Top 5 Food Festival Etiquette Rules
Summer is the season of food festivals. Whether it's beer, pancakes or food trucks, this is the time of year we line up (or sit down) at weekend events for samples of exotic and exciting foods. Unfortunately, some of us don't quite know how to behave in situations with other human beings. Turn the page for a few tips.
Guzzle & Nosh Crowds at the 2010 LA Food Festival.
5. Stay Home
Seriously, don't bother showing up. Like anything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it. If you walk in with a terrible attitude, chances are you're going to have a terrible experience. Besides, food festivals, while excellent for their culinary density, are often the worst way to experience a cuisine or restaurant in its natural habitat.
4. Servers Are People Too
We shouldn't have to tell you, but unless you like spit in your food, you should always be polite to servers. That's just basic decency. If you think you're sticky and tired standing in line under the broiling sun, spend a few minutes working the hot-line of a taco truck. Suddenly, a sun-baked parking lot starts to look like an oasis. If a festival is oversold or poorly managed, it's not the fault of the people who make your food. Don't take your anger out on them. Say "please" when you order your food. Say "thank you" when you receive it.
3. Don't Cut In Line
It's one thing to strategically divide your resources by waiting in one line while your friend waits in another then meeting up. It's another thing to waltz up with four new people and cut in a line that's 50-people deep. Food festivals shouldn't need a Playground Monitor, but sometimes we wish they had one. Lines can be long. We're all in it together. Don't forget that.
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