Each restaurant is required to give a $500 deposit. The deposit check will be returned to you as long as the rules and regulations are followed and your area is clean upon check out.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to health department requirements, ALL COMPLETED FORMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY March 18, 2024. Please turn in your application ASAP! There is limited space. Gina DuncanRestaurant Vendor Information770-429-1115
Festival Rules & RegulationsThe Taste of Marietta festival must comply with the requirements of the City of Marietta Parks & Recreation Department, Marietta Fire Department, Marietta Police Department, and Cobb County Public Health.
Please read the rules and regulations of the festival, your application submission, payment and deposit are your signature that you agree to these terms. Failure to comply with these rules and regulations will result in forfeiture of the $500 deposit. The festival will provide ample site management to check vendor set up to avoid possible problems before the festival begins. We look forward to a safe and successful Taste of Marietta!Gina Duncan - Restaurant Vendor Information, Onsite Coordination
- Festival hours are 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.; set up time is 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Vendors will receive a site layout and tiered check-in time prior to the festival.
- “Tastes” should range from $2.00 to $9.00, as these are the festival’s advertised prices. Tastes should be a small portion of food, not full servings. We have had complaints from festival-goers saying that the restaurants are all serving large portions for the highest price, and therefore they are unable to eat from all the vendors they would like. Please consider serving smaller portions for less money. Everyone - including you - will benefit.
- To be a food vendor in Taste of Marietta, you MUST have a restaurant that is located in Cobb County.
- You are allowed to promote your restaurant at your booth, but you must have a Roaming Advertising Permit - purchased in advanced – to hand out samples/coupons/postcards away from your booth. You may not sell food when roaming, but you may pass out samples. The use of megaphones while roaming is prohibited. The cost of this permit is $250 per person. Vendors violating the Roaming Advertising regulations will immediately forfeit the $500 deposit.
- Do not play music of any kind in your booth during the festival. Taste of Marietta coordinates live entertainment throughout the day.
- We will try our best to ensure that Marietta Square restaurants will be located directly in front of or close to their business unless otherwise requested. If you are located on a side street, we will be happy to place you on the main streets (North, South, East, or South Park Square).
- Electricity is NOT included in your registration. You may purchase outlets, but there is a limit to help ensure the safety of everyone at the event. Please see the separate note about electricity in this information.
- The City of Marietta requires the area around each tent site be cleaned prior to the restaurant leaving the site, including the concrete/sidewalks around the tent. Failure to check out with festival site management will result in forfeiting the $500 deposit. Each street will have a site check out coordinator who will be responsible for checking you out. You must sign out and initial before leaving the site. Please do not start breaking down your site until 7:00 p.m.
- Do not pour grease onto street, grass, or in drains. You will be responsible for removing your own grease at the end of the festival. Please, make arrangements to do so safely.
- To avoid damaging the sidewalks and park area tar paper (roofing paper) is now REQUIRED. Tar paper can be found at any hardware store and will allow easier clean-up for you. Site management will check all vendors set up prior to the festival. If setting up on the brick sidewalks, sidewalks must be completely covered to avoid staining or breaking the bricks. Failure to comply will result in forfeiting the $500 deposit.
- The City of Marietta Fire Department requires all open grills to be outside the tent. You will have at least 10 feet between your tent and the curb behind you to put your equipment. All smokers and open flame grills must be surrounded by a barricade. As a result, you will be charged per linear footage. Each barricade fencing is 4 ft high and 6 ft wide and costs $35 per section.
- Tents using warming and cooking devices.
- Warming devices must be placed on a non-combustible surface if placed on a tabletop. Examples of warming devices include but are not limited to; Sterno warming fuel cans, electric skillets, and hot plates;
- Cooking devices such as grills (solid fuel or propane) or gas stoves must be 10 ft from rear of tent and require a 10 lb. ABC extinguisher.
- Fryers, electric or gas, must be 5 ft from rear of tent and require a 10 lb. ABC extinguisher and a Class K Extinguisher.
- Consuming alcohol as a vendor is prohibited. If caught violating this policy, you will be asked to leave and may be asked to forfeit your $500 deposit.
