Food & Beverage Concessions

The Kenton County Airport Board (“KCAB”) is requesting proposals for Food & Beverage Concessions at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Int’l Airport (“CVG”). Questions are due by 11:59 pm on Thursday, May 14, 2026 and answers will be posted no later than 11:59 pm on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Proposals must be received by Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 11:59 pm. No proposals will be accepted after that time unless such date or time is extended pursuant to an addendum issued by KCAB.

A pre-proposal site visit will be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 9:00 am at CVG Main Terminal - Ticketing Level. Please RSVP by March 25, 2026, through KCAB’s online bidding system which can be accessed at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cvgairport.

Background

KCAB has three (3) available Food & Beverage concession opportunities. These locations include:

• A-004 – Vacant Former Panda Express
• A-015 – Blaze Pizza
• A-031 – Christian Moerlein Taproom

While a local branding partnership is preferred, it is not required. KCAB will carefully consider proposals to ensure there is no overlap or competing concepts within the Concourse.

Proposers may submit a proposal for a single location or for multiple locations. Proposers may present a preferred concept or an alternative concept per location. Creative and innovative models, such as hybrid concepts are encouraged and preferred particularly for A-031.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 26-021-RFP Conc
• Department: Concession
• Department Head: Carlos Ruiz (Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-05-15T03:59:00.000Z
• Answers Posted By: 2026-05-22T03:59:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-04-21T13:00:35.677Z — CVG Main Terminal - Ticketing Level

Addenda

• Official Notice #1: Pre-Proposal Meeting Agenda and Sign In Sheets (released 2026-04-21T18:35:26.753Z) —

  The agenda and sign in sheets from the pre-proposal meeting at attached.

• Addendum #1 (released 2026-04-21T18:41:37.824Z) —

  Please use the See What Changed link to view all the changes made by this addendum.

  
  
  Section 1.5. OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE:
  Changed: "Proposers should offer broad passenger appeal and take into account existing food & beverage offerings in the area to provide variety within the overall concessions program."
  To: "Proposers should offer broad passenger appeal and take into account existing food & beverage offerings in the area to provide variety within the overall concessions program. Please be aware that the existing Christian Moerlein Taproom lease line does not include the impromptu patio area located in front of the space. Should you wish to incorporate this patio, we ask that it be shown in your drawings and explicitly addressed in your proposal. The design may extend up to five (5) feet beyond the current lease line to accommodate this patio area."
  
  Section 2.2. ATTACHMENTS:
  Changed: "B - LOD A-015"
  To: "Removed from attachments list" because it is duplicated by Attachment F.
  
  

Evaluation Criteria

• Proposed Concept, Business Plan, Menu Offerings & Pricing (30 pts)
• Proposer’s Qualifications, Experience, References & Past Performance (25 pts)
• Financial Statement and Capacity (10 pts)
• Proposed Facility Design, Capital Investment (Including Mid-Term Refurbishment Commitment) & Development Schedule (20 pts)
• Proposed Term & Financial Offer (10 pts)
• Proposed Employee Training, Customer Service Training & Staffing Plans (5 pts)
• Meeting/Interview (20 pts) —

  Expectations for the Onsite Meeting/Interview:

  • Presentation: KCAB expects the proposer to lead the meeting and present a comprehensive overview of the proposal, including financials, operations, renderings and any other relevant details. A formal presentation is expectated to guide the meeting and ensure all key points and questions are addressed. Proposers should bring any material boards or supporting documents to help clarify the proposal.
  • Evaluation Team Questions: KCAB will provide the evaluation committee’s questions ahead of time so proposers can address them during the meeting.
  • Preparation: Proposers should be ready to present financial information, supporting documents, and answer specific questions from the evaluation committee.
  • Clarity: Presenters must be able to clearly explain the financial information provided and respond to any follow-up questions from the evaluation team.
  • Timeliness: Proposers are expected to be punctual for the scheduled meeting/interview and adhere to the timeframe allocated for their presentation.
  • Technology: Proposers are encouraged to bring a Microsoft laptop to avoid compatibility issues, as KCAB has experienced trouble with Mac devices. Additionally, please bring a USB stick or similar storage device containing your presentation to ensure smooth technological integration during the meeting.

Submission Requirements

• Executive Summary (required) —

  This summary should include an introduction to your business and share the history of your journey, vision, and mission statement. In addition, it must include an explanation of why you think your concept is an excellent fit for CVG.

