Dining and Catering Services

Texas Southern University (TSU) is seeking a comprehensive dining and catering services contractor through Request for Proposals #717-25-703, targeting full-service campus food service management. The procurement covers multiple campus dining facilities including the main dining hall, Tiger Lair, Chick-Fil-A, Bengal Burger, Einstein Bros., Law School Cafe, That Stuff, and Starbucks, with an anticipated future expansion into a new Health and Wellness Building food service space in May 2027. The contract will be for a ten-year term beginning August 1, 2025, serving approximately 1,966 students with meal plans. Key evaluation criteria include menu programs (25%), financial proposal (25%), operations and controls (15%), company experience (10%), and catering services (10%). Critical dates include a mandatory pre-proposal meeting on February 13, 2025, and the proposal submission deadline of March 25, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. CST. The selected contractor must fund an unamortized investment of $192,966.14 and potentially provide additional capital investments for facility and program development.

The solicitation includes a 26% HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) subcontracting goal for Other Services, indicating a strong preference for diverse vendor participation. The university will share utility costs and provide most facilities and major equipment, while the contractor is responsible for staffing, food costs, and daily operations. The student population is expected to fluctuate, with a temporary decrease when University Towers (798 beds) goes offline for repairs in Fall 2025, but an anticipated addition of approximately 1,500 new residential beds by 2032. TSU's procurement follows standard terms and conditions that emphasize preferences for Texas-produced goods, agricultural products, USA-produced materials, and environmentally conscious options. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, the comprehensive nature of the services and the ten-year contract term suggest a significant financial opportunity for the selected vendor, with potential for growth as the university expands its residential capacity.