Project Information

Bid Title

2026-03 RFP Cafe Vendor - Woodbridge Community & Cultural Center

Issuing Agency

Town of WoodBridge

Location

Connecticut

Published Date

Apr 7, 2026

Closing Date

Apr 20, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Ref. #

2026-03

Original Source

Join to Access Full Details

Bid Inquiries

Join to Access Full Details

Bid Documents

Join to Access Full Details

Project Description

Bid Number:	2026-03
Bid Title:	2026-03 RFP Cafe Vendor - Woodbridge Community & Cultural Center
Category:	Town of Woodbridge Bids
Status:	Open

Description: The Town of Woodbridge is nearing completion of the conversion and renovation of the Old Firehouse (corner of Center and Newton Road) into a Community and Cultural Center.  A key feature of this new community resource is a Café with space for a barista and the ability to sell pre-prepared food & drinks.  There is no kitchen facility in this building. When community input was solicited for how to use the Old Firehouse space, one of the most frequent suggestions was to have a café; a place to meet friends for a cup of coffee and other light fare.  The renovated café space is very welcoming and fun and there is a connection to an outdoor patio through one set of doors and a smaller event type space at the other end of the café which can be used for group events. Publication Date/Time: 4/7/2026 12:15 PM Closing Date/Time: 4/20/2026 4:00 PM Pre-bid Meeting: 04/13/2026 at 4:00 pm Contact Person: Anthony Genovese agenovese@woodbridgect.gov Business Hours: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm Related Documents: 2026-03 RFP for Cafe Operations with Floor Plan - Woodbridge Community & Cultural Center

Attachment Preview

Request for Proposal

Café Vendor for

Woodbridge Community & Cultural Center

The Town of Woodbridge is nearing completion of the conversion and renovation of

the Old Firehouse (corner of Center and Newton Road) into a Community and

Cultural Center. A key feature of this new community resource is a Café with space

for a barista and the ability to sell pre-prepared food & drinks. There is no kitchen

facility in this building.

When community input was solicited for how to use the Old Firehouse space, one of

the most frequent suggestions was to have a café; a place to meet friends for a cup of

coffee and other light fare. The renovated café space is very welcoming and fun and

there is a connection to an outdoor patio through one set of doors and a smaller

event type space at the other end of the café which can be used for group events (see

attached floor plan).

The planned opening for the Community & Cultural Center is Friday, June 5, 2026.

We would like to have a café vendor operating in that space during the first week of

June. We do not have any volume or marketing data as this is a new “service” for this

area in the Town of Woodbridge. We therefore are willing to consider a pilot

arrangement for the months of June, July and August, 2026.

A new arrangement for the space will be negotiated starting in September when the

high school students will be returning to Amity High School just down the street. We

now have sidewalks connecting the high school with the Community & Cultural

Center and anticipate a good number of students will make this space a destination

after school is out.

Our initial criteria:

1. The café will be open from 8 am – 2 pm each day, including Saturday, but not

Sunday

2. The drink and food options (pre-prepared) to be offered include:

a. Range of barista prepared coffee, tea, hot chocolate

b. Other drink options in bottles/cans

c. Pastries

d. Salads

e. Sandwiches

3. The tidiness of the café space and patio area (including cleaning tables and

arranging furniture) will be the responsibility of the café vendor during their

hours of operation; cleaning of the space is the responsibility of the custodial

staff for the building.

4. The café vendor is responsible for providing all coffee, tea and other drink

machines/equipment, as well as a display unit for the prepared food. A roll up

door with a lock over the coffee machine area will provide security for the drink

machines/equipment.

5. Pricing for the drinks and prepared foods will be determined by the café

vendor.

6. Alternatives for providing drinks and perhaps prepared food after the

operational hours of the café will be explored. Input from the café vendor is

welcome.

7. No rent will be charged for the café drink and prepared food operation for the

months of June, July and August. Based on the volume of patrons, purchases

and anticipated changes with the student population returning in late August,

a new arrangement for leasing the space and extending the hours of operation

will be negotiated.

If you are interested in being considered as the café vendor, please:

1. Attend a walkthrough of the café space on Monday, April 13 @ 10 am (corner of

Center and Newton Road in Woodbridge, CT)

2. Submit a proposal by Monday, April 20 @ 4 pm to Tony Genovese,

Administrative Officer and Finance Director at agenovese@woodbridgect.gov

containing the following information:

a. Your experience in running a café operation

b. Proof of a license to operate, appropriate insurance coverage and a hold

harmless clause related to the Town of Woodbridge.

c. A description of how you would operate the café, secure the appropriate

equipment to run the café, provide details about drink and food offerings,

as well as your commitment to the use of sustainable products.

Please note: The Request for Proposal does not necessarily contemplate an award

based solely on price. The Board of Selectmen or its designee may reject or accept

any and all proposals in whole or in part or may waive any informality in proposals

received if, in its/his/her opinion, it is in the best interest of the Town to do so, for

whatever reason.

* Disclaimer: Government BidHub provides information on bids, RFPs (Requests for Proposals), and RFQs (Requests for Qualifications) solely for convenience and informational purposes. This site is not an official public notice board. For official details, responses, or inquiries, please contact the relevant government agency directly.