City of Madison Logo
Header: Street Vending

FOOD VENDOR: MALL/CONCOURSE

Food Vendor
Image: Food Vendor: Mall/Concourse
This is a mandatory juried review process that takes place every year in late September. Mall/Concourse sites are formally assigned based on a rank-ordered list of scores. All Mall/Concourse food vending sites for the current year have already been assigned. Applications must be submitted by September first each year in order to apply for a Mall/Concourse food cart site during the following year. Please see Food Cart Review below.

Image: Important Dates

IMPORTANT DATES

April 15 to April 14: The Street Vending Season Begins on April 15 and ends the following year on April 14.

  • Application Materials will be mailed each July to all included on the mailing list.
  • Farmers' Market Season - The Dane County Farmers' Market (inner Capitol Square) season begins on the next-to-last Saturday in April and ends the first Saturday in November. Mall/Concourse Food Vendors may vend on these Saturdays on the outer Capitol Square in designated sites.
  • Special Events - Some special events may impact regular vending activity:
    • Art Fair on the Square (Mid-July)
    • Maxwell Street Days (Mid-July)
    • Taste of Madison (Labor Day weekend)
Image: Application Materials

APPLICATION MATERIALS

NOTE: This application requires the signature of the Street Vending Coordinator, which documents his approval. The City Clerk's Office will not issue this license without it.

Image: Food Cart Guidelines & Specifications

FOOD CART GUIDELINES & SPECIFICATIONS

Recycling Awareness: Food vendors are encouraged to use recyclable and biodegradable utensils, containers and napkins.

Generators and Propane: Public electricity is not always available or reliable. Having a generator of your own is not a requirement, but recommended as a back up to public electricity. Find a generator that is 75 decibels or less and uses 15 to 20 amps. NOTE: Generators that are too loud or not environmentally friendly will not be allowed, so shop wisely.

Buying a Food Cart : Health Department Message – DO NOT build, buy or operate a mobile food establishment or base until you have approval from the City-County Department of Health. Food may not be stored, prepared, or washed in home kitchens. Utensils may not be washed in home kitchens. Please see Guide for Mobile Food Establishment: English (PDF) / Español (PDF).

Places to Look for Food Carts to Buy:

Selling a Food Cart: Please be aware that food cart licenses and site assignments are not transferable. If you sell your cart mid-season to someone else, the new owner will not be able to occupy your Mall/Concourse Food Vendor site assignment or operate the cart on the Mall/Concourse for the remainder of the season. The new owner will have to apply for a site for the following food cart season beginning the next April 15th and successfully participate in the Food Cart Review on the last Saturday in September of the current year.

It would be best to time the sale of your cart toward the end of the vending season and have the new owner personally participate in the food cart review. It is possible for the new owner to begin operating the cart on the Mall/Concourse as soon as November first of the current year, not having to wait until the following April 15th, having received a successful food cart review score. The Street Vending Coordinator, based on site availability, will determine the Mall/Concourse food cart site assignment to be used until April 15th.

Other Food Cart Specifications: Mall/Concourse food carts must comply with a number of specifications. You may find a food cart that is already compliant or you may need to have the cart modified before you begin to operate it. Mall/Concourse food carts may not be mass-produced. They may be hand built or customized to Mall/Concourse specifications by food cart or trailer manufacturers. Please see Mall/Concourse Food Vendor Cart Site and Size Specifications (PDF)

Late night and non-Mall/Concourse food carts must fit within a maximum footprint of ten feet to twelve feet (10’ x 12’) but otherwise need only comply with Public Health requirements.

Securing Tents: Vendors using tents are advised to securely anchor them with weighted objects. Windy days can produce substantial gusts of wind.

Image: Zoning Guidelines

zoning guidelines

Zoning Guidelines for Street Vendors:

A basic Street Vending License entitles a vendor to sell merchandise or food on public property in the City of Madison. Additional Health Department licenses are required for food vendors. Additional licenses are required for vending within specialized areas like the Mall/Concourse or High Destiny Vending areas.

Private Property Zoned for Commercial Use:

If a vendor desires to sell on private property, that private property must be zoned for commercial use and there must be a direct connection between the products normally sold on the commercial private property and the products sold by the vendor. For example, if a key shop has a parking lot, a street vendor would have to sell keys in that parking lot with the permission of the proprietor. It would not be legal for a food vendor to sell food on the private property of a key shop because food is “not accessory to the principle business.”

Private Property Zoned for Residential Use:

It is never legal for a street vendor to sell merchandise or food on private property zoned for residential use, even if the property owner has given permission. It is not legal to conduct any kind of sales or fundraisers from the front yard, driveway, porch, etc., of a residence.

Image: Maps

MAPS

The Capitol Square map and the State Street map combined make up Exhibit One of the Vending Oversight Committee's Regulations Governing Vending on the State Street Mall/Capitol Concourse.

Image: Food Cart Review

FOOD CART REVIEW

Last Week of September is when the annual food cart review takes place.

Food Vendor

Food Vendor

Food Vendor

Food Vendor

Food Vendor