• Preferred Locations (required) —

  A single proposal should be submitted for multiple Food & Beverage location(s) and concept(s). Bundled proposals are encouraged; separate proposals for each location are not necessary.

  If submitting a single proposal with multiple locations, please rank your preferred locations in order of preference (1 being the most preferred and 3 being the least preferred).

• Proposed Concept, Business Plan and Menu (three day-part) Offerings (required) —

  Describe who you are, what you do, and what makes your business stand out among the rest. This section must include how you would operate at CVG and demonstrate that you clearly understand what it will take to succeed at CVG.  Proposers may include a preferred and alternate concept/brand per location. If submitting for multiple locations, please rank them in order of preference to help inform the evaluation team (1 being the preferred and 2, 3 or 4 being the alternate).  

  • Describe the story of your restaurant or brand. Include the number of current locations and detailed experience.
  • Demonstrate a current business plan. Please include a basic structure including business organization and relationships, and future goals or growth plans.
  • Proposed menu concept with pricing. The menu should be structured as a three day-part (breakfast, lunch and dinner) menu. Menus should highlight variety, portability for travelers, and alignment with the brand’s standard offerings. 
  • If proposing a brand, include a letter of intent from the brand in the proposal.
  • Describe in detail the cash control system to be used in the proposed facility.
• Proposed Employee Training, Customer Service Training and Staffing Plans (required) —

  Provide a staffing schedule supported by the metrics used to determine staffing levels, along with a detailed plan to attract, hire, train, and retain employees, including a specific training schedule outlining the first two weeks of employment for new hires and how these efforts support the customer service experience. 

  Proposers must also describe their employee training and customer service approach, including onboarding, ongoing training, and handling customer complaints, to ensure staff are equipped to deliver exceptional service and enhance passenger satisfaction.

• Proposed Facility Design, Capital Investment, and Development Schedule (required) —

  Provide the following:

  • Profile view rendering of the proposed location. This may be a basic line sketch and does not need to be a full 3D rendering or include multiple angles. The rendering should clearly illustrate the proposed layout and overall concept of the space. 
  • A basic floor plan illustrating the preliminary layout of the space. The plan should demonstrate how the operation is expected to flow efficiently, including placement of: 
    • Order registers/self-ordering kiosks
    • Customer pick-up area
    • Back of house areas 
    • Any other relevant components necessary for daily operations
      • The floor plan should reflect considerations for customer flow, accessibility and operational efficiency 
  • Capital Improvement categorized by Fixed Improvements and Trade Fixtures as defined in the attached Concessions Agreement.
  • Mid-term refurbishment commitment.
  • Estimated design and Construction Schedule.
• Term and Financial Offer (required) —

  Provide the following:

  • Proposed Term (Proposers may offer a term of up to ten (10) years)
  • Proforma with projected sales using template provided on Attachment E. (See ATTACHMENTS tab)
  • Rent percentage to the airport as requested above under General Requirements
  • Minimum Annual Guarantee
• Financial Statement and Financial Capacity (required) —

  Discuss how the project(s) will be financed and proposer’s plan to meet the monetary commitments necessary to design, build, and operate the location(s) selected. KCAB will evaluate and assess financial risks with the proposed concept(s) using the required information listed below:

  
  Provide the following:

  • Balance sheets and income statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for the last 3 years reflecting the current financial condition.
  • Consolidated Financial Statements or Annual Reports for the last 3 years of business – either audited or signed by an officer of the company.
  • Investment Estimate by including a total estimated capital improvement costs and identifying your funding source. If the funding source is a loan of any capacity, please include pre-approval letter from the funding source (e.g., bank institution) with the amount required to complete the project(s).
• Qualifications, Experience & References (required) —

  Provide the following:

  • Qualifications. Provide detailed information about your qualifications, including company background, organizational structure, and key personnel. Highlight any relevant awards, certifications, licenses, or accreditations held. Include the number of years of continuous successful experience in the ownership and operation of food and beverage concessions or similar businesses.
  • Experience. Share demonstrated experience in operating concessions within airport environments or similar high-traffic locations. Provide examples of past projects and successful partnerships with airports or other relevant stakeholders.
  • References. Include references from previous clients or partners who can attest to the reliability, professionalism and quality of service. Contact information for references should be provided for verification purposes.
  • Past Performance. Present a summary of past performance in terms of revenue generation, customer satisfaction and compliance with contractual obligations.
• ACDBE Subcontractor-Supplier Form (required) —

  Please download the documents below, complete all required fields, and upload them.

