Cafe Partner

The New Haven Free Public Library (NHFPL), a municipal department of the City of New Haven, is pleased to invite for-profit and not-for-profit proposers to submit proposals to operate a café space located on the first floor of the iconic Ives Memorial Library, 133 Elm Street, New Haven, CT on the historic New Haven Green. Adjacent to the Ives Squared Makerspace, this coffee and food service is intended as an amenity to library users and an attraction to new visitors. This property offers great potential and an exciting opportunity for innovative entrepreneurs to contribute to the library's transformation of a 5,500 sq. ft. area on the main floor into a state-of-the-art 21st-century hub for entrepreneurship, makerspace activities, and civic engagement. The Library requests a detailed proposal (requirements outlined below) from vendors with experience in providing outstanding coffee/beverage, food/snack service and catering.

The RFP contains information regarding the property; the elements sought by the Library for café operation; submission requirements; and selection procedures. Proposals must address with all submission requirements to be eligible for consideration. All information and materials submitted will be thoroughly analyzed and independently verified. The selected Proposer must be qualified to execute the Project in its entirety, which will include leasing, marketing, financial reporting and operations management. Ives Squared is an exciting re-imagination of space in the library that will attract new users and delight current clientele, inviting them to explore, create, innovate and connect in new ways with access to state-of-the-art technology and amenities, including the café.

Basic Health and Safety Code Requirements
Proposers must meet the City of New Haven Board of Health code requirements.

Utilities
All utilities and related costs would be included within the lease agreement.

Structure
All designs and work to be performed on the structure will require prior approval and the appropriate permitting and/or zoning from the City and its respective departments.

Operations and Maintenance
Custodial maintenance of the café and customer area including trash removal and cleaning is the responsibility of the Lessee.

Operating Terms and Conditions
The Proposer (the "Lessee") should be aware that this Project will be developed and operated pursuant to a Lease Agreement (the "Lease") between the City (NHFPL) and the selected 

Background

The Ives Memorial Library, designed by world renowned architect Cass Gilbert, opened its doors in 1911 and serves as the front door on the historic New Haven Green and across the city to all members of the community, welcoming nearly 300,000 guests annually. It is open 6 days a week, Monday — Thursday from 10am to 8pm and Friday and Saturday from 10am to 5pm.  An estimated 80 to 100+ library users are in the building at any given hour along with about 25 to 30 library staff. The original Ives Library facility was expanded in 1990 and the new café is located in the addition to the library, including 900+ sq. ft. of interior space and the capacity to open up the patio overlooking the New Haven Green on Elm Street with an additional 900+ sq. ft. for seasonal outdoor enjoyment. Thus, the total potential café space combined is 1,800 sq. ft. (Exhibit A is the architect's drawing of the café space.)

The Ives Squared Cafe serves as a catalyst to attract a diverse user base to the library and its operator is expected to understand and promote the mission of the library overall' as well as the specific goals of "Ives Squared," the newly renovated space for 21st-century learning, entrepreneurship and civic engagement.

The Café is a unique business opportunity, situated within a new service and program sector of the library that seeks to attract a cross section of New Haven residents in creative placemaking, civic dialog, small business development, and community building. By opening up café services onto the patio, the site offers the successful Operator wide exposure and visibility to the public from one of New Haven's essential traffic arteries and public transportation hubs, namely Elm Street between Temple and Church Street, adjacent to the New Haven Green.

The library's primary objective is to develop a stable, successful operation that will be maintained and operated at the highest standards. The Café makes a significant improvement to the quality of Ives Squared operations and ambience of the library and its community while providing a convenience for the public. All café operations and events conducted during regular business hours of the library must be open to the public.

