Abilene Regional Airport Terminal Food, Beverage & Vending Concessions

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR
ABILENE REGIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL
FOOD, BEVERAGE & VENDING CONCESSIONS
RFP NO. CB-2703
The City of Abilene (City) is soliciting proposals to operate the Food, Beverage and Vending
(Concessions) in the passenger terminal upon award of a contract. The City is open to
considering all proposals regarding the type of service, menu, pricing, and lease/operating
fee to the City.
The City invites Proposers to propose: 1) The operation of the Terminal Food and Beverage
Concession/Vending; 2) How it will be operated, including Concession menu/Vending
machines and selections, pricing, hours of operation, consideration of morning service in
the Gate/Boarding area, and staffing.
The City may, in its sole discretion, approve a vending kiosk program in lieu of traditional
vending machines, either as a standalone concession service or as a supplement to food
and beverage service. For purposes of this RFP, a "vending kiosk" means a self-service,
unattended, or partially attended equipment unit designed to display, store, vend, or
dispense approved food, beverage, and convenience items through a secure retail interface.
The proposer shall identify the specific kiosk equipment proposed, the manufacturer,
model, dimensions, power and data requirements, payment systems, inventory monitoring
features, security features, and operational method for each kiosk location proposed.
The proposer shall state whether the kiosk will be operated as a self-service unit, remote-
monitored unit, attended unit, or hybrid unit. If attended, the proposer shall identify staffing
hours and procedures. If unattended, the proposer shall identify how product security,
replenishment, sanitation, transaction oversight, cash handling, and malfunction response
will be performed.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) contains information to help the Proposer understand the
nature of the concessions in the airport terminal.

A sample Concessions Agreement is included in this RFP. Should conflicts exist between
these specifications and the Sample Concessions Agreement (Exhibit 1), the wording of the
Agreement will prevail. The Sample Agreement is written for the operation of the
Concessions. The specifications in this RFP are intended to be descriptive in nature.
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
Abilene Regional Airport is a primary commercial service airport owned and operated
by the City of Abilene, Texas. The Abilene city government is directed by a seven-
member City Council elected for 3-year terms, and a city manager. The mayor is the
Council's presiding officer. The Airport Development Board is comprised of eleven
members appointed by the City Council, serves as an advisory board to monitor the
development and operation of the City's airport.
The Airport is currently served by American Airlines/American Eagle with daily flights
to Dallas/ Ft. Worth International Airport and Phoenix International, and
SkyWest/United Express with daily flights to Denver International and Houston
George Bush Intercontinental (See Exhibit 2 for schedule).
The Airport is located approximately five miles southeast of downtown Abilene
situated on approximately 1,700 acres of land and is located within the city limits of
the City of Abilene, Taylor County, Texas
The Airport enplaned over 102,000 passengers in 2025 with passenger boardins up
9% YTD in 2026.
In addition to airline passenger traffic, 11 employers with over 450 employees are
located within walking distance of the terminal, with the exception of one, Tige Boat,
which is about two miles from the terminal. Terminal Area employees make up the
majority of the Concession customers.
The Airport has also established the policy of allowing the Concessionaire to validate
parking tickets for up to two hours for its bonafide customers who use the parking lot
strictly for purposes of purchasing food/beverages at a Terminal restaurant, but not
for travel.
2. GOAL and OBJECTIVES
While the ability to generate revenue to offset the cost of providing the concession
space and contribute financially to the operation of the Airport is a high priority for
the City, a higher priority, and the objective of this solicitation, is to ensure the
provision of a high quality, consistent food/beverage/vending service for the traveling
public using the Abilene Regional Airport. Therefore, the highest criteria for
RFP No. CB-2703 Page 2 of 17

