SUNY Potsdam Dining Services Request for Proposal # 260930BP

Deadline for submissions:

11/20/2026, 3:00 pm EST

Designated Contact:

Michelle McCarthy Director of Procurement Services

(315) 267-2149 purchasing@potsdam.edu

Table of Contents of Contents

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Summary Information Form

THIS PAGE MUST BE SIGNED AND RETURNED WITH BIDDER’S RESPONSE

Key Events

Mandatory Pre-Bid Site Visit SUNY Potsdam, 44 Pierrepont Avenue, Potsdam, NY 13676 Registration by 10/6/2026 4:00 pm EST (Proposals will not be accepted if the bidder does not attend this site visit) 10/8/2026, 9:30 am EST

Proposal Due Date and Time (Any proposal received after the deadline will not be considered) 11/20/2026, 3 pm EST

Finalists – Campus Presentation, Demonstration, Interview ** Will be scheduled with individual finalists** January/February 2027

SUNY reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify the above schedule. Bidders will be notified of any changes in a timely manner

Contact Information

Primary Contact:

Michelle McCarthy Director of Procurement

(315) 267-2149 purchasing@potsdam.edu Secondary Contact:

Brent Parker VP for Business Affairs

(315) 267-2757

Mail Proposals to:

SUNY Potsdam 44 Pierrepont Avenue Potsdam, NY 13676

Restricted Period

In accordance with the requirements of New York State Finance Law Sections 139j and 139k (“Lobbying Law”), the restricted period for this procurement is now in effect. Therefore, all communications regarding this procurement must be handled through the State University of New York’s designated contacts only.

Bidder Information

If applicable, place an “x” in the appropriate box: (check all that apply) ☐ Small Business (if checked, provide # of employees ____) ☐ Disabled Veteran Owned Business ☐ Minority Owned Business (NYS Certified) ☐ Women Owned Business (NYS Certified)

If you are not bidding, place an “x” in the box and return this page only. ☐ We are unable to bid at this time because:

By signing this form, Bidder acknowledges (a) that the RFP instructions are understood; (b) that the Bidder is committed to servicing SUNY’s needs in the required time period; and (c) that all information required by this RFP has been included in Bidder’s proposal. Bids are to be guaranteed for at least one hundred eighty (180) days after the November 20, 2026 bid opening date.

Overview

For this Request for Proposal (RFP), SUNY Potsdam (the College), an agency of the State University of New York (SUNY) and the State of New York, located at 44 Pierrepont Avenue, Potsdam, NY 13676 (hereafter referred to as SUNY Potsdam) invites qualified food service management companies (hereafter referred to as Respondent) to submit proposals to provide comprehensive dining services for the institution. SUNY Potsdam seeks a strategic partner that will provide high-quality food services, excellent customer service, financial stability, operational innovation, and a strong commitment to student engagement and sustainability. The current agreement for similar services expires on June 30, 2027. It is anticipated SUNY Potsdam and Respondent will enter into a ten-year agreement potentially with optional renewal periods, such agreement to commence July 1, 2027.

Purpose and Current Dining Context The purpose of this RFP is to identify and select a qualified dining services provider to:

a) Operate residential dining facilities that support students living on campus.

b) Manage retail dining operations that serve students, faculty, staff, visitors, and the greater Potsdam community.

c) Provide catering services for campus departments, meetings, and special events.

d) Support campus events through reliable and flexible food service options.

e) Enhance the overall student dining experience through quality, variety, convenience, and accessibility.

f) Develop creative dining solutions that reflect how students use campus spaces.

g) Offer creative and flexible dining solutions that respond to changing student needs, campus schedules, and community food access.

h) Drive sustainable revenue growth and financial performance while maintaining affordability, service quality and responsiveness to the needs of the campus community.

i) Align dining services with SUNY Potsdam’s institutional priorities and student-centered mission.

j) Consider how dining services can serve as an additional food source during evenings, weekends, and periods when other local options may be limited.

k) Explore potential partnerships with food chains, local businesses, farms, vendors, and entrepreneurs to expand menu variety while strengthening the relationship between SUNY Potsdam and the surrounding community.