Café Coffee/Beverage and Food Service
The Library seeks to partner with a caterer, restaurateur or coffee shop who would offer a variety of light fare including lunch food (either freshly prepared and/or prepared and packaged off-site), snacks, and beverages, including espresso/cappuccino coffee/tea options. The meal design is to include breakfast items, lunch, snacks and coffee/tea with possible service into the evening (until 8pm, M-Th and until 5pm, F-Sat). Examples of food include: bagels, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, scones, salads, paninis, lunch sandwiches, and snacks as well as an array of hot and cold beverages, including smoothies, espresso, steamed milk coffees and teas. The food and beverages offered need to be of high quality, with good variety and good value.
The Library welcomes specialty food services that represent local, seasonal, healthy products, emblematic of New Haven's reputation as a food conscious farm to table town. Proposals with business plans that feature workforce development; representation from New Haven's culturally rich and diverse population, including refugees and immigrants; or social impact attributes are strongly encouraged to promote the café as a destination space with unique characteristics. Proposers who build on the interests of the library clientele, for example through broadcast of community voices, storytelling, author talks or music, are also encouraged.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 2026-RFP-CNH-337
• Department: Library
• Department Head: Maria Bernhey (City Librarian and Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-05-19T21:00:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-05-15T13:15:00.000Z — 133 Elm Street Ives Main Library

Evaluation Criteria

• System Requirements -Completeness (1 pts) —

  Completeness:

  Are all necessary requirements included? Does the set of requirements cover all aspects of the system's functionality, performance, and constraints? Are there any obvious omissions?

  Are all stakeholders' needs addressed? Have the requirements captured the essential needs and expectations of all relevant user groups and stakeholders?

  Are functional and non-functional requirements adequately represented? Does the documentation include both what the system should do and how well it should do it (e.g., performance, security, usability)?

  Clarity and Unambiguity:

  Are the requirements easy to understand? Is the language used clear, concise, and free from jargon or technical terms that stakeholders might not understand?

  Is each requirement stated unambiguously? Is there only one way to interpret each requirement? Are there any vague or subjective terms used?

  Are the requirements at the appropriate level of detail? Are they specific enough to guide design and development but not so detailed that they constrain implementation unnecessarily?

  Consistency:

  Are the requirements consistent with each other? Do any requirements contradict or conflict with other requirements?

  Are the requirements consistent with existing systems and standards? Do the requirements align with any relevant organizational standards, industry best practices, or existing systems the new system will interact with?

  Verifiability:

  Is it possible to determine if each requirement has been met? Can each requirement be tested, demonstrated, inspected, or analyzed to confirm its fulfillment?

  Are measurable criteria defined where appropriate? For non-functional requirements (like performance), are there specific metrics and target values defined?

  Traceability:

  Can each requirement be traced back to its source? Is it clear which stakeholder need or business goal each requirement addresses?

  Can each requirement be traced forward to design elements, code, and test cases? Will it be possible to follow the implementation and verification of each requirement throughout the development lifecycle?

  Feasibility:

  Are the requirements technically feasible to implement within the project constraints? Can the system be built with the available technology, resources, and timeline?

  Are the requirements economically feasible? Are the costs associated with implementing the requirements justifiable in terms of the benefits they provide?

  Modifiability:

  Is the requirements documentation structured in a way that allows for easy modification? Can changes be made to individual requirements without causing significant ripple effects on other requirements?

  Is there a clear process for managing changes to requirements?

  Testability:

  Are the requirements written in a way that facilitates the creation of test cases? Can testable conditions be derived directly from the requirements?

• Product Demonstration: (1 pts) —

  Clarity and Focus:

  Is the purpose of the demonstration clear? Is it evident what the demonstrator is trying to achieve (e.g., highlight key features, address a specific use case, show a new capability)?

  Is the demonstration focused and concise? Does it avoid unnecessary features or tangents, sticking to the most relevant aspects for the intended audience?

  Is the flow of the demonstration logical and easy to follow? Does it progress in a way that makes sense to the observer?

  Content and Relevance:

  Are the key features and benefits clearly showcased? Does the demonstration effectively highlight what the product does and the value it offers to the user?

  Is the demonstration relevant to the audience's needs and interests? Does it address their potential pain points or goals?

  Are realistic use cases or scenarios presented? Does the demonstration illustrate how the product would be used in a practical context?

  Is the level of technical detail appropriate for the audience? Does it avoid being overly technical or too simplistic?

  Delivery and Presentation:

  Is the demonstrator knowledgeable and confident? Do they exhibit a strong understanding of the product?

  Is the demonstrator engaging and enthusiastic? Do they capture and maintain the audience's interest?

  Is the pace of the demonstration appropriate? Is it not too rushed or too slow?

  Is the language clear, concise, and professional? Does the demonstrator avoid jargon or use it appropriately with explanation?

