Food Truck and Alcohol Vendors for NCAA Fan Fest

The City of Wichita Parks & Recreation Department is requesting proposals from food truck and alcohol vendors to operate at the 2027 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Fan Fest at Naftzger Park on March 16–17, 2027, with proposals due October 23, 2026. The procurement seeks up to six licensed food truck vendors and one licensed alcohol vendor; vendors may propose for food trucks, alcohol, or both. The Small & Emerging Business Enterprise (S/EBE) Program carries ten evaluation points and is encouraged.

Proposers must demonstrate a minimum of three years' experience providing similar services and possess all required food establishment, mobile vending, and alcohol licenses. Vendors are responsible for all equipment, permits, licenses, utilities, staffing, and product inventory. The selected alcohol vendor receives exclusive rights to sell alcoholic beverages within Naftzger Park and must provide security personnel to monitor designated entrances and exits to prevent beverages from leaving the designated consumption area. Food trucks will be assigned vending locations on St. Francis Street adjacent to the park.

All vendors must maintain Commercial General Liability insurance with minimum limits of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million annual aggregate, Comprehensive Automobile Liability of $1 million, Workers' Compensation to meet statutory requirements, and Employers Liability coverage. Certificates of Insurance must be submitted within ten days of award notification.

Evaluation criteria are ability to meet proposal terms and conditions (10%), experience and operational capacity (20%), menu, pricing, and service offering (20%), Fan Fest experience and added value (10%), proposed flat fee (30%), and S/EBE participation (10%). Vendors must propose a flat fee payable to the City for the vending opportunity. The City does not guarantee minimum attendance or sales levels; based on 2025 data, anticipated attendance is approximately 7,300 on Thursday, 3,100 on Friday, and 10,600 on Saturday.

The contract term extends from execution through March 17, 2027, with either party able to terminate with thirty days' written notice. A virtual pre-bid conference is scheduled for October 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. CT. Written questions are due October 9, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., with answers provided by October 14. City Council approval is tentatively scheduled for the week of November 9, 2026.