Oak Brook officials will need to take a look at the future of the village’s annual July 3 Taste of Oak Brook after McDonald’s notified them recently that it won’t continue its $100,000 yearly contribution for the event.
Nobody is talking about not continuing Taste of Oak Brook, which usually attracts upward of 20,000 people who come out for about a dozen food and beverage vendors, live entertainment, pony rides and a petting zoo for kids and a fireworks show.
McDonald’s has been the event’s major sponsor for several years with its $100,000 contribution. However, the fast-food giant no longer will be part of Taste of Oak Brook after moving its corporate presence this year to Chicago from Oak Brook.
“This definitely will have a major impact in some way,” village manager Rick Ginex said. “I think we probably will have a public meeting in September or October to discuss this and see where we go from here.”
Village Board member Michael Manzo, chairman of the village’s Taste of Oak Brook Committee, agreed.
“I don’t think we’re going to find one sponsor to make up the $100,000 we’re losing from McDonald’s,” Manzo said. “We’ll have to look for multiple, smaller donations.”
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Manzo said anything could be on the table for discussion about future Taste of Oak Brook budgets, including making it a two-day event, and charging admission for a musical act the second day.
“The bottom line is that we have to increase revenue and look for ways to become more efficient on how we spend money for Taste because we don’t have that $100,000 cushion anymore.”
Another possibility is the village budgeting some funds to continue the Taste of Oak Brook, he said.
Ginex said revenues for the 2018 Taste of Oak Brook totaled $241,288, an amount made up of parking fees, food vendor fees, beverage sales and sponsor donations.
Expenses of $222,427 include fireworks, staff overtime, entertainment, lighting, tents and a fee paid to Ravenswood Events Services for handling operation of the event, left a profit of $18,861, Ginex said.
However, without the $100,000 donation from McDonald’s, that net profit would have been a loss of more than $80,000, if nothing else was changed.
Food vendors at Taste of Oak Brook paid $750 to $1,000 for a tent, tent lighting, tables, folding chairs, menu signs, electric outlets, shared refrigeration and all applicable permits.