Central Park

RFPs Issued For Outdoor Cafe And Specialty Cart In Central Park

Tuesday, March 10, 2009
No. 17
http://www.nyc.gov/parks

The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation has released a Request for Proposals for the renovation, operation and maintenance of an outdoor cafe at Mineral Springs and a Request for Proposals for the operation of a high-quality specialty cart with seating at the Arcade at Bethesda Terrace, which are both located in Central Park.

“Central Park is one of the world’s premier open spaces and the public backyard for New Yorkers and visitors to our great city,” said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “By seeking concessionaires to operate an outdoor cafe at Mineral Springs and a high-quality specialty cart with seating at Bethesda Terrace, we are giving people yet another reason to extend their visit to Central Park, which has never looked better thanks to the stewardship of the Central Park Conservancy.”

Mineral Springs is located between 69th and 70th Streets and between Terrace Drive and the Sheep Meadow. Bethesda Terrace is located below the 72nd Street Transverse Road in Central Park. Parks expects the concessions to be of a premium quality in terms of both design and menu. Further, Parks is seeking concessionaires who will operate and maintain the concessions at the highest standards, making a significant improvement to the quality and ambience of the park.

All proposals submitted in response to the outdoor cafe RFP are due no later than 3:00 pm on March 24, and proposals for the specialty cart RFP are due no later than 3:00 pm on March 16. Parks’ solicitations are available for download through our website. To download a solicitation, interested parties should visit http://www.nyc.gov/parks/businessopportunities and click on the “Concessions Opportunities at Parks” link.

In addition to the two RFPs, throughout the year, Parks’ Revenue Division issues several solicitations for the operation of snack bars, café’s, specialty food carts and restaurants.