Apply for a market stall in Copenhagen

Holding a market stall in Copenhagen is popular. It is therefore decisive that you submit a comprehensive application.

We recommend that you enclose the following with your application:

• Concept description
• Business plan
• Business start-up budget
• Picture of your future cart
• Personal motivation

We may attach importance to the following in your concept:

• Experience with stalls, your concept or street vending
• Own operation – including description of experience with day-to-day operation
• Health and organic principles
• Sustainability – both in service, energy source and local cooperations
• Innovative thinking
• Something unique for the City – how your concept contributes to the area
• Richer diversity and variation in food assortment compared to existing businesses
• A well-kept vending cart

Many applications are rejected because of competition, as holding a market stall in Copenhagen is very popular, and the competition for an attractive location is tough. 

Other reasons may be that your application is inadequate, or that the offering of your concept fails to meet our requirements.

The City of Copenhagen evaluates all applications individually, and you will always get an individual answer. 

Removal of cart

You must remove your cart from the stall after closing time.

Remember to consult with the food safety authorities on requirements for garage for storage of your cart and your food (in Danish)

Shared market stall 

A shared market stall is a stall that is evenly divided between two or more stallholders. It is typically divided between day and night or switches between even and odd weeks. 

E.g. Rådhuspladsen, which is allocated to a traditional hotdog stand during daytime and to a food stall during the night. 

Time periods will be indicated in the announcements and in your permit. 

The Copenhagen hotdog stand

Hotdog stands must look like a ”classical Copenhagen hotdog stand” and appear in a light design, be white and preferably have windows at all three sides. Maximum measurement is 6 m2 exclusive of shades with a maximum projection of 60 cm. In case of special circumstances at the site, a smaller cart may be required. If there is a tow-bar on your hotdog stand, it must be unfolded when the stand is placed at the market stall. 

If you have a proposal for a place in Copenhagen that ought to have a permanent market stall, you can forward your proposal to the City of Copenhagen. 

If you wish to propose a market stall, your proposal must include a picture/map of the location and a market analysis of the location.

Consideration of your proposal

The City of Copenhagen will consider your proposal. If it is passed, the market stall is put up on the Danish site for market stalls, and everybody will have the opportunity to apply for it. 

Many different circumstances must be taken into account when a proposal is considered, so please be aware that it may take several months to have a new market stall put up.