CSU Dining Services

Coppin State University Procurement Office is requesting proposals for comprehensive dining services management across multiple campus locations under RFP 0002-2026, with proposals due February 25, 2026. A Minority Business Enterprise subcontracting goal of 20% applies, including 3% for Asian-American MBEs and 10% for Woman-Owned MBEs.

The scope encompasses residential meal plan operations (mandatory for 1,281 on-campus students), retail dining at five locations (Talon Dining Hall, Tawes Diner, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Faculty & Staff Cafe, College of Business Lounge), catering services, and concessions at athletic and campus events. The operator must staff a Food Service Director, Executive Chef, Registered Dietician, Catering Director, and adequate management and operational personnel. The contractor is responsible for all food, beverages, consumable supplies, daily sanitation, minor repairs up to $1,500 per incident, employee uniforms, janitorial services, and implementation of a composting program; the University provides utilities, utilities at no cost, major repairs exceeding $1,500, facility maintenance, trash collection, nine point-of-sale devices with eight licenses, and meal plan and OneCard integration. The operator must commit to capital improvements or facility refresh projects not exceeding $1 million over the contract term. Residential meal plans are mandatory with no exemptions; current annual board revenue exceeds $3.2 million, with additional revenue from retail, catering, and concessions projected at $1.2 million in Year 1 escalating to $1.377 million in Year 5. The contract is firm-fixed-price for meal plan services with no cost renegotiation permitted; retail, catering, and concessions operate as contractor revenue streams subject to guaranteed commission percentages paid to the University.

The contract runs August 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, with five optional one-year renewal terms through June 30, 2036. The operator must provide a $1 million performance bond and maintain $1 million insurance for the Physical Education Complex and $10 million for campus-wide operations. The pre-proposal conference was held January 7, 2026, at 11:00 AM; the question deadline was January 14, 2026. Addenda 1, 2, and 3 have been issued. The current dining services vendor is unionized; the successor contractor is not required to retain incumbent staff or maintain accrued benefits.