Applicants must submit one (1) original and four (4) complete copies of the proposal to the: Rapid City Public Library, ATTN: Terri Davis, 610 Quincy Street, Rapid City, SD 57701. Proposals shall be submitted at the time and place indicated in the Request for Proposal and shall be submitted in a sealed envelope appropriately marked with the Proposal title and the name and address of the Applicant(s).

Section I: General Information:

The Rapid City Public Library is the second largest public library in South Dakota with over 44,000 library cardholders, including over 7,000 Pennington County residents. The library circulates 580,000 items a year. Over 400,000 people a year visit and use the RCPL, with an average of 1,200 patrons per day. Library programs attract over 250 people every month.

Library visitors will note a book sale area in the lobby, operated by the Friends of the Library; three meeting rooms with a combined seating of 114; and the second floor children's library. The library also has wireless connections for those patrons who want to use their own laptop computers.

The coffee bar/cart will be located on the east side of the Research Room on the main floor, and will include 1-2 tables with chairs. This seating will be available for all patrons, whether they are coffee bar customers or not.

Effective May 31, 2005, the library’s hours of operation will be:

Monday – Thursday    9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday   9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday                  12:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Note: The library staff begins their workdays from between 6:00 – 8:30 a.m., providing an opportunity for an in-house market.

Typical usage patterns of the library’s patrons are as follows: weekday mornings attract families and computer users; weekday afternoons attract many students and families; Saturdays and Sundays draw families and students; Sunday afternoon is the busiest time per hour, followed by 12:00-5:00 weekdays.

Food and beverages are allowed inside the library. Staff consume food and beverages in designated non-public spaces and at their work areas.

The library at times provides light breakfasts (coffee, pastries, etc.) and lunches (box lunches, etc.) to groups in the meeting rooms, as well as for special events in other spaces in the library. RCPL is receptive to ideas about additional special events or catering opportunities that the successful operator may propose. While obtaining the contract on the coffee bar does not grant the successful operator exclusivity in offering catering in the library, the contract does grant exclusive concessions for a regular coffee bar/cart on the premises.

Food concessions are becoming more common in libraries throughout the country. Most of these are operated by private-sector vendors, who are reaping the rewards of discovering that libraries offer desirable demographics, strong customer loyalty, and high traffic in a unique and distinctive environment. Public libraries in Columbus, New York, Seattle, Boulder, and Los Angeles have successful food concessions. In particular, Chicago Public Library has had an espresso cart for two years, which grosses $120,000 annually.

Section II: Minimum Requirements:

In order to be considered for the contracts described in this Request for Proposals (RFP) the person or group making the proposal shall have two or more years of continuous experience in ownership, management or operation of specialty coffee facilities (carts or bars) or other equivalent experience as accepted by the proposal review committee. Applicants not meeting this minimum requirement will be disqualified and their proposal will not be considered further.

Section III: Scope Of Services:

The actual terms of the contract entered into shall be negotiated between the Rapid City Public Library Board of Trustees and the concessionaire whose proposal is selected. However, the provisions that follow are to be incorporated into any contract unless it is stated and agreed to otherwise at the time of considering the initial proposal.

The scope of the required services consists of operating a coffee bar located in the Rapid City Public Library. The coffee bar/cart would be expected to operate most of the time RCPL is open. Specific hours of operation are negotiable depending on the needs of the library and when it is cost-effective for the operator to be open. In addition to the offerings identified below, other offerings may be included with the proposal, but are subject to library approval.

1. Location:	East end of main-floor research room

2. Size:	20’x20’ available

3. Seating:	1-2 tables, plus seating in reading area

4. Storage:	Not available

5. Menu Profile:	Espresso drinks Coffee, tea Bottled water (optional) Bottled juices (optional) Fresh pastries (optional) Prepared sandwiches (optional)

6. Hours of Operation:	Negotiable Subject to change based on Library hours

In addition to the operation of a coffee bar/cart the concessionaire whose proposal is accepted will be expected to provide all necessary equipment and supplies, agree to indemnify and defend the City for any and all claims arising out of the operator’s negligence, have knowledge of and comply with all health regulations and will be responsible for obtaining any permits and/or licenses necessary for operation. The contract will also contain a term that the City is not responsible for damage, loss or theft of property belonging to the concessionaire.

It is anticipated that the coffee bar/cart will pay a rental fee to the RCPL. The amount of the fee will be determined during the contract negotiations with the Rapid City Public Library Board.

The library anticipates that the term of any agreement entered into pursuant to this RFP will be for a term of one year subject to similar terms of renewal.

All utilities will be paid for by the library.

The operator will be expected to have liability insurance and provide proof thereof to the City prior to any contract going into effect or the start of any operations. It is anticipated that the concessionaire will be responsible for obtaining a liability policy with a minimum of $1,000,000 coverage. If employees are hired, proof of workers compensation insurance will also be required.

The operator will be responsible for keeping the coffee bar area neat, clean and in good repair. The Operator will also be responsible for regularly bussing the area and immediately cleaning up spills or messes. The library's maintenance staff will continue to clean RCPL, including carpet maintenance. The operator will provide, at their own expense, adequate receptacles for trash, and ensure that receptacles do not become overfilled during public hours. Library maintenance staff will empty trash nightly. Operator will not allow boxes, cartons, barrels or other similar items to remain in view of public areas. Operator may use the mop sink, located in the first floor Maintenance Room.

Section V: Selection Process

The proposals will be reviewed by a committee made up of library staff and the Library Board. The committee, after reviewing the proposals, will make a recommendation to the full Library Board who will then either approve or deny the recommendation. The applicant selected will then be contacted and an agreement will be drafted by the City Attorney’s Office for the concessionaire’s review and signature.

Section VI: Technical Assistance / Clarification

Any Applicant requiring clarification of the information contained herein or who has questions about the RFP should contact:

Terri Davis
Rapid City Public Library
610 Quincy Street, Rapid City SD 57701
Phone (605) 394-6139 ext. 223 - Fax (605) 394-6755
E-mail: tdavis@rcplib.org

The RCPL reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to award the concession agreement to the proposal that is in the best interests of the library as determined by the library board and to negotiate with any person submitting a proposal.