considering proposals resulting from this solicitation, is the level and quality of
service of the food/beverage and vending operation proposed.
The City desires the Concession operator to provide high-quality various food and
beverage items that meet the demand of the passengers, meeters/greeters, and
employees of the terminal and its surrounding area. The following applies to a
Food/Beverage proposal only: 1) Operate at least 6 days per week, with the possible
exceptions of New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day,
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day (this does not apply to Vending concessions);
2) Accept all major credit cards; 3) Contract with an exterminator for monthly service;
4) Repair/replace city-owned kitchen equipment as as needed; 5) Applicable to a
restaurant, contract with a licensed company to empty the kitchen grease trap on a
scheduled basis as required by volume and City ordinance, or other City-approved
arrangement; 6) Maintain all leased areas in a clean and orderly manner, including
waxing and buffing floors as needed; 7) Consider operating a kiosk service in the
Passenger Boarding Area for at least early morning departures.
The following applies to Vending Concessions and Vending Kiosks: 1) All vending
machines and vending kiosks shall be modern, commercial-grade equipment
suitable for airport use, with secure enclosures and tamper-resistant construction;
2) Product selection shall include food, snacks, assorted beverages, and coffee, and
may include other approved convenience items; 3) All vending machines and vending
kiosks must accept cashless payment, including credit cards, debit cards, tap-to-
pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, and may accept cash only if specifically approved
by the City; 4) Vending machines and vending kiosks shall be located only in
designated areas approved by the City, including pre-security and post-security
locations as authorized by the City; 5) Proposer shall provide a written schedule for
restocking, inspecting, cleaning, and servicing all machines and kiosks; 6) All vending
machines and vending kiosks shall be equipped with remote inventory monitoring
and malfunction notification capability, including notification of low inventory,
device failure, payment failure, network outage, and product outage; 7) All vending
machines and vending kiosks shall maintain reliable sustained data connectivity
sufficient to process transactions and transmit inventory and operational data; and
8) Concessionaire shall not use the City's guest Wi-Fi unless expressly authorized in
writing by the City
Each proposer shall include with its proposal a detailed vending kiosk operations
plan describing the equipment to be used, the method of operation, staffing,
replenishment procedures, product security, maintenance response time,
sanitation procedures, and all power, internet, and installation requirements.
As part of the selection process, the City may conduct interviews of selected
Proposers to clarify the proposal and the intent of the City for this public service.
RFP No. CB-2703 Page 3 of 17

3. CONTRACT TERM
The term of the Concession Agreement shall commence per negotiated start date,
with term options negotiable up to five (5) years with optional extensions at the
mutual agreement between the Concessionaire and the City.
The City may require relocation, modification, or temporary suspension of vending
machines and vending kiosks during construction, terminal expansion, or
operational changes, and the Concessionaire shall cooperate with such changes
without additional compensation unless otherwise agreed in writing by the City.
4. FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
A. Kitchen - The kitchen was renovated in 2005. It will be the Concessionaire's
responsibility to meet any Health and Fire Code requirements. The
Concessionaire will be responsible for all maintenance, repairs, and
replacement of existing kitchen equipment. There are tables and chairs owned
by the airport that are available for use. Kitchen will be removed in Phase 2 of
Airport Terminal Reconstruction and not replaced.
B. The Terminal will be undergoing a significant expansion and improvement project
in phases during the term of the Concession Agreement. Details of the project will
be discussed in the Pre-Proposal meeting. The selected Concessionaire will have
to be flexible as vending will be relocated during construction.
C. A restaurant kitchen is not included in the Terminal project, but a concession area
in the pre-screening area could have some kitchen equipment installed at
Concessionaire's expense.
D. Vending machines and vending kiosks shall be furnished, installed, maintained,
repaired, sanitized, replenished, and removed by the Concessionaire at its sole
cost unless otherwise stated in the final agreement. The Concessionaire shall be
responsible for all equipment, cabinetry, shelving, refrigeration, payment devices,
telemetry systems, signage, and related accessories associated with vending
machines and vending kiosks. All equipment shall comply with applicable health,
safety, fire, accessibility, and building code requirements and shall be approved in
advance by the City.
The Concessionaire shall provide all power cords, data connections, network
devices, mounting hardware, security devices, and any other equipment necessary
for proper operation of vending machines and vending kiosks. The City shall
identify the approved installation locations and may require prior review of
equipment specifications, photographs, cut sheets, and sample layouts before
installation.
RFP No. CB-2703 Page 4 of 17

5. DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS OF CITY
The City shall provide and pay the cost of water, electrical power and building heating
and cooling.
The City shall identify the approved locations for vending machines and vending
kiosks and shall provide reasonable access to such areas during approved hours,
subject to airport security rules, terminal operations, and construction or
maintenance activities.
6. NO INDEBTEDNESS
Proposer agrees that no payments owed by him/her of any nature whatsoever to the
City, including payment in advance for service charges or any sums of any character
whatsoever, shall become delinquent or in arrears.
The City will not knowingly award contracts for goods or services to any proposer in
arrears to the City for any debt, claim, demand, or account whatsoever, including
taxes, penalty and interest. Professional is responsible for ensuring that no
indebtedness exists.
Section 130 of the City Charter authorizes the City to counterclaim and offset against
any debt, claim, demand or account owed by the City to any person, firm or
corporation in arrears to the City for any debt, claim, demand or account of any
nature whatsoever, including taxes, penalty and interest.
The Concessionaire shall remain current on all fees, commissions, utility
reimbursements, repair charges, and other sums due under the agreement, and any
failure to maintain such current status shall constitute a material default.
7. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
It is the policy of the City to recruit, employ, and to provide compensation, promotion,
and other conditions of employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age,
national origin, or disability. The City affirms that employment decisions shall be
made only onthebasis of bonafide occupational qualifications. The City shall
continually review its employment practices and personnel procedures and take
positive steps to assure that equality of employment opportunity in the City of
Abilene, Texas, is a fact as well as an Ideal.
8. TITLE VI SOLICIATION NOTICE
The City of Abilene, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby
RFP No. CB-2703 Page 5 of 17