The College seeks proposals that demonstrate creativity, innovation, responsiveness, operational excellence, and a strong commitment to building a collaborative partnership with SUNY Potsdam. As a public institution, SUNY Potsdam is also committed to responsible stewardship of its resources. In alignment with SUNY’s broader efforts to reduce administrative costs, improve efficiency, and maximize resources dedicated to academics and student services, the College seeks procurement practices that are transparent, effective, and responsive to campus needs. Vendors doing business with SUNY Potsdam are expected to understand not only the operational needs of the institution, but also the values and community-centered mission that define the campus.

Institutional and Campus Background

The State University of New York at Potsdam, founded more than 200 years ago as the St. Lawrence Academy, is one of the oldest institutions in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Today, SUNY Potsdam combines the resources of the statewide SUNY system with the personalized learning environment of a smaller institution known for close faculty-student interaction, creativity, applied learning, and a strong commitment to student success.

The College offers undergraduate and graduate programs through three academic schools: the Crane School of Music, the School of Arts & Sciences, and the School of Education & Professional Studies. Its academic programs emphasize creativity, experiential learning, and preparation for rewarding careers and engaged citizenship.

SUNY Potsdam is located in New York's North Country within the Adirondack region. The campus benefits from a distinctive rural setting while remaining within driving distance of Ottawa and Montreal, Canada and Burlington, Vermont. Its location contributes to a close relationship between the College and the surrounding Potsdam community and creates opportunities for partnerships with local businesses, farms, organizations and other regional enterprises.

SUNY Potsdam's mission, vision, and institutional values emphasize student opportunity and success, inclusivity, innovation, sustainability, wellness, responsible citizenship, and meaningful engagement. These priorities inform the College’s approach to campus services and its expectation that those services contribute positively to the overall student experience.

Like many institutions of higher education, SUNY Potsdam continues to respond to changing enrollment patterns and evolving student expectations. The College views its current scale as an opportunity to provide personalized services while developing flexible and innovate approaches that respond to changing patterns of campus life.

Academic Calendar and Campus Operating Patterns

Campus dining demand at SUNY Potsdam varies substantially throughout the academic year based on residence hall occupancy, academic schedules, commuter activity, athletics, performances, student programming, conferences, special events, and seasonal breaks. The information in this section is intended to help respondents understand the recurring patterns of campus activity that influence dining participation, operating hours, staffing, catering, retail demand, and other food-service needs. Estimated campus board days are 220.

Academic Calendar and Major Dates Fall 2026

Spring 2027

Typical Campus Population SUNY Potsdam serves approximately 2,500 students, including undergraduate and graduate students. Approximately 800 students reside on campus and rely on campus dining as an integral part of their daily experience, though some of these have access to kitchens and express frustration at having to pay for full meal plans. The College also serves a substantial population of approximately 600 commuter students who live off-campus or in the surrounding area.

The broader campus population includes residential and commuter students, graduate and adult learners, faculty, staff, visitors, and others whose schedules and dining needs extend beyond traditional meal periods. SUNY Potsdam is also located within the Village of Potsdam, with a population of approximately 8,000 residents, creating opportunities for campus dining to engage with and potentially serve a broader local market.

The successful dining program should recognize these varied constituencies and develop convenient, flexible, high-quality dining options throughout the day while identifying opportunities to increase participation among residential and commuter students, faculty and staff, visitors, and the surrounding Potsdam community.

Although the residential population declines substantially during academic recesses, a smaller population of students remains on campus and continues to require access to food and related services. Recent break-period housing data indicate that approximately 50 students remained on campus for some portion of Thanksgiving Break, 200 students for some portion of Winter Break, and 60 students for some portion of Spring Break.

Move-in, Orientation, and Opening-Week Activity These periods represent a significant increase in the campus population and activity. There are a large number of students and families on campus during this time. While students are getting adjusted to the campus, there are many actives for them to participate in. Due to this, demand for dining services may be higher among non-students and spread throughout the day as students move through the campus between orientation events and housing.

Weekday versus Weekend Operating Patterns Weekday dining demand is supported by the regular academic schedule and number of students on campus. This would typically bring forth common rush hours and slower hours during class periods. Weekend demand is influenced by campus events such as athletic competitions, student performances, conferences, and other student activities. These events can increase dining activity during times when academic activity is lower.

Most instructional faculty hours end around 4-5pm.

Typical employee hours: 8am-4:30pm

Student events and sports events mostly on weekends.

Evening and Late-Night Activity Outside of vending, students currently have no way to get food on campus after 10 p.m.