  Are visuals (if used) clear, effective, and well-integrated? Do slides, screen shares, or other visual aids enhance understanding?

  Is there effective use of the product itself? Is the product interface easy to see and understand during the demonstration?

  Are transitions between topics smooth? Does the demonstration flow naturally from one point to the next?

  Engagement and Interaction:

  Are opportunities for questions and interaction provided? Is the audience encouraged to participate?

  Are questions answered clearly and effectively? Does the demonstrator address audience queries in a helpful manner?

  Is there an understanding of the audience's reactions and adjustments made accordingly? Does the demonstrator adapt to the audience's cues?

  Overall Effectiveness:

  Does the demonstration effectively communicate the product's value proposition? Is it clear why someone would want to use the product?

  Does the demonstration leave a positive and lasting impression? Is the audience likely to remember the key takeaways?

  Does the demonstration achieve its intended purpose? (e.g., generate interest, explain a feature, secure a sale).

  Is the time allocated for the demonstration used efficiently?

• Experience and Organization of Proposer's team (1 pts) —

  Experience providing exact or similar services to the City of New Haven previously, or to other municipalities comparable in scope and size to the City of New Haven. Demonstrated responsiveness and decisiveness, and overall qualifications and availability of key individuals of the team, economic success of related ventures, ability to implement development quickly and effectively, and ability to work constructively with the Library and community representatives.

• Experience and Reputation of the Proposer (1 pts) —

  Based on the breadth of experience, partnerships in public/private or private ventures, quality and success of other restaurant and/or resource venture(s) over time, uniqueness of other venture(s), and ongoing management of catering/restaurant operations.

• Quality and uniqueness of the concept (1 pts) —

  Committee will consider product type and quality, success & consistency, and vendor references.

• Financial capacity (1 pts) —

  Projections and business plan of the Proposer, based on ability to fund startup operations, equipment, and continuing operations and maintenance.

• The economic return to the Library (1 pts) —

  Based on base rent and/or any percentage rent proposed. Financial tracking/reporting systems should be outlined (e.g., reporting capabilities of Point of Sales software).

• Financial viability of the Proposal (1 pts) —

  Based on adequacy of projected revenues to support the investment and reasonableness of the cash flow analysis.

• Alignment (1 pts) —

  Partnership potential with library's social, cultural and entrepreneurial objectives, community support and approvability of the Project in accordance with required regulatory approvals.

   

Submission Requirements

• Proposal (without cost) (required)
• Cost Proposal (required)
• Will you be using the On-line Notary feature or Public Notary for the Disclosure Form (required) —

  The City needs you to get the Disclosure Form  notarized. We are offering you a convenient  way to do this online through Notary Online (https://notarylive.com) . However, you don't have to use this online service. If you do choose to use it, it will cost you $25 each time you use it for a notarization. You can explore other ways to get your document notarized if you prefer not to pay this fee, click "No". 

• Disclosure Form for Online Notary (required) —

  An online notarization option will be provided for you when responding.

  Important: If you don't have the document notarized, your response will be disqualified.

  In essence, you must legally verify your identity and the authenticity of your signature on the document. 

• DISCLOSURE & CERTIFICATION AFFIDAVIT (required) —
  1. Download the Disclosure & Certification document: This is a digital document that you'll need to fill out.
  2. Complete the document: Fill in all the required information on the document.
  3. Notarize the document: 
     
     • Take the completed document to a public notary: A notary public can notarize your signature in person.

  Important: If you don't have the document notarized, your response will be disqualified.

  In essence, you must legally verify your identity and the authenticity of your signature on the document. 

• Current Workforce Demographic (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Statement of Qualifications for City —

  Statement of Qualifications:

  Each solicitation response shall include a Statement of Qualifications in the format provided in this Solicitation upon stationary of the responding entity.

  All questions must be answered, and the data given must be clear and comprehensive. The respondent may submit any additional information he/she desires.

