BECOME A VENDOR
For future consideration, please review the topics below for your submission of interest. These submissions will be reviewed and considered if vendor stall options are not committed to or for future upcoming stall availability.
Share you and your company’s experience and qualifications, including operation of other restaurant and food hall ventures. Please include professional biographies of your owners and/or operators, links to your professional social media presences and your proposed logo(s) and other branding. Be sure to include email and phone contact information to reach you about your response.
Tell us why you are interested in joining the Hey Day Market, including your interest and any experience in serving a college campus and surrounding community.
Describe your proposed concept(s) and share a menu for each. Explain why you think your concept(s) will succeed and how it will not compete with existing vendor stalls, concepts, and menus. Note that although stall equipment was selected with particular general concepts in mind, other creative concepts are welcomed.
Describe your approach to staffing of your Hey Day Market operation (number of employees, manager oversight, etc.).
Provide information demonstrating your financial capacity and plan for funding start-up costs and operations. Include supporting documentation where possible. All such information and documents will be maintained as strictly confidential.
Provide a projected five-year pro forma for your Hey Day Market operation.
If your concept requires additional specialty equipment beyond what is shown on the equipment list, please identify that equipment. Note that additional specialty equipment must be furnished by the vendor at its cost.
In order to maintain a consistent experience for all visitors and to allow our vendors to staff accordingly, each concept must maintain the same minimum hours of operation – open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner from 10:30 AM until 9:00 PM. Hey Day Market will be closed on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Thanksgiving.
Students are able to spend their declining balance dollars and use their Tiger Club cards in the Hey Day Market. However, block meals cannot be used in the Hey Day Market.
Ithaka Hospitality Partners, LLC (IHP) manages the Hey Day Market on behalf of Auburn University.
IHP serves as the agent for the owner and the agreement will be with IHP.
Once selected, each vendor is required to pay a $35,000, non-refundable fee for entry.
We believe in operational efficiencies, the cross-utilization of staff and product, and purchasing power. It is for this reason that the Hey Day Market selection committee accepts a maximum of 3 different concepts for submission
Each vendor is charged a 25% commission of gross revenues instead of a monthly lease.
Vendors pay an additional 1.5% transaction fee to Campus Dining since all dining dollar transactions are reconciled and processed by Campus Dining. Vendors accepting dining dollars must comply with the established Campus Dining rules for the use of dining dollars and provide transaction reports to be reconciled daily and paid weekly. Campus Dining works with the management team at the Hey Day Market to establish funds flow for dining dollar transactions and a refund process for customer service issues.
An initial term of one year, with a two-year renewable term and a 30 day out with cause.
The liquor license for Hey Day Market is held by IHP which manages the bar inside Hey Day Market. The bar is the only outlet permitted to sell alcoholic beverages.
This is a cashless market. Owner provides POS free of charge and will reconcile on a weekly / monthly basis the commission due. This is to reduce the overall ticket time for each transaction, resulting in a positive experience for guests, but also to free our vendors from the time-consuming accounting process, and let them focus on providing incredible meals that create more brand advocates and ultimately drive more revenue.
All food hall vendors are required to purchase and receive their own food, non-alcoholic beverages and non-branded Hey Day Market paper goods. Dedicated cooler space is provided downstairs by the Hey Day Market Operator. Receiving & Floor hours are identified in the Operators Agreement.
You are responsible for purchasing and receiving all food, non-alcoholic beverages and any branded or non branded products specifically related to your stall. All paper goods individually sourced must be approved by the Hey Day Market prior to purchasing to ensure The Hey Day Market brand is being represented to its standards and Auburn University’s commitment to sustainability is accounted for. Hey Day Market branded items are purchased by the Hey Day Market Operator and requisitioned and billed to each tenant. All tenants are required to use branded Hey Day Market to-go bags. Non branded napkins are purchased by The Hey Day Market Operator and available at all tables throughout the market.
As the management company for Hey Day Market, IHP has secured a prime food service vendor provider. All food hall vendors may choose to purchase from IHP’s prime vendor in order to take advantage of price/volume discount.
Hey Day Market vendors can sell non-alcoholic drinks at their stalls. These products must adhere to the AU Pouring Rights Agreement which requires all vendors to purchase all products through the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United. A Coca-Cola sales representative will be appointed and work with all vendors on sourcing products and deliveries. No bottled or canned products will be allowed to be sold that do not follow the AU pouring rights agreement.
Third party delivery services are not permitted from any food hall vendor.
The market has its own social media channels. These channels, Facebook & Instagram, are used to educate and attract. They are a visual medium of storytelling about the market in general – updates, events, and promotions. It is also a vehicle for telling the ongoing stories of our chefs and their offerings. Hey Day’s social media channels are a tool for creating and growing a strong local customer base, as well as a method for attracting out-of-town visitors. These platforms are a digital version of the market experience that ultimately pulls people in and causes action. Vendors are encouraged to use their own social media platforms as well, to promote their stall and the market as a whole.
All inquiries are required to be submitted by email to HeyDayMarket@ithakahp.com. Inquiries by phone are not accepted.
To become a Hey Day Market vendor, click on the “Become A Vendor Submit Now” field above and follow the submittal instructions. Submissions will be reviewed promptly. Prospective vendors may be contacted for interviews or informal discussions and may be asked to provide additional information. A shortlist of vendors may be invited to execute a tasting of the full menu at the vendor’s expense and to present their vision, company, branding, menu, financials, equipment needs, and other information. Vendors will be selected based on the quality of their proposals, relevant experience, and the best interests and needs of the overall Hey Day Market project. Vendors will be required to sign a standard food vendor license agreement with the operator.
211 S College St.
Auburn, AL 36830
HOURS
10:30am – 9:00pm
Copyright © 2022 Auburn University
College of Sciences school of
hospitality Management
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Public parking is available at the street level along College Street. Nearby public parking decks in Downtown Auburn are also available. Click here for more information from the City of Auburn.
Complimentary parking available on floors 2 & 3 in the South College Street Parking Deck after 5pm, Monday – Friday, and any time Saturday – Sunday.
Valet parking available for $10 at The Hotel at Auburn University.
NOTE: Parking at The Laurel Hotel & Spa is not permitted unless you are a hotel guest or a resident at The Laurel Hotel & Spa, dining at 1856 – Culinary Residence, or have a spa appointment.
