Fewer Restaurants Allowed at Taste of Chicago

40 restaurants will participate in the Taste this year, down from 59

The Taste of Chicago will have fewer restaurants this year.

The annual food fest will host 40 restaurants per day instead of 59, according to the Chicago Tribune. Mayor Rahm Emanuel is scaling back the event to save money, running it for five days instead of 10 and moving it to mid-July instead of Independence Day.

The restaurants will still have to pay $3,000 to participate and give the city 18 percent of their gross sales.

This year, there also will be three to six "pop-up" restaurants added that won't have to pay the upfront fees but will have to give the city 20 percent of their gross sales for the day, according to the Tribune.

The Taste opens each day at 11 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m., instead of 8:30 p.m. like previous years.

Emanuel this month defended the shortened fest, saying he's following up on a campaign promise to look into revamping the popular festival.

"I think after 20-plus years of tinkering around the edges we're bringing fundamental changes to it, but I have all the confidence that people will continue to go to it," Emanuel said.
 

Contact Us