Athletics, Performances, and Special Events Potsdam’s athletic schedule can be viewed at https://potsdambears.com/calendar Special events that occur on an annual basis include:

· Reunion weekend – second weekend in July, 500+ alumni and families

· Alumni and Foundation Board meetings – biannually (usually October & April), 75-100 people

· LoKo Arts events – dates vary, often one of the events is a big name that can draw several hundred attendees

· Regular events at the President’s residence – meeting with student groups once or twice a week, special receptions for campus visitors, alumni and other campus events Crane School of Music and Performance-Related Scheduling Crane has short class breaks, during which long lines can form at food sites. This concentrated demand would benefit from healthy, quick grab-and-go or self-checkout options that are conveniently located and don’t require waiting in a long line.

Crane has multiple performances per week, ranging from individual student recitals to ensemble performances. Their calendar can be viewed at Crane School of Music Events

Summer, Camps, Conferences, and Non-Academic Periods SUNY Potsdam currently has limited activity on campus over the summer, other than the Crane Youth Music camp, which occurs over one week in July. There are plans to expand summer athletic day camps and other on campus activities during this period.

Reduced Population, Reduced-Service and Closure Periods Campus population declines substantially during academic recesses but does not cease entirely. Students may remain on campus because of employment, athletics, academic or performance activities, travel limitations, international-student needs, or other circumstances. Accordingly, respondents should not assume that all dining demand ends when residence halls or regular academic operations are reduced.

Recent housing data illustrate the scale and variability of the remaining residential population. These figures are provided for planning purposes only and represent student presence rather than guaranteed dining participation or meal transactions.

Winter Break demonstrates the greatest variation in campus population. In the recent period shown, the residential population declined from 112 students immediately following the end of the semester to 15 students on December 25, then gradually increased through early January, reaching 124 students by January 16. This pattern suggests that service needs during the extended winter recess may require a scalable approach rather than a single reduced-service model for the entire period.

Commencement, Admissions and Recruitment Periods There are several dates when visitors and families materially increase the campus population. These can affect retail, catering, concessions, and grab-and-go demand. Some of those dates include:

Admissions Events

· Open House – October 17, 2026 and November 7, 2026

· Higher Education Night – September 29, 2026

· Education Day – October 7, 2026

· Psychology Day – November 20, 2026

· Accepted Students Days – March 20, 2027 and April 24, 2027 Commencement

· SUNY Potsdam graduation ceremonies – May 15, 2027 Current Dining Program and Facilities

Current Operating Model SUNY Potsdam’s dining services are currently self-operated through Potsdam Auxiliary and College Educational Services (PACES), an independent not-for-profit corporation operating under contract with the College. PACES manages campus dining, catering, vending, and related auxiliary functions.

Campus feedback has identified opportunities to improve the consistency, quality, responsiveness and value of campus dining, catering and vending services. Respondent should have the expertise and capacity to support formal catered events for internal and external audiences, including community partners, alumni and donors, across a range of event formats and settings.

Current Dining and Transaction Systems Campus Card, CBORD, and Bear Express SUNY Potsdam uses CBORD as its campus card system. The College ID supports dining-related transactions including meal-plan access, meal swipes, Flex Dining Dollars, guest passes, Bear Express accounts, faculty/staff plans, and vending, in addition to other campus access and identification functions.

Bear Express is an optional declining-balance account available to students through the campus card system. It is accepted at campus dining locations and certain other campus and participating off-campus locations. Support for participating merchants currently requires coordination and programming with the College’s technology staff.

Catering and Concessions PACES currently provides catering and concessions for College departments, student organizations, meetings, conferences, ceremonies, special events, and other institutional activities. Catering orders are managed through the “Get Spoon Fed” online platform.

Vending PACES currently administers vending services that provide food, snacks, and beverages outside traditional dining locations and operating hours. Vending provides an additional source of food access during evenings, weekends, and other periods when staffed dining locations may have reduced service.

Current Sustainability Practices Current dining operations incorporate a number of sustainability practices, including local purchasing, on-site food preparation, food-scrap composting (which is legally required in New York State), post-consumer composting, fryer-oil recovery, multi-stream waste collection, reusable container initiatives, reduced use of disposable plastics, and hydration stations. The Wiser Center, directed by the campus Department of Biology, contributes edible green plants to PACES. PACES has also purchased products from regional farms and vendors as part of its local-sourcing efforts.