• Permanent Main Office Address (required)
• When Organized (required)
• Legal form of ownership. If a corporation, where incorporated. (required)
• How many years have you been engaged in services, under your present name? (required)
• Have you ever failed to complete any work awarded to you? If so, where and why? (required)
• Have you ever defaulted on a contract? If so, where, and why? (required)
• Describe any pending litigation or other factors, which could affect your organization and it's ability to perform this agreement. (required)
• Names, titles, reporting relationships, and background and experience of the principal members of your organization, including the officers. Indicate which individuals are authorized to bind the organization in negotiations with the City of New Haven. (required)
• Name, title, address, and telephone number of the individual to whom all inquiries about this Proposal should be addressed. (required)
• Will you, upon request, fill out a detailed financial statement and furnish any other information or sign a release that may be required by the City of New Haven? (required) —

  Upon the City of New Haven's request, the Business will be obligated to:*

  • Complete a detailed financial statement, providing a thorough overview of its financial position.
  • Furnish any additional information deemed necessary by the City to evaluate its financial stability. This may include, but is not limited to, bank records, tax documentation, and credit references.
  • Sign a release if required, authorizing the City to independently verify the provided financial information from relevant third parties.

  This comprehensive financial review is a necessary step for the City of New Haven to ensure the respondent possesses the financial capacity to successfully undertake and complete the proposed project. Your affirmative response confirms your understanding and willingness to comply with these requirements if requested.

• If you answers no , (required) —

  Briefly describe your reason for answering no.

• Tax Identification number(s) (required)
• Are you able to receive Credit Card Payments for your services rendered? (required)
• Attached in section 3 "City Requirements" of this solicitation are Policy Agreements for Ban the Box, Certificate of non-arrearage, Equal Opportunity Agreement and the Non-Collusion Affidavit your review.. (required) —

  By submitting a response to this solicitation, you acknowledge and accept the terms and condition of each individual policy.

• Public Record Trade Secret or Proprietary Confidential Business Information Exemption Request (required) —

  As a bidder or proposer, any document you submit to the City of New Haven may be a public record and be open for personal inspection or copying by any person. In Connecticut ‘s public records” are defined as all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing software, or other material, regardless of the physical form, characteristics, or means of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any agency. Section 1-210, CT. A document is subject to personal inspection and copying unless it falls under one of the public records exemptions created under Connecticut law.  Answer No if : No part of your proposal is exempt from disclosure under the Connecticut public record law.

• By answering Yes, you are agreeing to the following (required) —

  By claiming that all or part of the bid or proposal is exempt from the public records law, the undersigned bidder or proposer agrees to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold the City of New Haven, its officers, employees, and agents free and harmless from and against all claims arising out of a request to inspector copy the bid or proposal. The undersigned bidder or proposer agrees to investigate, handle, respond to, provide defense (including payment of attorney fees, court costs, and expert witness fees and expenses up to and including any appeal) for and defend any such claim at its sole cost and expense through counsel chosen by the City of New Haven and agrees to bear all other costs and expenses related thereto, even if they (claims, etc.) are groundless, false, or fraudulent.

• If you claimed yes, (i.e., you do claim an exemption), explain which part/s are exempt below (required) —

  The following parts of the bid or proposal submitted are exempt from disclosure under the Connecticut public records law because: (list exempt parts and legal justification - e.g., trade secret):

• Conflict of Terms & No External Links (required) —

  Respondent expressly acknowledges that the submission of a response, purchasing agreement, or any supporting documentation shall not contain embedded hyperlinks to external terms and conditions. Any terms and conditions intended to be part of the contract must be provided in full, physical or digital text within the formal submission. Furthermore, any respondent terms that conflict with the City’s Standard Terms and Conditions shall be deemed secondary; the City’s terms shall prevail unless a specific exception is negotiated and signed by both parties."

• The City of New Haven has provided the complete contract details for your thorough examination. While the standard contract terms allow for minor modifications with the City's written approval, it is critical to understand that you will be strictly required to adhere to every term and condition as presented in the attached documents unless such minor changes are formally approved by the City of New Haven (required) —

  By submitting a response to this solicitation, you acknowledge and accept this requirement as a condition of award." 

