Cafe Services at the West Florida Public Library - Pensacola

Escambia County, Florida is soliciting proposals for cafe services at the West Florida Public Library in Pensacola, with a non-mandatory pre-solicitation meeting on November 10, 2026 and proposals due November 30, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. The solicitation carries no set-aside or preference program. The cafe is a revenue generator, so the vendor's percentage of gross sales is a scored criterion, and proposals without a specified percentage will not be evaluated.

The vendor operates food service for approximately 150,000 library patrons annually and 50 staff during library hours (Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). The work covers a preparation and service area, a dining area, and a patio. The vendor funds all upfitting, equipment, staffing, maintenance, cleaning, and pest control, while the County provides water and power. The menu must be nutritionally sound and priced across multiple price points, and the cafe must be self-sufficient with no additional County funding. All food service personnel require background checks and E-Verify employment eligibility. Required insurance includes general liability of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million annual aggregate, statutory workers' compensation, and business auto liability of $1 million per accident.

The initial term is 36 months, with two optional one-year renewals for a maximum of 60 months, and the vendor must commit to the full initial term. Recent annual cafe sales exceeded $50,000. The vendor remits a percentage of gross sales monthly to the Clerk of Circuit Court. The pre-solicitation meeting is the only opportunity for facility access and walkthroughs. Questions are due November 17, 2026.

Evaluation criteria and points are past experience (20), references (10), menu (15), quality and variety of menu items (15), menu pricing (15), and percentage of gross sales offered to the County (25).