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City of Madison

New State Street Night Vending Program hours begin

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Street vendors at Library Mall on the 700 block of State Street
City of Madison file image

People visiting downtown Madison during the nighttime hours will have more opportunities to get a bite to eat from local vendors starting this week.

Beginning Wednesday, April 17, the City’s new State Street Night Vending Program gets underway.

The City of Madison Common Council voted on March 5 to allow street vendors to operate on the 700 block of State Street, also known as Library Mall, on Wednesdays through Saturdays from 8pm - 2:30am. Under the previous Late Night Vending Program, vendors were allowed to operate from 9pm - 4am on Thursdays through Saturdays.

In addition to the new days and hours, the number of vendors is being increased from three to five, and vendors will be consolidated at Library Mall, instead of being spread throughout the State Street area as they have been in the past.

The City of Madison is excited to launch the new State Street Night Vending Program and the move to the 700 block of State Street Mall. Bringing all of the late-night food carts together in State Street Mall will provide a central place to find late night eats. The location was designed for vending, is well lit, safer for pedestrians and in the heart of where the University connects to the City of Madison.

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City of Madison Street Vending Coordinator Meghan Blake-Horst

Among the vendors operating to start the new State Street Night Vending Program are Sabro Queretano, Marimar on Wheels, Jakarta Barbeque Station, Bit of Brianna and Thailand in a Truck.  Also, located in the basement of the University Bookstore, you can find “Eat the Best Pizza” -- a locally-owned and operated lunch and late-night pizza stop.

Under the city ordinance outlining the new vending program, vendors will be required to provide line management poles to manage crowds and will also be required to keep noise coming from the vending site to a minimum. Additionally, all vendor equipment must be removed from State Street by 3am. Vendors are also not required to operate every night from Wednesday through Saturday, so the exact number of vendors on any given night may change.

Vendors interested in applying for a State Street Night Vending license can find more information on the City of Madison’s Street Vending website or e-mail streetvending@cityofmadison.com with inquiries about the process. There is currently a waiting list, but vendors who want to get on the waiting list are encouraged to reach out. Sites are assigned based on seniority. 

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