The following are requirements from the Cobb County Public Health: If you have had a health inspection since April 28, 2023, then you can use your health inspection form and post it in your tent the day of the festival. If it was done before that date, then you will need to fill out the health department inspection form and pay $60.
Contact Gina for more info. - All BBQ grills must have a cover. Quick-cooking grills are not required to have a cover; however, food must be cooked, put on a plate, and taken inside the tent for preparation.
- The grill must be at least 13 feet from the public.
- Outdoor cooking that utilizes open flame or exposed flame shall not be performed within 10 feet from a tent or canopy.
The City of Marietta Fire Department requires you to have a fire extinguisher at your tent (You must provide your own- it is NOT provided by the Fire Department or Visit Marietta.)
A basic service record tag {identifying the company as being licensed by the Office of the State Fire Marshal} is required to be attached on all portable fire extinguishers or any fire suppression system. - Beer, wine, soft drinks, and bottled water will be sold at the concessionaire tents. Water may only be sold if approved in advance and purchased from the water sponsor. The water may not be sold at a rate different from that set by the concessionaire. Vendors may sell other beverages such as iced tea and fruit punch. NO hard liquor of any kind is allowed. Select restaurants located on the Marietta Square that have obtained the proper licensing as permitted by the ordinance can sell beer and wine. If a beer or wine sponsor is secured, Marietta Square restaurants must sell the sponsored beer or wine.
- All food items and beverages must be approved by Visit Marietta prior to the festival. Please fill out the menu board form. No sales after the 7pm close time. If you are selling food after 7pm you will forfeit your deposit.
- Overhead booth decorations reaching higher than the banner area are prohibited.
- NO trailers for food service are permitted. There will be a Food Truck Alley at the festival, but there is a separate application to complete.
- Restaurants must provide their own extension cords and cleaning supplies. Please bring an extension cord cover. Do not tape over the cords.
- You will have access to water onsite the day of the festival, but you must provide your own hose.
- If you have requested more than one booth space, please note on the application if you want the booths to be side by side or in separate locations.
Reminder to all Marietta Square permanent restaurants: The streets that are closed for the event are the property of Taste of Marietta during the festival. If any vehicle, trailer, or bike is parked on the streets of the festival, it will be towed. This includes trailers and stationery objects outside of restaurants. This begins at 10:00 p.m. Saturday night (Apr 27) when the streets close for set-up and ends at 11:00 p.m. on Sunday night (Apr 28.)
A note about electricity….Very important!! Please read thoroughly. If you do not understand, ask questions! The City of Marietta is happy to be able to provide electricity for the Taste of Marietta. However, because of limitations and to ensure the safety of the festival the following regulations will be strictly enforced this year.
You MUST make sure your equipment follows these requirements in advance because there will be no exceptions made the day of the festival.
Please note the following:- All power is ground fault protected and will not be bypassed.
- Each duplex outlet ($50 per duplex, 2 duplex outlet max) is on a 20 amp circuit. That means if you have 2 duplex outlets, you have a total of two 20 amp circuits, which will allow you to plug in 4 cords.
- Each duplex outlet can have a MAX of 20 amps. That means two cords plugged into one duplex outlet cannot draw more than 20 amps combined.
- One heavy duty 20 amp is preferred.
If you fail to check your equipment in advance and it pulls more than 20 amps or continues to trip the circuit, you will not be able to use it at the festival! We are not responsible for power strip failures. - If bringing a power strip, the items plugged into the strip cannot exceed 20 amps combined.
- The Fire Marshal’s Office requires that all extension cords be a minimum of 10 gauge. Nothing smaller than 10 gauge will be allowed. Please make sure you bring an extension cord(s) with ample length to connect to your tent, we recommend one 100 ft. extension cord or two 50 ft. cords.
- No generators are allowed.
- Cords across any walking area must be secured to the ground and not pose a trip hazard to patrons or tent operators. Tape will not be permitted. Cord coverings with wheelchair access will be required in public access areas of the event.
Please understand we are enforcing these rules to ensure the safety of our food vendors and festival attendees. We thank you for your corporation!
