Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

What Atlanta Food & Wine Festival does

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival (AFWF) is a privately held culinary events company founded in 2010/2011 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It produces an annual four-day festival celebrating Southern food, wine, beer, and craft spirits, anchored by its signature walk-around Tasting Tents presented by Goya Foods and supplemented by themed sub-events (Whiskey & Fire, Stacked: The Burger Social, Southern Fried: A Chicken Affair), curated intimate dinners at top Atlanta restaurants, and a Publix-sponsored culinary Demo Stage. The festival curates 200+ chefs and culinary personalities (including Andrew Zimmern, Marcus Samuelsson, and Scott Conant), 50+ restaurants, and 40+ wine/spirits purveyors, drawing 15,000+ attendees per edition with a premium demographic skew (65% HHI above $180,000, average age 25–37).

The business operates a platform-plus-events commercial model with two principal revenue streams. Consumer revenue is generated through ticketing — General Admission, VIP, multi-event weekend passes, intimate dinners, and special events — sold direct-to-consumer via the festival website. B2B revenue is generated through tiered corporate sponsorship packages (presenting, flagship, core, and minor) sold to consumer, beverage, and lifestyle brands; anchor partners include Invesco QQQ (presenting partner and Official ETF Partner), Goya Foods, Publix, Coca-Cola, Mike's Amazing, and Square (presenting sponsor of the a21 Trade Program). Operational execution is handled by a21 as the exclusive production partner under a Them-to-Us model, with Grey Fox PR managing earned media.

The underlying technology footprint is minimal and conventional for a live-events business: a transactional website with Square-powered ticketing for the trade program, standard organic social channels (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), email newsletters, and earned-media relationships. There are no disclosed APIs, mobile applications, proprietary software platforms, or AI/ML capabilities. The festival operates as a regional event with concentrated reach in the Southeastern United States and national press coverage; its 2025–2026 editions are staged at The Home Depot Backyard @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium following a venue relocation.

Name

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

Legal name

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

Website

https://atlfoodandwinefestival.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is a privately held Atlanta-based culinary events company that produces an annual four-day festival of Southern food, wine, and spirits, drawing 15,000+ attendees and 200+ chefs, and monetizes through consumer ticketing and tiered corporate sponsorships (Invesco QQQ, Goya, Publix, Coca-Cola).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food & Beverage Festivals / Culinary Events

NAICS

Food Services and Drinking Places (722)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Food, Wine & Beverage Festivals/Expos (MPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food Festivals & Culinary Events (Ticketed Tastings, Pop-ups) (THAJAGAL)

Keywords

• Culinary festival
• Food and wine events
• Tasting experiences
• Corporate event sponsorships
• Hospitality networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Festival Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from selling tickets to festival events including Tasting Tents, Whiskey & Fire, Stacked: The Burger Social, Southern Fried: A Chicken Affair, and Intimate Dinners. Tickets are sold at various price tiers including VIP and General Admission.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Partnership packages customized for corporate partners including consumer engagement, marketing and media activations, and customer hosting/B2B opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival produces and operates an annual four-day culinary event in Atlanta, Georgia, showcasing Southern food, wine, beer, and craft spirits. The festival's core offering is its signature Tasting Tents presented by Goya Foods, complemented by ticketed special events (Whiskey & Fire, Stacked: The Burger Social, Southern Fried: A Chicken Affair), intimate dinners at top Atlanta restaurants, and a culinary demonstration stage. Revenue is generated primarily through ticket sales to consumers and corporate sponsorship packages sold to brands.

Product overview

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is a four-day culinary event presented by Invesco QQQ featuring a portfolio of tasting experiences centered around its signature Tasting Tents presented by Goya Foods. The festival operates a platform-plus-events model consisting of four themed Tasting Tent sessions (The Atlanta Standard, Flavors of Atlanta, The Southern Spread, and The Homecoming), special ticketed events (Whiskey & Fire Atlanta, Stacked: The Burger Social, Southern Fried: A Chicken Affair), intimate dinner experiences, and Publix Demo Stage culinary demonstrations. The festival also offers a Trade Program for industry professionals and multi-event passes for extended access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tasting Tents presented by Goya Foods: Signature walk-around tasting events featuring food, wine, beer, and craft spirits from Southern chefs and purveyors
• Whiskey & Fire
• a21 Trade Program
• Publix Demo Stage