Existing Dining Facilities and Service Locations SUNY Potsdam has a number of dining facilities of various sizes, with locations noted on the campus map below.

Potsdam, in coordination with the State University Construction Fund (SUCF), is in the early stages of planning for the renovation of the Barrington Student Union. Construction is not scheduled to begin for several years (2029-2030), but an early draft of the preliminary construction drawings is included as Exhibit J1.

Barrington Student Union Dining Court (SUDC) - Exhibit J2 Square Footage: 12,323 Seating Capacity: 300 Current Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. (individual stations vary)

Barrington Student Union Lobby Starbucks Square Footage: unknown Seating Capacity: 40 Current Hours of Operation: weekdays 7:30 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.

Becky’s Place (Carson Hall) - Exhibit J3 Square Footage: 4,600 Seating Capacity: approximately 125 Current Hours of Operation: weekdays 7:45 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.

Lehman Dining Hall (Bear Cave) - Exhibit J4 Square Footage: 1,568 Seating Capacity: 150 Current Hours of Operation: not in use this semester Performing Arts Building Café - Exhibit J5 Square Footage: 2,517 Seating Capacity: 75 Current Hours of Operation: weekdays 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Friday close at 3 p.m.)

Maxcy Hall (Athletics Facility) Concession Stand Square Footage: not applicable Seating Capacity: not applicable Current Hours of Operation: run periodically, sometimes staffed by athletic teams Minerva’s Café (Lougheed Learning Center) Square Footage: 931 Seating Capacity: 20 Current Hours of Operation: not running, student-run organization planning to operate Current Meal Program SUNY Potsdam currently offers eight meal plan options for the 2026-2027 academic year based on student status, housing status, and residency requirements. Residential students are generally required to participate in a meal plan, with specified exceptions for eligible students residing in Townhouses or Lehman Apartments with access to kitchens. See Exhibit K - 2026-27 Meal Plan Structure Current meal plans use a combination of meal swipes and Flex Dining Dollars:

· Meal swipes may be used for meals or, where permitted, for a designated value at eligible retail locations

· Flex Dining Dollars operate as a prepaid declining balance that may be used for eligible food and beverage purchases at campus dining locations

· Meal swipes currently reset weekly, while flex balances remain available throughout the semester, subject to applicable program rules.

SUNY is expected to implement a meal swipe donation plan in the near future.

Current Financial Profile Based on the most recently completed fiscal year, PACES reported food-service sales of approximately $6 million, with additional revenues generated through vending and other auxiliary activities. Vending sales were approximately $275,000, which generated commission revenue of approximately $60K for PACES. See Exhibit L Current Conditions and Planning Considerations Enrollment and Demand Changes The College has experienced changes in enrollment that have affected dining participation, meal-plan utilization, staffing requirements, revenue, and overall service demand. Future enrollment levels may continue to influence the scale and pattern of dining activity.

Affordability and Value Affordability is an important consideration for students and other campus users. Meal-plan pricing, retail pricing, and catering costs must be considered within the broader context of food quality, variety, convenience, and the financial performance of the dining program.

Facility Age and Condition Several dining and service areas have aging facilities, equipment, or configurations that may not fully support contemporary dining practices, efficient operations, or current patterns of campus use. Location, accessibility, traffic patterns, equipment condition, and the effective use of existing dining space are therefore important considerations in planning the future program. The Crane School of Music has limited food/access in or near the classroom areas, and Maxcy currently has limited food access.

Student Experience and Satisfaction Student feedback has identified opportunities to improve aspects of the current dining experience, including food quality and variety, healthier options, operating hours, accessibility, retail options, convenience, and the use of dining spaces as part of campus life.

Retail and Off-Hours Food Access Students have expressed interest in expanded and more convenient retail food options, including grab-and-go meals, snacks and beverages, café-style service, recognizable branded concepts, and greater food availability outside traditional meal periods.

Current conditions also present opportunities to improve ordering technology, service speed, and access during evening and late-night periods.

Local and Private-Sector Partnerships The College has experience collaborating with local businesses in support of student activities and events, including collaborations with local restaurants. Student interest indicates an opportunity to consider stronger connections between campus dining and businesses, farms, vendors, and other enterprises in the surrounding Potsdam community.

