Food stands at Tuesday concerts

Since the Tuesday night Healdsburg Farmers Market moved to the
Purity parking lot last year, concertgoers haven’t had access to
food stands on the plaza. This summer, that will change.
“In the past, the farmers market had some food there, and last
year we had requests for food on the plaza,” said David Mickaelian,
assistant city manager.
In March, the City of Healdsburg contacted local restaurants to
see which businesses might be interested in selling “street food”
on Tuesday nights. As of this week, Affronti, diVine Pizza,
Healdsburg Charcuterie, Mateo Granados’ Flavors of the Yucatan, and
Matthew Alain Paille’s Epicurean Escape Catering have committed to
set up food stands on Plaza Street from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on concert
nights.
Dishes will be $10 or under, and the city has requested that 50
percent of the food be sourced locally. No alcohol will be
served.
Healdsburg Charcuterie chef owner Patrick Martin noted that
while he doesn’t expect to make a lot of money through the food
stand, he sees it as an opportunity to increase exposure, be part
of the community, and increase his customer base over the long
term.
“What made me decide to do it was the opportunity that we had,
and if we didn’t do it, somebody from the outside would do it,”
Martin said.
Originally, the city was considering letting in food purveyors
from outside of Healdsburg, but based upon feedback from local
restaurants the decision was made to keep the program focused on
Healdsburg businesses.
“Over the years, I realized Tuesdays were getting a little
slower because people want picnic food. I also like that we’ll have
more exposure… and it’s also about being part of the community,”
Martin said.
The Healdsburg Charcuterie food stand plans to offer Martin’s
famous blackened chicken salad for $10, a charcuterie platter, a
simple Caesar salad, desserts, and lavender lemonade.
DiVine Pizza will offer a more American style food stand, with
pulled pork sandwiches, tri tip sandwiches, and Caesar salad made
onsite. “It will be $8 for a sandwich and salad, and sodas and
water for a dollar,” said owner Michael Kennedy.
Kennedy was also hoping to boost his business and increase
community awareness through the food stand.
“The concert series has been so successful and this will be
about being down there, part of the community and part of the
square. More than anything else, it’s about being part of the
community,” Kennedy said.
Food vendors will give ten percent of their revenue to the city
as a stall fee. Mickaelian noted that the revenue generated from
the stall fees would help fund the concert series.
“We want to be very careful because we are at capacity at a lot
of the events… It’s a good problem to have. At the same time, we
need to find ongoing revenue streams to ensure the continued
quality of the events,” Mickaelian said. “If Healdsburg is known
for its food, why not offer it here.”
Market manager Mary Kelley noted that John Franchetti will still
be selling wood-fired pizzas at the farmers market, off the
plaza.
“The farmers are one block west and one block north of the
plaza. We will have John Franchetti, and he is known for making
pizzas in a wood oven using local ingredients. He will be
supporting the farmers at the market,” Mary Kelley said.
Kelley noted that the off-plaza location allows market customers
to park more easily, and purchase produce without the crowd and
noise of the concert series.
“The farmers market is a place to sell produce. Farmers markets
are not just window dressing for other events,” Kelley said.
Tuesday concerts on the Plaza begin May 31.
Staff Writer Lynda Hopkins can be reached at Ly***@hb*****.com.