Food Management Services - Questions and Answers No. 1

Agency:	Shelby County
State:	Tennessee
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	722310 - Food Service Contractors
Posted Date:	Apr 9, 2026
Due Date:	Apr 27, 2026
Solicitation No:	RFP 26-002-76
Original Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

Bid Title:

RFP 26-002-76 Questions and Answers No. 1

Category:

Sheriff

Status:

Open

Publish Date:

Thursday, April 9, 2026 - 3:30pm

Close Date:

04/27/2026 - 4:00pm

Contact Person:

Carla Hayes

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Shelby County

Tennessee

Lee Harris, Mayor

Questions and Answers No. 1

ISSUED: April 9, 2026

RFP # 26-002-76 Food Management Services

(Shelby County Sheriff Department)

TO ALL PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS:

The following questions were submitted by a potential bidder. Our answers

are listed below in red:

The below questions pertain to IX. PURPOSE / SCOPE OF WORK

Section 20, Page 21 of the RFP document.

• Please provide a breakdown of diets, and number of inmates on each

per day

o For example: diabetic – 3 inmates, cardiac – 5 inmates, etc.

• Is a Lacto-ovo vegetarian or vegan menu acceptable to provide for all

religious diets? No.

• Please provide the number of individuals receiving a religious diet per

day. 49 detainees, main Jail

• What are the current Ramadan & Passover meal accommodation

requirements currently in place? Jail facilities in Tennessee, under

T.C.A. § 41-4-109 and TN Corrections Institute rules, must provide

adequate, wholesome food, which includes accommodating religious

diets like Ramadan. Inmates must formally request an altered

schedule, typically via the chaplain, to receive meals before sunrise

and after sunset. Facilities often provide vegetarian or halal-

alternative meal options.

• Key Ramadan Requirements & Accommodations in TN Jails:

• Meal Schedule Adjustments: Facilities are expected to provide

meals before dawn (Suhur) and after sunset (Iftar) to accommodate

fasting.

• Alternative Meals: While Tennessee courts have held that prisons

do not necessarily have to provide specific Halal-certified meat,

they must provide non-pork, vegetarian, or meat-free alternatives.

• Does the county wish to continue with this? Yes.

o Please provide the most recent Ramadan participant count.

200

o Please provide the most recent Passover participant count. 0

• Are there any specific menu or product requirements for the special

holiday meals listed (Easter Sunday, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving

Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day)? For Easter

Sunday/Christmas Day/New Year’s Day/Etc: chicken, turkey with

dressing, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, yams,

dinner rolls, pies (pumpkin, apple, for example); for Fourth of July:

BBQ chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. These are all examples.

Vendors will be allowed to provide example menu details in their

proposals. Remember, no pork is allowed.

• Is soy acceptable for use in casserole/mixes dishes on the menu?

No.

Sincerely,

Signed Original on File

Carla Hayes, Buyer

Purchasing Department

Shelby County Government

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Food Management Services - Questions and Answers No. 1

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