Vision and Scope for the Future Dining Program

Vision for the Dining Program SUNY Potsdam seeks a dining services partner that views campus dining as an integral part of the student experience, campus life, and the broader College community. The College envisions a dining program that is student-centered, flexible, creative, financially productive, and responsive to changing campus needs.

The successful dining program should combine high-quality food and hospitality with convenient access, contemporary service models, and responsible financial management. SUNY Potsdam encourages approaches that move beyond traditional campus dining models by using innovation, entrepreneurship, data, and ongoing engagement with the campus community to continually improve services.

The College also expects dining services to contribute meaningfully to the financial performance of the institution by attracting visiting prospects, increasing participation, expanding retail and ancillary sales, developing new revenue opportunities, and making effective use of campus facilities and resources. Growth should be pursued in a manner that maintains appropriate affordability, quality, accessibility, and value for students and other campus users.

Dining services should serve not only residential students but also commuter and off-campus students, faculty, staff, visitors, conference participants, and, where appropriate, members of the surrounding Potsdam community.

Guiding Principles The future dining program should be designed around the following principles:

· Student experience. Dining should contribute positively to student satisfaction, belonging, convenience, wellness, and campus life.

· Quality and value. Food and beverage offerings should provide strong quality, variety, freshness, nutritional value, and affordability.

· Access and flexibility. Services should respond to residential, commuter, faculty/staff, evening, weekend, event, and non-traditional schedules.

· Financial performance and revenue growth. The program should increase participation, strengthen existing revenue streams, and identify sustainable new sources of dining-related revenue.

· Innovation and adaptability. Dining concepts, locations, technology, and service models should evolve as student preferences, enrollment, campus activity, and market conditions change.

· Campus and community connection. Dining should support campus programming and create appropriate opportunities for partnerships with local businesses, farms, vendors, and other regional organizations.

· Responsible stewardship. The program should make effective use of College facilities and resources while supporting institutional sustainability and long-term operational goals.

Scope of Dining Services SUNY Potsdam seeks a Respondent who will manage and operate a comprehensive campus dining program serving students, faculty, staff, visitors, invited guests, conference participants, and other users designated by SUNY Potsdam. The anticipated scope includes the following core service areas.

Residential Dining Residential dining will provide dependable meal service for students living on campus and others participating in College meal plans. The program should provide nutritious, varied, appealing, and high-quality food choices within welcoming dining environments that support the residential student experience.

Residential dining should be sufficiently flexible to respond to changing enrollment, student schedules, academic calendars, and patterns of campus activity.

Retail and Convenience Dining Retail dining will serve residential and commuter students, faculty, staff, visitors, and other campus users and should complement rather than simply duplicate residential meal service.

The College seeks convenient and appealing retail options that increase participation and provide food access across a broader range of locations, schedules, and price points. Retail services may include cafés, grab-and-go offerings, convenience-style operations, branded or non-branded concepts, and other formats appropriate to campus demand.

The retail program should be viewed as an important opportunity to expand participation and generate additional revenue for the dining program.

Catering, Concessions and Special Events Dining services will support College departments, student organizations, conferences, ceremonies, athletic activities, receptions, meetings, and other campus events through professional and flexible catering and concessions services.

The future program should provide service levels and price points appropriate to different customer needs, ranging from affordable options for student organizations and routine College functions to full-service and higher-level events.

Catering and special-event services should also be viewed as an opportunity to increase participation and generate additional revenue from campus, third-party renters of campus space, conference, visitor, and community-facing activities.

Summer, Conference and Non-Academic-Year Services The dining program will support camps, conferences, summer programs, early-arrival populations, special events, and other activities occurring outside the regular academic calendar.

Service levels should be flexible and scalable based on campus population, group size, program requirements, and demand. Dining during these periods may include residential meals, retail service, catering, concessions, and other appropriate service models.

Vending, Micro-Markets and Self-Service Options SUNY Potsdam may include vending, micro-markets, or other self-service food and beverage options within the future dining program. These services may supplement staffed dining locations and provide additional access during evenings, weekends, academic breaks, and other lower-service periods, and should include healthy, nutritious options.

The College is particularly interested in approaches that improve convenience while supporting participation and revenue generation.

Campus and Community Food Access SUNY Potsdam is interested in dining services that strengthen access to food throughout the campus day and, where operationally and financially appropriate, serve a broader market beyond traditional residential meal-plan participants.

