NIGP 16547: Food Carts and Cafeteria Serving Units Including Steam Tables

NIGP 16547 Food Carts And Cafeteria Serving Units Including Steam Tables, Item, encompasses the procurement of commercial food service equipment for school cafeterias, institutional kitchens, mobile food markets, and senior nutrition programs. State and local governments soliciting under this code are purchasing complete serving line systems with hot and cold food counters, cashier stations, steam tables, heated display cabinets, tray delivery carts, and associated small equipment and utensils—typically as turnkey installations with delivery, setup, and warranty coverage included. The issuing bodies span school districts (both large and small), state agencies, county boards of education, city nutrition programs, and specialized institutions such as state hospitals and university food service operations. Recent solicitations show school nutrition programs driving the majority of activity, with districts replacing or upgrading existing serving lines to meet current capacity and food safety standards.

The geographic spread of recent activity centers on Texas (multiple state IFBs for tray delivery carts, school district RFPs for serving line equipment, and institutional kitchen procurement), Georgia (Richmond County and Columbia County school districts issuing concurrent RFQs for cafeteria serving lines in September 2026), and Florida (state-level RFI for food service management). Activity also appears in California, Mississippi, and Utah school districts. Representative solicitations include Richmond County Board of Education's RFQ 26-213 for Hephzibah High School Cafeteria Serving Lines (due October 7, 2026) specifying custom Delfield equipment with turnkey delivery and installation within 60 days; Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD RFP 26-024S for commercial food service serving line equipment at two intermediate schools (due August 4, 2026, awarded on greatest overall value); the City of Cincinnati's RFI (due October 23, 2026) on mobile market program development seeking input from nonprofit organizations, vehicle upfitters, and food distributors; and Klein ISD RFP 26239 for complete kitchen equipment renovation at Epps Island Elementary (due June 26, 2026) including walk-in refrigeration, dishwashing systems, and serving counters. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice and Texas General Services Commission have issued multiple IFBs for tray delivery carts during July and August 2026, indicating sustained institutional demand.