• Offer Deposit (required) —

  Provide an offer deposit in the amount of $5,000.00 in the form of a certified check, a cashier’s check, a proposal bond, or irrevocable letter of credit. If proposer elects to provide a certified check or cashier’s check, the proposer must indicate it will provide a check for the offer deposit with its timely submittal and the original check must be delivered to KCAB no later than 2:00 pm on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at the address below:

  
  Kenton County Airport Board
  Attn: Contract & Procurement Administration
  77 Comair Blvd
  Erlanger, Kentucky 41018

  
  KCAB will hold the offer deposit until KCAB has executed a signed agreement with the selected proposer. The deposit of the proposer selected to operate the facility at CVG will be held until the proposer executes the agreement. No interest will be paid to proposer on the deposits.

• Exceptions (required) —

  A separate section that states in writing all exceptions to this RFP or the Proposed Agreement on the Attachments tab. Exceptions should list referencing page and paragraph numbers. If no exceptions are taken, the offer must include a statement that the bidder takes “No Exceptions”. If there are no exceptions noted the proposer must execute the Agreement without modification.

  Please note that the entity name submitted with the proposal must be the exact name that will appear in the final contract agreement. If there is a need to change the entity name at a later date, this must be clearly identified as an exception in the proposal.

• Entity Name (required) —

  Please confirm that if selected, the contracted entity is the same as the proposer entity.

  The proposer entity submitted with the proposal must be the same that appears in the contract agreement if selected for award.  If there is a need to change the entity at a later date, this must be clearly identified as an exception in the proposal under Vendor Questionnaire, #12 Exceptions.

  Confirm that the contracted entity is the same as the proposer entity OR that an exception has been included in Vendor Questionnaire #12 Exceptions.

• What is the proposed concept? (required)
• What is the location(s)? (required) —

  Please provide the LOD number(s)

• What is the current concept? (required)
• What is the current location? (required) —

  Example:  Concourse B Food Court

• What is the approximate square footage of the available space? (required)
• What is the proposed term? (required) —

  Example:  Proposers may offer a term between 7 and 10 years

• What is the required Minimum Annual Guarantee (MAG)? (required) —

  Example: $275,000 for the first-year term, and thereafter 85% of actual rent paid to KCAB, but not less than $275,000.

• What is the required rent? (required) —

  Example:  Percent rent to be proposed for each term
  year. Percent rent may be tier by year, sales threshold, etc. KCAB expects a rent percentage between 12 to 16 percent.

• What is the required mid-term refurbishment? (required) —

  Example:  Mid-term refurbishment can be proposed

• Performance Guarantee requirements? (required) —

  Example:  Half of the first-year MAG

• Additional Storage (required) —

  Example:  Per SF charge. Set by annual ordinance.

• What are the dates for the design review (30%, 60%, 90%)? (required) —

  Example:  January - April 2025

• What is the month and year for preconstruction review and NTP? (required) —

  Example:  May 2025

• What is the month and year for construction to begin? (required) —

  Example:  June 2025

• What is the month and year for operations to begin? (required) —

  Example:  October 2025

• The term of the agreement will be for ________. (required) —

  Example: one (1) year or two (2) years 

  If requesting a Contract Amendment, Contract Extension, Task Order, Master Agreement or New Contract please enter N/A

• Will there be renewals? (required) —

  If requesting a Contract Amendment, Contract Extension, Task Order, Master Agreement or New Contract please select No below.

• with an option to renew for____________. (required) —

  Example: two (2) additional one-year terms

• Will surety be needed? (required)
• Bid surety is forfeited to KCAB if the successful proposer fails to execute a contract within ________ after notification of award of contract. (required) —

  Example: thirty (30) days

• Please select which of the following you will be using: (required)
• Will you be using the following? (required) —

  For Construction-An Line Item Table is REQUIRED

  If requesting a Contract Amendment, Contract Extension, Task Order, Master Agreement or New Contract please select None below.

• Who are the evaluation team members? (required)
• Would you like to include weights with your evaluation criteria? (required)
• The successful proposer shall issue an invoice __________ for work performed along with supporting data. (required) —

  Example: on a monthly basis

• Additional comments:

Questions & Answers