Market stalls provide immediate feedback and fierce competition for small businesses, but the exposure can be second to none.
And while the adage about all publicity being worthwhile persists, for celebrity chefs putting their names to poorly organised events, that may not ring true for much longer.
Luke Mangan recently apologised to 3500 guests who attended A Moveable Feast on Bondi Beach for over $100 per ticket. Many left hungry after queuing for hours at what was described as "the worst event ever."
In January, more than 50 restaurant owners and chefs descended on Redfern's Carriageworks to take part in a one night event coinciding with Chinese New Year.
Foodies had been promised a night of Asian cuisine and festivity with markets curated by celebrity chef Kylie Kwong.
Instead, the crowds were long, the food was scarce and the atmosphere quickly turned chaotic.
The event was panned on social media and people who had paid 10 dollars for entry to the event swiftly demanded refunds.
Event "curator" Kylie Kwong was forced to issue an apology on social media, promising to "do better" next time around.
"I want to extend my deepest, most sincerest apologies to those of you who had a disappointing experience due to the long, long queues, the over-crowdedness, the food running out too soon and so on," Ms Kwong wrote.
"I completely appreciate and acknowledge your disappointment, I would have felt the same way and for this, I truly and deeply apologize."
But what about the small businesses who jump at the chance to be involved in a celebrity "curated" event?
The night markets were a sharp learning curve for the owner of Sydney's Syrian restaurant Almond Bar, who ran out of food within hours of the event beginning.
"We were expecting to serve about 300 servings and ended up making about 450," Carol Salloum told SBS.
"We ran out of one of the ingredients and had to call back to the restaurant for someone to drop some ingredients off."
"Things can go wrong but as long as you deal with it the right way, people can always be forgiving."
Why should small businesses bother with market stalls?
Market stalls are challenging environments for a small business to tackle. There's no formal seating and limited space to take orders and cook.
Businesses are also at the mercy of the weather with no guarantee people will choose to try their food.
Many of the events, like the Chinese New Year markets run at Carriageworks are also managed by external PR companies.
It's often up to the businesses to check in with the event organisers about how many people can be expected, even if the event is ticketed.
The risky undertaking was something the founder of Black Market Sake, Matt Young was willing to commit to because the event gave him the chance to meet directly with his customers.
Mr Young was keen to spruik his life-long passion for Japanese wine.
"It's a great opportunity for us in the sense that we get to deal directly with our customers," Mr Young said.
"Predominantly our business is based on wholesale to restaurants and bars, so even just a conversation about sake would be great."
Mark Eather is a Tasmanian seafood supplier who made perhaps the longest journey to be involved in the night markets in January.
A passionate advocate for sustainable, ethical fishing practices, he said other businesses with products that may cost more need to persevere in the market place.
"There's a lot of hard yards there, once you're established it's a whole lot easier, but to start out I would have to say you need passion.
"You need to have that, stick at it and prove yourself."
Carol Salloum says although there were some complaints about long wait times at the markets, it's an event she'd take part in again.
"It was a great experience, it was profitable and it was good exposure for the restaurant," Ms Salloum said.
Important lessons for businesses looking to make the most of the market place.
Top tips for market stall setups:
- Make sure your space is unique and eye catching
- Have your social media details readily available
- Make sure there are multiple ways people can pay you, including cash and PayPass
- Check with event organisers how many people can be expected
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