Food & Beverage Concessions

The Kenton County Airport Board (KCAB) is seeking proposals for Food & Beverage Concessions operations at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), a procurement encompassing three concession locations in Concourse A: A-004 (vacant former Panda Express, 1,528 square feet), A-015 (Blaze Pizza, 1,862 square feet), and A-031 (Christian Moerlein Taproom, 1,614 square feet). Proposers may submit single or multiple location proposals with preferred and alternative concepts tailored to location-specific requirements: A-015 must maintain pizza-focused operations with breakfast, lunch, and dinner offerings; A-031 must operate as a full-service restaurant with alcohol service and hybrid retail offerings; and A-004 requires either quick-serve or fast-casual restaurant operations with preference for ghost kitchen models. Qualified proposers must demonstrate minimum three years of prior experience in food and beverage operations in airports or high-volume facilities and possess demonstrated financial capacity to finance and operate the proposed concept, with estimated capital improvement costs of $600–$900 per square foot. The procurement timeline includes a mandatory pre-proposal site visit on April 21, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at CVG Main Terminal Ticketing Level (RSVP required by March 25, 2026); written questions due May 14, 2026, with answers posted by May 21, 2026; and proposals due June 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. through KCAB's online bidding system at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cvgairport. Evaluation occurs in two phases: Phase 1 scored criteria (100 points total) assess proposed concept and business plan (30 points), qualifications and experience (25 points), financial capacity (10 points), facility design and capital investment (20 points), term and financial offer (10 points), and employee training and staffing plans (5 points); Phase 2 evaluates shortlisted proposers based on on-site meeting/interview performance (20 points). Award selection is anticipated for August 26, 2026, with board approval expected September 28, 2026, contract implementation by November 18, 2026, premises turnover in March 2027, and operations beginning June 2027.

The procurement documents provide no explicit set-aside designations or restrictions limiting proposal eligibility to specific organization types or disadvantaged enterprises. Current concession operators include Blaze Pizza (A-015), Christian Moerlein Taproom (A-031), and the vacant former Panda Express location (A-004); historical sales data for existing operations is provided (A-015: $893,552 in 2024 and $1,007,541 in 2025; A-031: $2,016,906 in 2024 and $1,914,437 in 2025), along with comprehensive condition assessments documenting infrastructure deficiencies requiring repair and replacement. Proposers must provide financial documentation including three years of balance sheets and income statements, a $5,000 proposal deposit (certified check, cashier's check, proposal bond, or irrevocable letter of credit), and a performance guarantee equal to 50 percent of the first-year Minimum Annual Guarantee (MAG). Financial terms require rent percentages between 11–16 percent of gross sales, with MAG proposed for the first year and subsequent years adjusted to 85 percent of actual rent paid (not less than first-year amount); a mandatory 0.5 percent Marketing Fund contribution; and contract terms of 7–10 years. Insurance requirements include $2 million Commercial General Liability, $2 million Auto Liability, and commercial property insurance at replacement cost of improvements. Award value is not explicitly specified; however, the procurement supports operations at an airport handling 4,605,114 total enplanements in 2024 and 4,484,926 in 2025, with Delta Airlines commanding 35–36 percent market share, indicating substantial revenue potential for successful concessionaires.