Products and services

• Tasting Tents presented by Goya Foods

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000+ annual attendees with 65% HHI >$180k
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Invesco QQQflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Partner and Official ETF Partner of Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. Invesco QQQ is an exchange-traded fund tracking the Nasdaq-100 Index. Atlanta is the proud home of Invesco QQQ's headquarters.
• Goya FoodsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Hispanic Foods Partner and presenting sponsor of all Tasting Tents events. Goya Foods is a premier Latin foods company.
• PublixcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Supermarket Partner. Publix sponsors the Demo Stage at the festival.
• Coca-ColacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Soft Drink Partner. Coca-Cola, as an Atlanta-based company, has deep ties to the festival.
• Mike's AmazingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Mayo and Mustard Partner. Sponsors Stacked: The Burger Social event.
• SquarecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of the a21 Trade Program, connecting Square with hospitality industry professionals attending the festival.
• PrincessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond Partner level sponsor, nature of partnership not specified.
• DisneyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Partner level sponsor, nature of partnership not specified.
• Tequila CazadoresminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Partner sponsor, will be present at the festival serving products.
• InterContinental Buckhead AtlantacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSweepstakes partner providing 2-night hotel stay as prize for Ultimate Foodie Weekend sweepstakes.
• The Americano AtlantacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSweepstakes partner providing dinner experience with Scott Conant as prize.
• The Home Depot BackyardflagshipOthersVenue partner hosting all Tasting Tents events. Located at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 1 Backyard Way, Atlanta, GA 30313.
• Guardian WorksminorOthersVenue partner for Whiskey & Fire Atlanta event. Located at 775 Echo St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318.
• Event Zero Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit partner dedicated to fostering positive environmental and social impact within the events industry. Committed to sustainable practices.
• a21flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive production partner for Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. Manages operations, partnerships, ticketing, and trade programs.
• Grey Fox PRcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOfficial PR agency handling press inquiries and media coordination for the festival.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival: Multi-day ticketed culinary festival featuring celebrity chef demonstrations, tastings, and corporate sponsorships in a major U.S. city — the closest large-scale analog to Atlanta Food & Wine Festival in structure and audience.
• Aspen Food & Wine Classic: The category-defining U.S. food and wine festival featuring top chefs, winemakers, and premium brand activations, operating a similar ticketed-tastings and demos model with a high-end consumer audience.
• South Beach Wine & Food Festival: Large multi-day coastal food and wine festival built on celebrity-chef-hosted tastings, walk-around tents, and corporate sponsorships — directly comparable in format and sponsorship stack.
• Charleston Wine + Food Festival: Regional food and wine festival in the Southeast with similar walk-around tasting events, chef-driven programming, and corporate sponsorship packages targeting affluent culinary travelers.
• Pebble Beach Food & Wine: Premium destination culinary event combining chef tastings, wine experiences, and luxury brand sponsorships — comparable in audience profile and high-touch event format.
• Cayman Cookout: Boutique, high-end destination culinary event hosted at The Ritz-Carlton featuring celebrity chef collaborations and premium beverage experiences — analogous in event scale and target audience.
• Vegas Uncork'd: Multi-day Las Vegas culinary festival featuring celebrity-chef-hosted tastings and brand-sponsored events at partner hotel properties — directly comparable in ticketing and sponsorship model.
• Heritage Fire (Whiskies of the World): Producer of the Whiskey & Fire Atlanta event in partnership with Atlanta Food & Wine Festival; runs the same walk-around fire-and-spirits tasting format at culinary events nationally.

Regional players

• Austin Food + Wine Festival: Regional U.S. culinary festival featuring chef demonstrations and tastings with similar chef-driven programming, but primarily serving a different geographic market (Texas).
• Taste of Atlanta: Atlanta-based food and beverage festival featuring local restaurants, tastings, and chef demonstrations — competes for the same Atlanta culinary audience and sponsorship pool.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AtlantaFoodandWineFestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/atlfoodandwine
• TikToktiktok.com/@atlfoodandwine
• Xx.com/atlfoodandwine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Atlanta Food & Wine Festival