notifies all bidders or offerors that it will affirmatively ensure that for any contract
entered into pursuant to this advertisement, [select businesses, or disadvantaged
business enterprises or airport concession disadvantaged business enterprises] will
be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and
no businesses will be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, national
origin (including limited English proficiency), creed, sex (including sexual orientation
and gender identity), age, or disability in consideration for an award.
9. VERIFICATION OF EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY
Proposer must comply with the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) and may
not knowingly obtain labor or services of an unauthorized alien. Proposer -- not City
- must verify eligibility for employment as required by IRCA.
10. MINORITY AND WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISES
The City hereby gives notice that Minority and Women Business Enterprises will be
afforded equal opportunities to submit bids for this contract and will not be
discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, color, sex, religion or
national origin in awarding the contract. Technical assistance is available to Minority
and Women Business Enterprises through the America's Small Business
Development Center, 749 Gateway St. #301 Building C, Abilene, TX 79602.
11. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Proposers submitting a proposal under this solicitation are encouraged to use the
sample Concession and Lease Agreement as a guide. However, this by no means
should restrict proposers who believe that alternative agreement rights,
responsibilities and terms would better enable a concession operation which
achieves the City's objectives, as stated above.
As a minimum proposal, please provide the information requested on the attached
Proposal Form. Use additional sheets as needed.
Proposers selected by the Selection Committee may be asked to present their
proposal to the committee and/or Airport Development Board prior to final selection.
Prospective proposers are cautioned that in no event shall failure to familiarize
themselves with the requirements of this solicitation, or to resolve ambiguous or
inconsistent terms or conditions of this solicitation or proposed resultant Contract,
constitute grounds for a claim of any kind after resultant Contract award.
RFP No. CB-2703 Page 6 of 17

