A MESSAGE FROM OURCEO
Thank you so much for your interest in becoming a vendor at our Award winning EatLoco Farmers Markets. I take great pride in EatLoco and what it's become in 5 short years and look forward to you possibly becoming part of it.
Our vendor vetting process is one of our most important steps we take before we approve a vendor's application. We are looking for good business men and women that want to build their businesses and take it to the next level. Each applicant will have a conversation with me personally to make sure we are a good fit for each other and that you are 100% equipped with all the info you need to be successful at our market(s).
We're here to help. So let's do this!
Dan Hine
Founder & CEO
EatLoco, LLC
ACCEPTED VENDOR TYPES
RANCH/FARM: Farm-based produce Vegetables and fruits, herbs, nursery crops, Proteins, beef, pork, chicken lamb, turkey, eggs)
FOOD PRODUCERS: Coffee, teas, baked goods, jams, jellies, apple butter, granola, etc.
HOT FOOD VENDORS (Food prepared on-site): Intended for immediate consumption (crepes, bagels, BBQ, etc).
ARTISAN CRAFT VENDORS: Hand-crafted (non-food) items made by the vendor.
HEALTH & WELLNESS VENDORS - Vendors not falling into any of the above categories, but are more about overall Health & Wellness (i.e., Chiropractors, Gyms, Massage Therapists, etc)
OTHER: If you don’t fall into any of these categories, pls contact us at info@eatloco.org. We may still be able to fit you in.
SELLING FOOD PREPARED
AT THE MARKET?
Food Vendors in Loudoun County that would like to sell food that will be prepared at the market, must have a Dept. of Health Food Permit. Health Food Permits MUST be displayed at the market every week on your tent.
VA Dept. of Health: (804) 864-7056
SELLING FOOD NOT PREPARED AT THE MARKET?
If you're preparing your food before you come to the farmers market and operate out of a commercial kitchen, then you must first be certified by the Virginia Department of Agriculture (VDACS), before applying.
VDACS Phone: (804) 786-3520
FAQs
WHAT IS EATLOCO'S WEATHER POLICY
Generally, our markets operate rain, shine or snow. However, if local government chooses to close our roads in the case of a hurricane, tornado watch, severe storm, or other extreme weather conditions, we will close our markets too. The Market Manager on duty can also make that call to close the market due to extreme conditions. Facebook is generally the method we use to notify vendors and customers if we decide to close the market for that day.
WHAT TIME SHOULD I ARRIVE AT THE MARKET TO SETUP?
Vendors should arrive no later than 8:00AM, quickly unload your tent, table and products in your assigned space, move your vehicle from the market immediately to the vendor parking area, and then return back to setup your tent. All vendors must be setup and be ready to sell no later than 8:45AM sharp (at either of our markets). Vendors that arrive late and are not prepared on time may be asked to leave and/or be subject to a fine. We enforce this policy for the safety of the customers and out of fairness to the vendors who do show up on time. At promptly 8:45AM, the market street is closed off completely to all vehicles wanting to enter, and all vehicles still in the market at 8:45AM, must remove their vehicle from the market street immediately.
WHERE DO VENDORS PARK?
ONE LOUDOUN - Vendors can drive into the market to unload their materials and products and then move their vehicles immediately to the nearby parking area designated for vendors. Note: Requests to keep your vehicle with you at your tent, must be pre-approved by EatLoco Mgmt. Please park your vehicle away from the market, and reserve closer spots for our elderly and handicapped market patrons. Ask our Market Manager or another vendors where the designated vendor parking area is located.
BRAMBLETON - Vendors at Brambleton can drive into the market to unload their vehicles (before 8:00AM), promptly move their vehicles to the nearby parking area behind the Harris Teeter, and then return to your space to setup your tents, products, etc. Requests to keep your vehicle with you at your tent, must be pre-approved by EatLoco Mgmt. Do not park your vehicles on the road near the market as we would like to reserve those closer spots for our elderly and handicapped market patrons.
WHERE DO I SET UP?
ONE LOUDOUN - Due to the size of our One Loudoun market, EatLoco Season-pass holders are roughly assigned the same spot each week, though may be shifted slightly as our market grows. It is not possible for us to give Drop-In vendors the same spot each week they drop-in (please don’t request this). To push the One Loudoun market-layout out to all vendors weekly, we publish the new layout to the same link each week: www.eatloco.org/ol-layout. We suggest creating a bookmark on your smart phone for easy access. Vendors should check this link every Saturday Morning to see which spot they have been assigned for that day. Corresponding space numbers are sprayed painted on the road for easy viewing.
