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.