Please contact Alex Cargile, Management Analyst, at alex.cargile@abilenetx.gov or
at (325) 676-6224 with any questions before October 8 at 2:00 p.m. Questions will
be answered by October 13th at 5:00 p.m.
12. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE
A Pre-proposal conference will be held at 3:00 pm on October 5, 2026 in the
Lawrence E. Gill (lower level) Conference Room of the airport terminal.
Proposers are encouraged to attend the pre-proposal conference to review the
proposed vending machine and vending kiosk locations, equipment requirements,
electrical and data availability, security requirements, and any approved stocking or
service routes.
The City may discuss acceptable kiosk formats, unattended service models, and any
restrictions on product categories during the conference.
13. EVALUATION CATEGORIES / CRITERIA
Evaluation of proposals will be performed by a Selection Committee composed of
Airport staff, Airport Development Board members and tenant employee
representatives. Failure to provide information requested in this RFP may result in
disqualification of a proposal. The sole objective of the evaluation will be to evaluate
the responsiveness of each Proposer to the requirements of the RFP. The following
are the categories to be evaluated:
CRITERIA MAXIMUM POINTS
BUSINESS PLAN with details of meeting the objectives in Section 2 15
DEMONSTRATED EXPERIENCE 10
SCOPE OF MENU / VENDING / KIOSK SELECTION 10
VENDING KIOSK EQUIPMENT AND OPERATING PLAN 10
MINIMUM STOCKING PLAN AND SERVICE INTERVALS 10
TECHNOLOGY, MONITORING, AND RESPONSE CAPABILITY 5
PRICING OF MENU/ITEMS 5
MORNING SERVICE IN GATE AREA CONSIDERATION 5
PROPOSED REVENUE TO THE CITY 5
(Revenue may include a flat monthly or a commission on gross sales and will be
discussed at the Pre-Proposal meeting.)
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14. PROPOSAL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS
Each Proposal should be responsive to the requests for information in this RFP and
should be sufficiently detailed and contain all information necessary for complete
evaluation thereof by the Selection Committee.
15. PROPOSAL REJECTION AND DISQUALIFICATION
The City may in its discretion reject or disqualify proposals. The following list is not
exhaustive but includes:
1. Failure to provide complete documentation as required.
2. Evidence of collusion.
3. Default or termination of other contracts.
4. Lack of ability to operate as proposed.
5. Omissions or fraudulent statements.
6. Current or past outstanding overdue debts to City of Abilene.
7. Other causes as deemed relevant by the City.
8. The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals.
16. VENDING KIOSK OPERATIONS REQUIREMENTS
If a proposer offers vending kiosks, the proposal shall include:
1. A description of the kiosk type, make, model, size, and configuration;
2. A description of whether the kiosk is staffed or unattended;
3. A description of all payment methods accepted;
4. A description of how products are displayed, dispensed, and secured;
5. A description of remote inventory monitoring and reporting capabilities;
6. A description of maintenance, cleaning, and malfunction response
procedures;
7. A proposed stocking plan, including minimum stock levels and
replenishment intervals; and
8. A proposed product list for each kiosk location.
17. MINIMUM STOCK LEVELS AND STOCKING TIMES
The Concessionaire shall maintain minimum stock levels for all approved vending
kiosk items and vending machine items at all times during operating hours. The
Concessionaire shall replenish any item that falls below the minimum stock level
within the time stated in its approved operating plan, but in no event later than the
following maximum times unless the City approves otherwise in writing:
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1. Low-stock alerts: within 4 hours of notice;
2. Out-of-stock items during operating hours: within 6 hours of notice;
3. Critical high-demand items, including coffee, bottled water, and grab-and-go
beverages: within 2 hours of notice during peak operating periods when
reasonably practicable;
4. Required cleaning and inspection: at least once each operating day; and
5. Full inventory count and service review: at least weekly.
The City may require more frequent stocking for specific locations, seasons,
or flight schedules.
18. PRODUCT MINIMUMS
Each approved vending machine or vending kiosk shall maintain, at a minimum, a
product mix reasonably sufficient to meet terminal demand, including beverages,
snacks, and at least one healthier option in each main category unless otherwise
approved by the City. The Concessionaire shall not allow repeated stock-outs of
approved items and shall replace slow-moving items only with City-approved
substitutions.
19. VENDING KIOSKS AND VENDING OPERATIONS
The Concessionaire shall operate any vending machine or vending kiosk approved
under this Agreement in accordance with the approved operating plan, which shall
include equipment specifications, operating method, product categories, minimum
stock levels, replenishment times, cleaning frequency, maintenance response
times, and inventory monitoring requirements. The Concessionaire shall maintain
continuous compliance with such plan throughout the term of the Agreement, and
failure to do so shall constitute a material breach.
20. FORM 1295
The successful proposer is required to complete online the Certificate of Interested
Parties Form 1295 and the form must be submitted to the Purchasing contract listed
in the solicitation before the purchase/contract will be presented to City Council.
This form may be completed at
https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/whatsnew/elf_info_form1295.htm
RFP No. CB-2703 Page 9 of 17

21. MAINTENANCE
The Concessionaire shall maintain all vending machines and vending kiosks in a
clean, safe, sanitary, and fully operational condition. All equipment shall be
inspected regularly and repaired promptly. Any malfunction affecting payment
processing, inventory monitoring, product dispensing, or secure operation shall be
corrected as soon as practicable and no later than the repair timeframe stated in the
approved operating plan.
22. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
i. Comprehensive General (Public) Liability to include: (At
$1,000,000/occurrence)
A) Premises/Operation
B) Independent Contractors
C) Personal Injury Liability
D) Product / completed operations liability
E) Liquor Liability, if applicable
ii. Workers Compensation and Employers Liability (Statutory
$100,000/occurrence), if applicable
A) The preceding amounts notwithstanding, the City reserves the right to
increase the minimum amount required insurance to be effective 90 days
after notice is sent to provided address.
The City of Abilene must be named as Additional Insured on the certificate. Further
requirements listed in sample contract.
23. AIRPORT SECURITY AND ACCESS
The concessionaire shall comply with Airport security rules, the Airport Security
Program to the extent applicable, TSA requirements, badging requirements, access-
control procedures, delivery and loading restrictions, escort rules, vehicle rules, and
restricted-area limitations. The city may deny or revoke Airport access privileges
consistent with applicable procedures. The concessionaire shall immediately report
security incidents, suspicious activity, lost credentials, unattended items, and
data/security breaches affecting Airport operations.
RFP No. CB-2703 Page 10 of 17