• Project Owner
• Enter Requesting Department Name. (required)
• Enter Project Manager's Name (required)
• Enter Munis Account Number for Ad (nnnnnnnn-nnnnn) (required)
• Funding
• How is this Procurement Funded (required)
• IF funding is City, then does local preference apply? (required)
• If funding is Federal, and project is construction related then federal wage rate required (required)
• If funding is State, and project is construction related; state wage required (required)
• If project is State Funded, does project need be posted on DAS Portal ? (required)
• If funding is a Grant and project is not construction related (required)
• If project is ARPA and is not construction related: (required)
• If Grant funded-required information confirmation (required)
• Please include the full name of the funding agency (not the program). If funding is general fund , enter not applicable: (required) —

  For Example: "Homeland Security"

• Project Setup
• Does this procurement include any of the following (check what applies) (required)
• Has Fleet(DPW) approved your specification?(appear when vehicle) (required) —

  If answered yes, please attached confirmation email from Fleet, in the internal attachment section

• Has IT approved your specifications? (required) —

  If answered yes, please attached confirmation email from the Technology Department , in the internal attachment section of this project.

• Type of Technology included (appears when equals Tech) (required)
• Insurance Requirements —

  Instructions for Project Managers

  Based on the information you currently have, attempt to answer this question to the best of your capability. Ultimately, purchasing will review this carefully and edit and update as needed based on your solicitation requirements. 

  As a standard, all activities for Construction and Service require the following: 

  • General Liability
  • Workers’ Compensation & Employers’ Liability (EL) - Statutory Limits
  • Auto Liability
  • Excess/Umbrella Liability

  Any Professional Services type project (usually Request for Proposals) will require the following: 

  • General Liability
  • Workers’ Compensation & Employers’ Liability (EL) - Statutory Limits
  • Auto Liability
  • Excess/Umbrella Liability
  • Professional Liability

  For Commodity, General Liability is the minimum requirement. 

• Pricing (required) —
  • Option 1 can be leveraged where there are set line items for the solicitation and we need vendors to provide their cost against those line items. 
  • Option 2 will be used when vendors will provide their pricing sheet as we cannot determine the line items required. 
• Are there any License or Certification Requirement? (required) —

  This particular question is to be answered for the company (or their subcontractors) not their employees.

• License or Certification Type: (required) —

  Please enter the specific License or Certification required to be eligible to compete on this solicitation. For example, "CPA - Certified Public Accountant."

• Is this a License from the State of Connecticut Licensing Board? (required)
• Is experience required to be eligible to compete on this solicitation? (required)
• Evaluation Criteria —

  Guidelines used to determine whether a response  is good, effective, or meets expectations of the project

• Select Evaluation Criteria to Include —

  Choose your evaluation factors. Below are example factors you can consider for your Evaluation Criteria. It is important that your actual evaluation of proposals is consistent with the factors and criteria you include in the RFP document. You will be able to add or edit any custom criteria along with the point values (using a 100-point-scale) while you are editing the Evaluation Section of this project.

• Contract Terms —

  The determination of whether a city contract is to be submitted to the board of alders for prior approval pursuant to section 2-376 is if one of the following conditions exist:

  a.

  If its initial term is longer than one year, exclusive of options/renewals that are less than two years.

  b.

  If options/renewals on the initial term exceed two years collectively and/or consecutively, or

  c.

  If any options/renewals materially alter the terms or conditions of a contract in the judgment of the city purchasing agent.

• Base Contract Duration: How many years will be included for the base contract? If pre approved by BOA for initial term of two or greater attach resolution in the internal attachment section of project (required) —

  The determination of whether a city contract is to be submitted to the board of alders for prior approval pursuant to section 2-376 is if one of the following conditions exist:

  a.

  If its initial term is longer than one year, exclusive of options/renewals that are less than two years.

  b.

  If options/renewals on the initial term exceed two years collectively and/or consecutively, or

  c.

  If any options/renewals materially alter the terms or conditions of a contract in the judgment of the city purchasing agent.

• Optional Renewals: How many one-year optional contract renewals will be included with the contract? (required)
• Award Method (required) —

  General definitions and parameters of each approach.

  • Award to the Winner: This is a traditional public procurement where the winning bid or proposal is selected based on the Lowest, Responsive and Responsible Bidder when using a Competitive Bid process; or the Highest Scored Proposal when using the Competitive Selection process.
  • Split Award: A “Split-Award” is designed to specify and distinguish separate Groups of awards based on separate specifications or Scopes of Work. A vendor can respond to any combination of the Groups provided they are responsive and responsible. Each Group is evaluated and awarded independently. Effectively, there could be a separate winner for each Group.
  • Back Up Vendor (RFPs Only): This method is intended to contract with a back up vendor in the event the winner is unable to fulfill the contract.