Concessions for Yellowstone Lake State Park

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking proposals through Request for Proposal (RFP) 27-565-20 to operate concession services at Yellowstone Lake State Park in Winnebago County under Wisconsin Statute 27.01(2)(f). The Department is procuring food services and retail operations from both for-profit and non-profit organizations to operate a state-owned facility that has remained vacant for over one year. The concessionaire shall provide food services and restaurant operations, a camp store with small convenience items, ice cream sales, coffee service, and baked goods. The facility includes existing equipment such as booths, tables, commercial kitchen equipment (ice cream freezer, coolers, deep fryer, commercial grill, and chest freezers) that remain Department property and cannot be removed. The concessionaire must maintain a minimum of 24 hours of operation Friday through Sunday during the season from Labor Day to Memorial Day, with the park receiving approximately 212,000 annual visitors. Proposals are evaluated on a 1,000-point scale consisting of organizational capabilities and staffing qualifications (300 points), proposal details for concession operations including merchandise and food service offerings (300 points), transition plan (150 points), and cost proposal (250 points). The concessionaire shall propose a percentage of gross annual revenues to be paid to the Department, which is worth 250 points in the evaluation. An on-site vendor conference is scheduled for May 18, 2026 at 11:00 AM, written questions are due by May 21, 2026 at 4:30 PM CT, and proposals must be submitted by May 29, 2026 at 2:00 PM CT via the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal or email to Konrad.plachetta@wisconsin.gov.

Both for-profit and non-profit organizations are eligible to respond to this solicitation, with Certified Minority Business Enterprises and Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses eligible to receive up to five percent preference weighting in the evaluation. The solicitation explicitly excludes boat rental services, bait sales, and firewood provision, which are currently provided by Friends of Yellowstone Lake, and proposals must not include these items. The previous operator, Lafayette Dairy Sales, Inc., vacated the facility over one year ago after primarily providing ice cream service with limited operating hours. The Department will provide utilities including water, bathroom access, electric, heat and air conditioning, and a holding tank, while the concessionaire is responsible for all other utility costs including septic service, waste management, and LP gas. The concessionaire shall maintain public liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and submit annual financial reports within 90 days after January 1st. Historical performance data indicates successful operations have generated $105,000 to $120,000 in gross annual revenues pre-COVID, with the initial contract term anticipated to be three to five years ending December 31 of the specified year, though proposers may suggest alternative contract periods ranging from a minimum of one year to a maximum of 15 years.