Bite of Seattle vendors allege high fees, poor security, favoritism

SEATTLE - The Bite of Seattle is facing backlash after a vendor’s booth was ransacked during the three-day food and arts festival — and now, more allegations are surfacing.

Following FOX 13 Seattle’s report about local artist Courtney Correia’s booth being broken into, another vendor reached out anonymously, claiming the event’s organizers, FoodieLand, are mistreating local business owners.

The iconic festival — known for bringing together local flavors and artists — has left a bitter taste for some vendors and customers alike.

What they're saying:

Social media users are criticizing the event’s prices, with some calling it the "Bite of your wallet" in reference to expensive lumpia buckets, dipped cheesecake, and alligator skewers. One customer who purchased the alligator bites said: "It’s good though, but not worth $27."

Some shared their opinions on social media, saying, "If you didn’t make it to the Bite of Seattle, be glad."

In the vendor contract, participants agree to strict rules that include a clause preventing them from speaking out publicly against the organizers.

The anonymous vendor claims the California-based company FoodieLand — which took over the Bite last year from a Kirkland company — is prioritizing out-of-state vendors who regularly follow FoodieLand’s nationwide festival circuit.

"They get prime booth locations with high foot traffic because they travel with FoodieLand year-round," the vendor said, alleging that Washington-based vendors were pushed to the outskirts of the festival, hurting their visibility and sales.

FoodieLand hosts similar events across Texas, California, Nevada, and Arizona. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, the company acquired the Bite of Seattle in 2023 for an undisclosed amount.

Local perspective:

Festivalgoers also noticed a shift in atmosphere and offerings.

A TikTok content creator by the name @corteezyy said, "I think the number-one complaint is that it’s not local."

Per the vendor contract, booths cost between $1,500 and $3,250, depending on size and placement. Vendors must also use the company’s proprietary payment system, which includes a 3% fee and a 30-cent charge per card transaction — plus an additional 21–29% commission on food and drink sales, and an additional 18% for arts and crafts.

For example, a vendor selling a $15 squid skewer would take home just $11.11 after fees, and would need to sell around 225 skewers to recoup booth costs — not including food, supplies, or labor.

Dig deeper:

The anonymous vendor also claimed that FoodieLand sent in "secret shoppers" to monitor compliance. Vendors who accepted cash and failed to log transactions in the official system were allegedly removed from the festival mid-event.

This comes on the heels of artist Courtney Correia reporting that her booth was ransacked, resulting in a loss of over $1,500 in handmade goods.

"They took a bunch of my prints, I had hoodies, t-shirts, artwork, stickers – they just trashed my entire thing," Correia said, and she shared the aftermath on TikTok. "But at the end of the day, like, I just can't get that time back, because I do hand-make 99% of my items."

Vendors also allege that overnight security failed to protect booths from theft. One vendor reportedly lost over $600 in equipment and has filed a police report.

FOX 13 has reached out to FoodieLand for comment regarding these allegations, but they have not responded as of publication.

Responses to FOX 13 Seattle:

FOX 13 Seattle reached out to Seattle Center for a statement and they said: 

"Seattle Center is proud to partner with FoodieLand, the producing team behind the Bite of Seattle. In just two years, they have revitalized one of the region’s most iconic food festivals—welcoming more than 500,000 attendees to Seattle Center and reestablishing the Bite as a dynamic, inclusive, and high-impact civic tradition.

 The 2024 festival alone was one of the most successful weekends in Seattle Center history, drawing more than 350,000 visits, supporting hundreds of small businesses, and celebrating the diversity and creativity of our city.

 FoodieLand, a small business itself, has consistently demonstrated professionalism, transparency, and a strong commitment to operational excellence. Their approach—especially the use of consistent vendor systems and clear communication—reflects best practices for large-scale events and helps ensure equitable treatment of all participants.

 Seattle Center remains committed to hosting public events that reflect the spirit of Seattle—welcoming, collaborative, and community-driven—and we deeply value the partnership we’ve built with FoodieLand."

 FoodieLand also released this statement:

"As the independent producer of Seattle’s longest running food festival, we are proud to support this highly popular annual event – which saw near-record attendance – showcasing a wide variety of culturally diverse foods, supporting hundreds of small businesses and local artists, and generating significant economic impact for Seattle.

All participating vendors agree in advance to use a common point-of-sale system, a standard practice for major festivals. This system helps ensure transparent sales reporting, a majority of which covers production and promotion expenses for this free community event that directly supports Seattle Center’s public programs and operations.

We stand behind the integrity of this event - food vendors and artists who make it such a huge success year after year. So, it’s especially disappointing to hear of the anonymous complaint from one of the nearly 300 vendors who participated. We also share the frustration of one of our crafts vendors whose booth was burglarized overnight. We have a strong record of security and take this incident – and any incident – seriously.

We’re always open to refining our processes and appreciate direct, constructive feedback. We’ve implemented operational improvements each year and will continue to do so with feedback we receive this year to ensure everyone has a safe, enjoyable, and successful experience."

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