BRAMBLETON - Brambleton season vendors are assigned roughly the same spot each week. Brambleton drop-in vendors are assigned a spot by the Market Manager the day of the market when they arrive. You can also see the Brambleton layout map at www.eatloco.org/bram-layout.
WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?
At the market, you are required to have a 10 X 10 tent (no larger). It's required that you have at least a 25 pound weight (50 preferred) on each leg of your tent (even during non-windy days). These are available at your local home improvement store as well as online retailers like Amazon. In addition to bringing your products, you should also bring methods to accept payment (cash box, square, etc) as well as signage to identify your business. We encourage you to bring tables, tablecloths, sandwich board signs, retractable banners, or any other decorations you may want to make your space noticeable and welcoming to your customers.
WHAT ABOUT SIGNAGE AND MARKETING?
At our core, EatLoCo is a marketing company. While we can no longer provide some of the basic marketing services for each of you as we have done in the past, we are always here to throw ideas around on how to improve your brand, market presence, etc. We do a TON of social media, Google and Facebook ads to support our markets. By tagging us in your social media posts, your chances of showing up on EatLoco's social media pages increase significantly. Our handles for Facebook & Instagram are: @eatlocofarmersmarkets. There are several other social media pages that pretend to be EatLoco that are NOT EatLoco. So be careful and make sure you tag us, and not one of them. @eatlocofarmersmarkets
HOW CAN I ATTRACT CUSTOMERS TO MY TENT?
Our farmers markets are known for their friendly and inviting atmosphere, so our #1 suggestion is to be approachable. Sitting behind your table, looking down at your phone, reading your book and waiting for your products to sell themselves will most likely not produce the results you are looking for. Anyone walking right in front of your tent is a potential customer. Stand proud, believe in your product and greet each customer as they walk by as if they are your next $100 sale.
WHY DO I NEED TO REPORT MY SALES EACH WEEK?
First of all, we will never take a percentage of your sales. Timely sales reporting is critical to measuring the success of the EatLoco vendors and markets. Vendor sales numbers are used to track trends in market performance, provide feedback (averages) to vendors, attract market sponsors, and to show results to our supporting venue owners. All vendors must report their market sales by the following Wednesday night at 9:00PM to avoid a $25 missed sales report fee. If you are a drop in vendor, you only need to record your sales number for the weeks you attend the market.
***Please visit the vendor handbook for instructions on how to report submit your market sales
WHAT IF I CAN'T MAKE THE MARKET?
If you have an Emergency that causes you to miss the market, please contact us as soon as possible. Simply not showing up is not acceptable. Use the Vendor Feedback Form to let us know if something comes up. This form submissions notifies several of the EatLoco staff so it’s never missed. No direct emails or text messages please. Market fees are not refunded for missed markets and a no-show fee may be charged.
HOW DO I CHANGE MY MARKET SCHEDULE DATES?
Unfortunately, you can't change your own dates inside Manage My Market. To add, change or cancel dates, submit your changes using the Vendor Feedback Form. No direct emails or text messages please.
HOW DOES COMPETITION WORK AT THE MARKET?
Most vendors will have a competitor at the market in one form or another. We are very careful not to over-saturate the market with any one vendor type. We will never give a vendor exclusive rights to a market either for their food or product type.
FIRE MARSHAL REQUIREMENTS
Vendors cooking under a tent, must display a working and up-to-date Fire Extinguisher. Cooking at the market must be done OUTSIDE your tent (prevents grease buildup under the tent that can cause a fire). The Health Dept requires food be stored under the tent and covered at all times. Failure to comply with any of these Fire Marshall rules, can cause your removal from the market!
COST TO BE A VENDOR AT AN EATLOCO MARKET
The cost to be an EatLoco vendor is between $56-$68/market date. Rates depend on how often you signup to be at a market. The more passes you purchase up-front, the less expensive the rate. Season vendors pay the least amount because they sign-up for every market date of the season. Both markets are the same price. EatLoco does NOT take a percentage of your sales. We want our vendors to sell as much as possible without worrying about giving-up any of their sales at the end of the day.
START THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Now comes the Application. There are a few things we need to know about you and your business so we can get you Approved. We may setup a time to talk with you to if we have questions about your business and to make sure we are a good fit for each other. Please start by clicking the APPLY NOW button below. And remember, if you don't pay the "Admin Fee" your application will not be considered.
FIRST
And Finally, you will hear from us via email in the next 3-5 business days as to the status of your application
