Abilene Regional Airport Terminal Food, Beverage & Vending Concessions

The City of Abilene is soliciting proposals to operate food, beverage, and vending concessions at Abilene Regional Airport Terminal, with proposals due October 27, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. The City welcomes flexible proposals on service type, menu, pricing, and revenue structure—flat monthly fees or commissions on gross sales to be negotiated.

A pre-proposal conference is scheduled for October 5, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. at the terminal to review vending locations, equipment requirements, electrical and data availability, and security requirements. Questions must be submitted by October 8, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., with City responses by October 13, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

The scope includes terminal food and beverage services, vending machines, and vending kiosks, with proposers permitted to submit comprehensive restaurant operations, vending-machine-only programs, kiosk operations, or hybrid models. All vending equipment must meet modern commercial-grade standards with cashless payment capability, remote inventory monitoring, and reliable data connectivity. Compliance with health, fire, and building codes is mandatory. The concessionaire assumes all responsibility for equipment procurement, installation, maintenance, repairs, sanitization, and replenishment; the City provides water, electrical power, building heating, and cooling. A significant terminal expansion project is planned in phases, requiring flexibility and potential relocation without additional compensation.

The contract term is negotiable up to five years with optional extensions by mutual agreement. Abilene Regional Airport currently handles over 102,000 enplaned passengers annually with 9 percent year-to-date growth in 2026, served by American Airlines/American Eagle and SkyWest/United Express.

Evaluation emphasizes service quality and consistency (primary criterion) and uses a 100-point scale: business plan (15), demonstrated experience (10), menu/vending scope (10), equipment and operating plan (10), stocking and service intervals (10), technology and monitoring (5), pricing (5), morning gate-area service (5), and proposed revenue (5). The concessionaire must maintain $1 million comprehensive general liability insurance per occurrence with the City as additional insured, and workers' compensation insurance if applicable.