Taste of Franklin is back this year with a slightly different flavor.
The popular restaurant-sampling event in Franklin, which has been around since the 1990s but wasn’t held the last two years due to restaurant staffing shortages, will return Saturday, March 9, to 13 locations in the downtown area from 2 to 5 p.m.
But while it formerly was held in the downtown parks in the summer, it will be held inside the restaurants themselves this year in the downtown shopping district.
“But that became unsustainable because it required so much extra staff, and restaurants don’t have the staff anymore,” Taylor added.
It was also held on Sundays, another thing that made it difficult for restaurants.
“So we changed it to March, when things are a little slower, and they have a little more time for the event,” Taylor said. “And we moved it inside, so they can get people in the door of their restaurant, during a time when they normally would be open and it doesn’t require so much extra staff.”
Participants can go into the restaurants and pick up a portion of food, and some places might include extras such as coupons, she said.
Four restaurants that are participating from outside of the immediate downtown shopping district will be set up inside downtown retail businesses.
Taylor said registration will be from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce, and the ticket price is $35, including a map, a carry-home box so participants don’t have to eat all of the food at once, and a ticket that will be punched at each location they visit.
Anyone with 10 or more punches will be in the running for a door prize.
Ticket prices will go back to the food vendors, Taylor added.
“People can check out what’s downtown, and get a little taste of what’s there,” she said.
