Food Management Services - Questions and Answers No. 6

Agency:	Shelby County
State:	Tennessee
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	722310 - Food Service Contractors
Posted Date:	Apr 17, 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. 6

Category:

Sheriff

Status:

Open

Publish Date:

Friday, April 17, 2026 - 2:30pm

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. 6

ISSUED: April 17, 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:

1. Please provide a copy of the current cycle menus in place for inmates. (See

attachment)

2. Please provide a copy of the current staff menus. (See attachment)

3. Do you allow the use of Soy in recipes on the menu? No

4. What is the current procedure for staff meal ordering, billing, payment by

staff, meal cost, etc.? The vendor maintains all meal ordering, cost per

meal, etc. SCSO works with County Purchasing to obtain purchase orders

for the vendor. As the vendor invoices the SCSO, the SCSO requests that

County Accounts Payable pay the vendor via the purchase order. In the

RFP document, please see IX. Purpose/Scope of Work, No. 12 and No. 13

for more information.

5. Please provide copies of recent billing invoices and meal count sheets

from the past few months that show the numbers served for each of the

various types of meals served such as regular meals, special diets, sack

lunches, staff meals, etc. Due to fair competitive pricing parameters, SCSO

will not provide current meal pricing information at this time. If you would

like to obtain this information, please open a public records request with

County Purchasing.

6. Please provide a copy of the current contract if applicable to include the

current cost per meal information, and the evolution of the price per meal

during the current contract based on CPI or scope of work price

adjustments. Due to fair competitive pricing parameters, SCSO will not

provide current meal pricing information at this time. If you would like to

obtain this information, please open a public records request with County

Purchasing.

7. Is a meal pricing scale acceptable? Yes

8. Please verify the current ADP at the facility. There are currently 2,636

detainees at 201 Poplar and 286 detainees at Jail East. Are there plans for

facility expansion during the next 5 years? Please describe if so. Any

expansion is yet to be determined and would have to be funded via the

approval of the Shelby County Commission.

9. What are the inmate meal service times for breakfast, lunch and dinner

(start to finish)? (Breakfast 5:30am-7:00am)

(Lunch 10:30am – 12 pm)

(Dinner 5:30 pm – 7:00pm)

10. What are the Staff Meal service times?

Overnight shift: 1 am–4 am; Lunch: 9 am-1 pm; Dinner: 4pm-8pm

11. What time does the kitchen open and close each day?

Midnight – 8 pm

12. How many sack lunches are required daily? 500 Please provide the current

sack lunch menu. Four slices of lunch meat, cheese, dessert, beverage,

fruit, and condiments. Are there any special menu requirements for any of

the work details? No.

13. Is there currently a program in place that provides the ability for inmates to

order fresh foods from the kitchen and pay for those foods with their

commissary account? No, only friends and family can purchase the fresh-

food meals for the detainees. If so, please provide information on this

program for the following:

A. Approved menus (see attachment) and prices Due to fair competitive

pricing parameters, SCSO will not provide the current meal pricing

information at this time. If you would like to obtain this information,

please open a public records request with Shelby County Attorney

Office.

B. Service schedules (when inmates order-when they are delivered)

Detainees cannot make orders, but when friends/family order, the meals

are delivered within 48 hours.

C. Who delivers the completed orders? The vendor

D. What is the annual sales volume in dollars? Due to fair competitive

pricing parameters, SCSO will not provide the current meal pricing

information at this time. If you would like to obtain this information,

please open a public records request with County Purchasing.

E. What is the current commission rate? Due to fair competitive pricing

parameters, SCSO will not provide the current meal pricing information

at this time. If you would like to obtain this information, please open a

public records request with County Purchasing.

F. What was the annual dollar commissions realized over the past year?

Due to fair competitive pricing parameters, SCSO will not provide the

current meal pricing information at this time. If you would like to obtain

this information, please open a public records request with County

Purchasing.

G. Are there any restrictions or limits for purchases? Yes, one order per

day. Detainees that are on restriction (as determined by the SCSO)

cannot receive orders.

H. Does the program allow for family and friends to also order items on the

menu via phone or internet? Yes, as outlined above. If not is this

something the facility would approve of? N/A

I. How many inmates on average are eligible to participate in this program

on any given week? At this time, an average of about 300 detainees

participate in this program a week. All detainees are eligible unless they

are on restrictions.

J. If this kind of program exists, is there a system in place to ensure these

sales don’t artificially deflate your current PPM? Due to fair competitive

pricing parameters, SCSO will not provide the current meal pricing

information at this time. If you would like to obtain this information,

please open a public records request with County Purchasing.

14. Regarding Inmate workers:

A. How many inmate workers are provided in the operation? 50

B. What are the shift times they work? 4 am - noon; 10 am - 6:30 pm

C. What tasks are they permitted to perform such as cooking, operating

equipment, etc.? Prepping, cooking, serving, cleaning, washing trays,

assisting in the warehouse, emptying trash, making sack lunches

D. Are they paid and if so by whom and how much? No

E. Do they receive double portions and can the contractor bill for double

portions? Yes

15. Are there officers assigned to the kitchen? If so is this always when the

kitchen is open and operating? Yes, always

16. How many food service employees are working in the operation currently?

There are two (2) managers and seventeen (17) employees. Does the

administration feel the current level of supervision is satisfactory? Yes

Please provide the current staff positions, work schedules, etc. Positions

are as follows: Manager, Lead Supervisors, Cook Supervisors, Production

Supervisors, Staff Dining Supervisors, Drivers, Administrative. Schedules

vary based on operational needs.

17. Please provide a list of catering events the vendor may be expected to

provide during the normal year. There are roughly five to six catering

events the vendor may be expected to provide each year including: lunch

for visiting auditors, breakfast/lunch/snacks for special meetings,

lunch/snacks/dessert for retirement events, food for Corrections Week.

Additionally, please provide information regarding any billing/payment for

these events. Such events are discussed with the vendor ahead of time

(food required/number of attendees/etc.), the vendor provides the pricing to

the SCSO, SCSO Jail leadership approves of the pricing, the event is held,

and then the vendor invoices the SCSO for the event separately from the

food contract.

18. Are there any restrictions for deliveries of foods and supplies to the dock

by your vendors? Please provide clarity on this question. What are the

approved hours for product and supply deliveries to the facility? Monday –

Friday, 6 am - 4 pm

19. How many inmates are on special diets at this time and what types of diets

are they on? See the schedule below. Are there any unusual requirements

the vendor needs to be aware of for billing purposes (snacks, nutritional

supplements, kosher diets, etc.) See the schedule below.

20. Is the food service providing meals to any other agency near the facility

such as meals on wheels, etc.? No

21. Who is responsible for providing small wares such as inmate meal trays,

staff meal trays, cooking & serving utensils, pots & pans, inmate drinking

cups, inmate spoons/sporks? SCSO If you require the use of disposable

service wares (Styrofoam, etc.) please indicate where these are needed and

the number of those instances on average per day. The amount of usage

varies. See below a schedule completed by the current vendor to comply

with the RFP document, IX Purpose/Scope of Work, No. 14.

This page summarizes the opportunity, including an overview and a preview of the attached documents.

* Disclaimer: This website provides information about bids, requests for proposals (RFPs), or requests for qualifications (RFQs) for convenience only and does not serve as an official public notice. Individuals who wish to respond to or inquire about bids, RFPs, or RFQs should contact the relevant government department directly.

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Food Management Services - Questions and Answers No. 6

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