Tompkins County has issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking a new vendor to operate the café, bar, and giftshop at the Ithaca Tompkins International Airport. Local businesses in the food service industry are encouraged to respond and join County staff for a mandatory site visit and tour is scheduled for all potential bidders at 1:00pm on Tuesday September 7, 2021 at the Airport, 1 Culligan Drive, Ithaca NY 14850 in the bar area.
The business opportunity includes a fully equipped kitchen, serving area and retail space on the non-secure side, as well as a fully equipped kitchen and bar area on the secured gate area. Businesses may choose to use the kitchen space to operate an additional catering operation. Approximately 200,000 passengers pass through the airport each year in addition to the 150 employees of other terminal vendors and Airport staff and 1,400 employees in the nearby Cornell Business & Technology Park.
Proposals will be evaluated by Tompkins County based on potential benefit to the airport and flying public, relevant operations experience, ability to contribute to County sustainability initiatives, and revenue projections and financial references.
Interim Tompkins County Administrator Lisa Holmes stated, “This is a great opportunity for a local business to expand their presence in the area and develop a creative menu and set of offerings for the Airport. Our airport is a newly renovated welcoming space and our team continues to grow and develop our air service.” Holmes continued, “Thank you to Ithaca Coffee Company for their previous operation of the space and for helping to design several aspects of the renovation.”
Proposals will be accepted through 4:00pm on Wednesday, September 22, 2021. Responses to this RFP and any other required documents shall be submitted online through the Tompkins County website at: http://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/purchase. Once on the website, select ‘Open Solicitations,’ which will take you to BidNetDirect where the RFP information is posted for the public. Bidders who do not have, or cannot obtain, internet access must contact the Purchasing Division, via email (preferred), purchase@tompkins-co.org or by telephone, (607) 274-5500 for further proposal submission instructions.
A mandatory site visit is scheduled for all potential bidders will be held at 1:00pm on Tuesday September 7, 2021 at the Ithaca Tompkins International Airport, 1 Culligan Drive, Ithaca NY 14850 in the bar area. All space assigned under this agreement will be available for tour/inspection.
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