Opportunities may include greater participation by commuter and off-campus students, faculty and staff, visitors, conference participants, and members of the surrounding Potsdam community. The College also encourages appropriate collaboration with local businesses, farms, restaurants, vendors, and other community partners.

Program Evolution and Continuous Improvement SUNY Potsdam expects the future dining program to evolve throughout the contract term. Changes in enrollment, student preferences, technology, campus use patterns, economic conditions, and the food-service marketplace may require adjustments to concepts, locations, hours, menus, and service models.

The College seeks a collaborative relationship in which dining services are regularly assessed and opportunities for improvement, increased participation, operational efficiency, and revenue growth are identified and implemented in consultation with SUNY Potsdam.

Desired Student Dining Experience

SUNY Potsdam views dining as an important part of the student experience and campus culture. The future dining program should provide high-quality food, welcoming service, meaningful choice, convenient access, inclusive dining options, and spaces that support both everyday dining and broader campus life.

The College expects the dining program to remain responsive to changing student preferences, schedules, campus activity, and patterns of use. Student feedback should inform continuous improvement in food quality, menus, service, hours, accessibility, facilities, and programming

Food Quality, Variety, and Value The dining program should provide food that is consistently appealing, fresh, well-prepared, nutritious, and appropriately presented. Menus should offer sufficient variety to encourage regular participation while balancing familiar favorites with contemporary, seasonal, culturally relevant, and innovative offerings.

The program should provide meaningful choice across residential and retail dining, including meals, quick-service items, snacks, convenience foods, and other offerings appropriate to the needs and schedules of the campus population.

Food quality should be accompanied by strong value. Students should perceive meal plans and retail purchases as providing an appropriate combination of quality, portion, variety, convenience, and price.

Dietary Inclusion, Nutrition and Wellness SUNY Potsdam expects an inclusive dining program that enables students with differing dietary needs and preferences to participate fully and confidently in campus dining.

The program should accommodate, as appropriate:

· food allergies and allergen sensitivities, including a specialized top 9 allergen free zone for preparation, cooking, and serving, and any other precautions for students with severe medically-documented food allergies, including risks associated with cross-contact and other forms of exposure (as of Fall 2026, approximately 110 students have identified at least one food allergy, some have multiple food allergies);

· gluten-free dining;

· vegetarian and vegan diets;

· medical and special dietary needs;

· religious dietary requirements, including Kosher and Halal needs;

· culturally relevant food preferences;

· supervised student cooking, culinary demonstrations and cultural-food programming where feasible; and

· other dietary considerations represented within the campus community.

Food preparation, labeling, communication, and service practices should provide students with reliable information and appropriate safeguards. Nutritional information should be readily available so students can make informed dining choices, and qualified nutrition professionals should be available to support students requiring specialized dietary assistance.

Hospitality and Customer Service Dining employees should contribute positively to the campus environment through professional, courteous, respectful, responsive, and inclusive service.

SUNY Potsdam expects a hospitality culture characterized by:

· welcoming and respectful interactions;

· consistent customer-service standards;

· appropriate speed and efficiency of service;

· knowledgeable and well-trained employees;

· accessible and visible dining management;

· effective resolution of customer concerns; and

· a willingness to use customer experiences and feedback to improve service.

Dining Access and Availability Students should have convenient and reliable access to food throughout the campus day and academic year. Dining availability should recognize that student schedules extend beyond traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner periods.

The dining program should accommodate the needs of residential and commuter students as well as students participating in evening classes, employment, athletics, rehearsals, performances, student organizations, and other campus activities.

Particular attention should be given to the following, with an emphasis on providing nutritious meal-quality options, not merely snacks or convenience foods:

· dependable residential meal access;

· retail and convenience food availability;

· evening and late-night dining;

· weekend service;

· academic breaks and reduced-population periods; and

· changes in demand associated with special events and campus activities.

Operating schedules should be responsive to actual utilization and may evolve as campus needs and participation patterns change.

Student Communication, Engagement, and Feedback Dining information should be clear, timely, accurate, and readily accessible. Students should be able to easily obtain information concerning menus, operating hours, meal plans, dietary and allergen information, nutrition, special events, promotions, service changes, and new dining programs.

Communication should use methods appropriate to the campus population, including digital platforms, signage, social media, mobile applications, email, and in-person communication where appropriate.

