 x 30 food tent space, you will receive (1) 10x30 tent [or (3) connected 10 x 10 tents], (6) 6 ft. tables and (6) chairs.

If any of the rental items are missing or damaged at end of evening, your restaurant will be billed. Bring tablecloths, menu boards with prices listed, decor, restaurant signage (for back or side of tent) and visual displays for the booth.  Restaurants may request to bring/use their own tent. To request approval, please submit a picture of the tent along with your application.  Tents provided by a restaurant must be branded with your restaurant name/logo, and meet construction size, quality and fire resistance standards. City staff strongly recommends the following to all restaurants:

1. If your sales were over $3000 in 2023, please reserve a 10x20 or 10x30 food tent space. This will help alleviate long lines for your patrons.
2. If you are new to the event this year, you may choose any tent size to meet your needs.

NEW! If a restaurant group registers two or more of its distinct brands, it will receive a $50 discount for each additional, qualifying restaurant. 4) SET-UP BEGINS at 12:00 PM. BE READY TO SERVE by 4:45 PM. Restaurants are expected to bring/prepare food to operate during all festival hours through 10pm. Specific load in instructions and details will be provided a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the event. All VEHICLES OFF FESTIVAL SITE BY 3:00 PM! 5) FOOD SAMPLES and TICKET EXCHANGE: Each food ticket value is $1. Your food samples may be sold for a minimum of one ticket ($1) and a maximum of eight tickets ($8). Food may NOT be given away or exchanged for cash. Please make sure that food samples are no larger than 4 bites. 6) NEW! CULINARY COMPETITION & PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS: There are two possible ways to showcase your chef’s talents this year, should you apply and be selected.

• Formal Culinary Competition - ALPHARETTA RESTAURANTS ONLY (signup required below on question 15)
  • Culinary Judges will vote on Best Appetizer, Best Entrée, and Best Dessert based on Presentation, Creativity, and Taste
  • Submissions must be dropped off to Alpharetta City Hall at designated times on Thursday, April 25 between 2 and 5 p.m.
  • Applicants opting into this competition will receive an email with detailed instructions after April 12. Acceptance may be based on a number of factors, such as: restaurant reviews/publicity, previous participation in the Taste of Alpharetta, number and order of applicants for a category, etc.
  • Winners will receive an award to display in their restaurant, on-site award recognition, and special marketing ahead of the event.
• On-Site People's Choice Awards
  • Attendees will vote online for Best Overall Restaurant, The Rookie Award (< 2 years old), Tried & True (> 2 years old), Best Vegetarian Dish, and Best Street Food
  • Winners will receive an award to display in their restaurant and recognition on the Taste of Alpharetta website & social pages

7) NEW! TICKET REDEMPTION/PAYOUT: All tickets will be electronically processed - you will need a minimum of two (2) mobile devices (phone, tablet, etc.), per 10x10 space on the day of the event dedicated to ticket processing. 

Revenue Share ModelAll sales from $0-3000 will be split with the city at 50%. The remaining amount will be paid out to businesses based on the following structure:

• $3,001-$3,999 will receive 60%
• $4,000 and $4,999 will receive 70%
• $5,000 or more will receive 80%

Example: If a restaurant's gross sale is $4200, the first $3000 is split evenly with the City at $1500 each. The remaining $1200 will then be split with 70% paid to the vendor and 30% to the City for a total payout of $2340. A completed W-9 Form must be provided to receive the reimbursement. Funds will be mailed via check approximately fourteen (14) days after the event, along with complete documentation of revenue share. 8) RAIN OR SHINE the Taste of Alpharetta will be held. 9) MENU BOARDS with ticket prices for your booth space are to be supplied by each restaurant (no electrical sign, but please bring lights!). The festival is expecting 40,000 attendees, so post signs high for visibility. Be creative and showcase your restaurant! We recommend at least an 11" x 17" sized menu on coroplast with grommets to zip tie to your tent. 10) FESTIVAL ATTENDANCE: An average of 40,000 festival-goers attended the 2023 Taste of Alpharetta. Please prepare approximately 3,000-5,000 sample-sized proportions for the 2024 Taste of Alpharetta. 11) BOOTH ASSIGNMENTS and load-in instructions will be completed and emailed prior to the event. Many factors are considered, such as electrical requirements, number of booth spaces needed, type of cuisine served and application deadline. We will try our best to accommodate special requests. 12) VEHICLE PASS: At the mandatory orientation, you will receive a vehicle pass to drive onto the festival site for unloading. Only two passes per restaurant. Booth number will be on this pass. Please display on the dashboard for load-in. Vehicles without this pass will not be permitted onto event site. Restaurant staff does not need a pass, but should park and walk to the booth. 13) SOFT DRINKS/WATER: Please do NOT sell or give away soft drinks, sports drinks, water or drinks of any kind. Non-alcoholic beverages will be sold as part of a fundraiser for a local nonprofit. The ONLY exception to this is restaurants whose primary product is non-alcoholic beverages (e.g., smoothies, fresh-pressed juice, etc.), and exceptions will be made on a case basis by organizer. 14) CLEAN-UP: ALL trash, papers or boxes must be placed in a dumpster. Please reference an event map for dumpster location. DO NOT dump grease or hot coals on the ground. If trash is left at your booth, a fee of $100 will be deducted from your ticket sales. 15) ELECTRICITY: To ensure adequate electricity at your booth, you must accurately mark your electric needs in this application. It is your responsibility to bring two 100-ft. extension cords and low-gauge power strip for EACH outlet requested as they are not located directly behind your booth. 16) PUBLIC SAFETY: City of Alpharetta’s Police and Fire Department require that all sidewalks behind your restaurant booth not be blocked. Please do not use the sidewalks for food prep or grilling. We have provided additional space between the booths for this use. 17) FOOD SAFETY GUIDELINES for temporary events established by the Fulton County Health Department will be strictly adhered to. Guidelines can be found by entering the following address in your browser: http://bit.ly/FultonCoHealth. Hand washing stations at each restaurant booth will be REQUIRED in 2024. Details to follow in application. 18) LIABILITY WAIVER AND RELEASE: Organization or business, assumes all responsibility for, and risks and hazards of, participation in the rental activity planned by organization or business. In considerations of the City of Alpharetta providing permission to use the space requested, of organization or business, do hereby release the City of Alpharetta, including all officials, officers, employees, sponsors, organizers, supervisors, volunteers, participants, and all other agents, of any and all claims, demands, rights, and causes of action of whatever kind and nature, arising from and by reason of, and all known and unknown, foreseen and unforeseen, bodily and personal injuries, damage to property, and the consequences thereof, resulting from participation in the rental activity planned in the City of Alpharetta.