We conducted a survey with 130+ chefs about their experiences participating in culinary festivals. The responses highlight the benefits, challenges, and preferences of festival participation, offering valuable insights for organizers and participants alike. This survey was sponsored by CRAVE! NW, a chef-driven culinary festival that takes place every year in the pacific northwest.
Key Motivations for Participation
Chefs cited several reasons for joining culinary festivals:
-Networking with other Chefs (87% of respondents)
-Brand Awareness (60% of respondents)
-Customer Acquisition (37% of respondents)
-Press Opportunities (21% of respondents)
As well as a way to draw inspiration, observe culinary trends and give back to the community.
What Chefs Enjoy Most
-Positive Energy & Community: Many chefs appreciated the vibrant atmosphere and camaraderie.
-Exposure to Trends: Discovering new ingredients, techniques, and industry innovations.
-Direct Customer Feedback: Engaging with attendees and receiving real-time reactions to their dishes.
-The change of scenery from the daily grind
“It gets us out of the same 4 walls, I love how we can see guests’ reactions of our food in real time, we get to meet new people and get to build more relationships.”
-Ashley Brown, CDC @ Four By Brother Luck in Colorado Springs, CO
“I target specific ‘festivals’, or conferences. I look for trends and applications. I look for cooking techniques and equipment upgrades or new applications for a standard, everyday item. I enjoy the networking opportunities that provide anything from catching up with old friends and colleagues and fostering new relationships. Action! Smells, sights and sounds are exciting as long as it isn’t a circus act. I like environments that keep it real and relevant, but fun and unexpected!”
-Vaughn Vargus, Sr. Exec Chef UCSD, San Diego, CA
Challenges and Pain Points
-Costs & Logistics: High participation fees, lack of covered expenses, and disorganized setups were common complaints
-Overcrowding & Poor Planning: Some chefs noted issues with space, parking, and unclear event guidelines
-Lack of Recognition: A few felt underappreciated by festival organizers
-The same types of restaurants offering similar food
-When organizers sell too many tickets
“Multi day events. It is a lot to commit to when running a business.”
-Randy Piebes, Q39 South, Overland Park, KS
“I don’t like it when I travel across the state to participate and no one from the festival actually comes by and says hi or thanks you for coming.It feels very cash grabby versus building an event that everyone has fun at.”
-Aaron Fish, Chef/Operations Manager Eat Good Group, Spokane, WA
Chef’s Roll takeaway: If you’re holding a culinary festival be damn sure you are organized, have ample parking for the chefs and their teams, build cost reimbursement into your financials and show your appreciation to the chefs for their hard work and taking the time to make it a success.
Factors Influencing Participation Decisions
When choosing festivals, chefs prioritize:
1. Festival Reputation (most critical)
2. Other Participating Chefs
3. Audience Demographic
4. Portion of Costs Covered
5. Charitable Aspect
Measurable Business Outcomes
-69% reported positive outcomes, such as increased bookings, social media growth, or vendor partnerships
-12% saw no direct impact, noting that benefits were sometimes intangible (e.g., networking)
-19% were not sure if they had any measurable business outcome
-A lot of chefs mentioned they met and ended up doing business with new vendors from being at culinary festivals.
“I have offered vouchers/coupons as incentives to festival attendees to use in my restaurant. This has driven sales and allowed me to track that the festival directly brought new customers into my business.”
-Carol Koty, Executive Chef at The Heritage Hotel in Naugatuck, CT
“While they can bring in new guests, it more so allows us to build better relationships with our regular guests.”
-Brenton Balika, Executive Chef, RPM Steak, Chicago, IL
“I have been to a lot of culinary events and I find that while the Chefs might be great at putting out a stellar dish, they’re not as adept at promoting themselves and taking advantage of networking opportunities. I recommend having a flyer the guests can take away reminding them of your dish and a special offer to come into your restaurant – be sure to have your photo on it as well! If you have a PR company, it would be great to have them attend to support and talk you up. I find myself hanging out with chefs I know at events and when someone comes to the table I tell them how epic the chef is and a bit about their cuisine, it can make it more authentic, almost like an insider recommendation.”
– Frans van der Lee, Co-founder Chef’s Roll
Suggestions for Improvement
-Better Organization: Clear communication, pre-event logistics, and on-site support
-More Sponsorships: Reducing out-of-pocket costs for chefs
-Enhanced Marketing: Promoting chefs and their brands more effectively
-If we can get time before the event after we set up to talk to some of the other vendors
-Having culinary volunteers to assist
Favorite Festivals
Popular mentions included:
-Cayman Cookout and Aspen Food & Wine (for prestige and networking)
-Cochon 555
-Any Chef’s Roll event (aww, thanks chefs!)
-San Antonio Festival, the whole city participates, the vibe is electric!
-Taste of the NFL (for charitable impact)
Cool gifts/swag received from a culinary festival
– My favorite was a meat box by Snake River Farms with a tomahawk steak in it!
-Knives
-Cigars
-The best was an artisan solid copper tin lined heavy copper pot from Celebrate the Craft, something I use & will cherish for a lifetime!
-Getting something well thought out that you will actually use is the way to go
-Anything besides a another water bottle and tote bag!
-At an event years ago, all of the chefs received a personalized bomber jacket. Pretty cool participation trophy
-Culinary books autographs from my favorite chefs
-Any swag is cool. Even if it’s a key chain or sticker. It’s something you take with you as a token of where you put your time into, and how awesomely fun it was to do.
-Swag like aprons is a waste, a cool t-shirt like Cochon555 used to have and give is good, otherwise, with all respect, they are dust collectors.
We asked, “If you get a chef coat from a culinary festival, what are your thoughts on festival logos on it?”
-63.4% liked having the festival logo on it
-12.7% prefer to wear their own coat
-12.7% said it shouldn’t have a festival logo, as they won’t wear it again
“Festival logos are understandable; however, if I want to wear it again it can’t be obnoxious or be a distraction at work. For me, aprons with logos work best.”
-Ginger Niles, Pastry Chef, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR
Final Thoughts
Culinary festivals remain a powerful platform for chefs to grow their brands, connect with peers, and engage with food enthusiasts. However, organizers can enhance the experience by addressing logistical challenges, improving chef support, and fostering meaningful networking opportunities.
For chefs considering festival participation, the key takeaway is to choose events aligned with their goals—whether for exposure, collaboration, or business growth.