The dining program should also maintain meaningful and ongoing opportunities for student participation and feedback. Engagement may include satisfaction surveys, informal polls, focus groups, listening sessions, dining advisory groups, customer comments, and collaboration with student organizations.

Most importantly, students should be able to see that their input results in appropriate and timely changes to the dining program.

Dining Spaces and Campus Life Dining facilities should function as more than places to obtain meals. They should be welcoming, comfortable, accessible spaces that contribute to student interaction, belonging, programming, and campus life. This should include some mechanism for celebrating student milestones (birthdays, other accomplishments).

Where appropriate, dining and community seating areas should support approved student activities outside normal meal periods, including study, student programs, meetings, and other campus events. SUNY Potsdam seeks a Respondent who should collaborate with College departments and student organizations to support appropriate dining-related programming and activities.

Clean, Attractive, and Welcoming Environments Dining facilities should consistently present a clean, safe, sanitary, attractive, and well-maintained environment. Cleanliness should extend to customer-facing dining and serving areas, furniture, restrooms, and other spaces that directly affect the student experience.

The appearance and condition of dining spaces should reinforce the College's broader expectations for hospitality, quality, and campus life.

Sustainability and Community Engagement

SUNY Potsdam expects the future dining program to reflect the College's commitment to responsible environmental stewardship, regional economic engagement, and the well-being of the campus and surrounding community.

Sustainability should be integrated into everyday dining operations rather than treated as a stand-alone initiative. The dining program should seek practical opportunities to reduce environmental impact, strengthen local and regional relationships, support responsible sourcing, reduce food waste, and engage students and the broader community.

Sustainable Dining Operations The dining program should incorporate environmentally responsible practices throughout purchasing, food preparation, service, facilities, and waste management.

Key priorities include:

· reducing food waste and unnecessary operational waste;

· minimizing single-use materials where practical;

· supporting effective recycling and composting;

· expanding use of reusable, recyclable, or compostable service materials;

· conserving energy and water through operating practices and equipment decisions; and

· educating and engaging dining employees and customers in sustainability efforts.

Food Waste Reduction, Recovery and Food Access SUNY Potsdam places particular importance on reducing avoidable food waste and making productive use of safe surplus food.

The future dining program should support appropriate food recovery, donation, reuse, and composting initiatives that reduce disposal while contributing, where practical, to campus and community efforts addressing food insecurity. Respondent should coordinate with the campus food pantry in various ways, including frozen storage.

The program should also consider dining's broader role in improving access to food for students during evenings, weekends, academic recesses, and other periods when food options on or near campus may be limited.

Local and Regional Sourcing The dining program should seek meaningful opportunities to purchase food, products, and services from local and regional farms, producers, vendors, and other businesses where quality, availability, pricing, and operational requirements make such sourcing practical.

Local and seasonal purchasing should support food quality, strengthen the regional economy, reduce unnecessary transportation impacts where feasible, and create opportunities to connect students with food production and the North Country community.

The College also encourages participation by minority-owned, women-owned, and other diverse businesses consistent with applicable SUNY and New York State procurement requirements.

Campus and Community Engagement SUNY Potsdam expects dining services to contribute positively to campus life and to strengthen appropriate connections between the College and the surrounding Potsdam community.

Community engagement may include collaboration with:

· student organizations and College departments;

· third-party entities renting space on campus;

· campus events and educational programming;

· local farms, restaurants, food producers, and other businesses;

· community organizations;

· food insecurity and food-access initiatives; and

· other partnerships that support student experience, local economic activity, and community connection.

Dining-related partnerships should provide meaningful value to the campus and may also create opportunities for new programming, increased participation, expanded food variety, and responsible revenue development.

Sustainability as a Visible Part of the Student Experience Sustainability and community engagement should be visible and understandable to students. Where appropriate, dining services should communicate local sourcing, waste-reduction efforts, food recovery initiatives, seasonal offerings, and community partnerships in ways that encourage participation and reinforce the College's institutional values.

SUNY Potsdam expects compliance with New York State’s Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law and for Respondents to engage in sustainability initiatives through responsible sourcing, waste reduction, recycling, reusable or compostable materials, and environmentally conscious practices.

Innovation, Convenience, and Program Growth

SUNY Potsdam seeks a dining program that evolves beyond a traditional residential board model. The College expects its dining partner to identify and develop new ways to increase participation, improve convenience, expand food access, and generate sustainable revenue throughout the contract term.

Innovation should…