RFP 27-1005 – Richmond International Airport Concessions Collections – Food, Beverage and Retail

The Capital Region Airport Commission is soliciting proposals under RFP 27-1005 for food, beverage, and retail concessions at Richmond International Airport, with a nonmandatory pre-proposal conference on November 12, 2026 and proposals due February 2, 2027. Package 3, a nationally branded burger and breakfast quick-service restaurant, requires a qualified small-business Prime Concessionaire with required Brand Sponsor support and guarantee. Small-business participation under Package 1 is encouraged through sub-leasing or licensing but carries no minimum and reserves no premises.

Package 1, the Culinary Collection, covers five coordinated premises (1A–1E, approximately 10,325 square feet) operated by a single Prime Concessionaire. Premises 1A in Concourse A is a craft brewery taproom with Contemporary Mexican, Tex-Mex, or BBQ. Premises 1B–1E sit in the Signature Dining District adjacent to a Commission-operated Central Dining Hall and include a premium burger house, a signature wine and chef's table, a national coffee house, and a premium chicken eatery. Package 2, the Marketplace Collection, comprises six premises: four retail destinations and two cafés. Each premises must operate seven days a week, including holidays, opening one hour before the first scheduled departure and closing thirty minutes after the final scheduled departure.

Package 1 requires a minimum initial capital investment of $6.5 million across all five premises, with mandatory reinvestments of at least $650,000 in Lease Years 5–6 and an additional $650,000 in Lease Years 10–11. Eligible professional services, including architectural, engineering, and permitting costs, are capped at twenty percent of the confirmed eligible initial capital investment. Offerors submit their own financial projections supporting proposed Minimum Annual Guarantee and Percentage Rent, with no prescribed ranges. The highest financial offer alone will not determine selection, and financial sustainability must be credible and feasible. The Package 1 agreement term is fifteen years, commencing on the first July 1 after all premises open or the expiration of the 365-day construction period, whichever is earlier.

Premises 1A must be permitted by July 31, 2027 and redeveloped and operational by March 27, 2028. Premises 1B–1E must open within 365 days of Signature Dining District turnover. A site tour is scheduled for November 13, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. EST, with advance registration required. Written questions are due December 17, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. EST.

Evaluation weights are 25 points for Passenger Experience and Concept Quality, 20 points each for Qualifications and Airport Experience and Design Quality, 15 points for Operations and Customer Service, 10 points for Financial Proposal and Capability, and 5 points each for Community Engagement and Capital Investment Commitment.