On-Site Retail Café Operator for Sanders Creek Campus

THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK (“SUNY”) UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (“UPSTATE”) IS SEEKING TO ENGAGE A QUALIFIED RETAIL CAFÉ OPERATOR (the "OPERATOR") FOR THE PROVISION OF A RETAIL CAFÉ OPERATOR TO PROVIDE FRESHLY PREPARED FOOD AND BEVERAGES AT UPSTATE'S SANDERS CREEK CAMPUS LOCATED AT 111 SANDERS CREEK PARKWAY, EAST SYRACUSE, NEW YORK 13057. An interested Operator must meet all mandatory qualifications listed below: Operator must have a minimum of three (3) years of experience operating food service retail locations, which include menu planning, food preparation, customer service, inventory management, sanitation standards, and daily transaction processing. Operator shall prepare, serve, and sell food and beverage products using the Operator’s own resources. Operator shall provide all necessary personnel to staff the café location. Operator must provide its own point-of-sale equipment. Operator shall maintain all licenses and insurance required to operate the café location and provide evidence of such licensure and insurance with Operator’s proposal. Operator shall provide all café equipment necessary for the operations. Operator-provided equipment may include, but is not limited to, coffee machines; refrigeration units; food preparation equipment; display cases; small wares. Operator agrees that Upstate may restrict bottled beverages based on the University’s pouring rights agreement, if applicable. Operator shall follow Upstate policies and procedures for the facility, including infection control, fire safety, and regulations imposed by the County or State (i.e., proper masking as required). The Operator shall be responsible for its own internet connection(s). Request for Information (“RFI”) S-1622 describes complete requirements and specifications and is available by emailing CONTRACT@upstate.edu. Section 3, Mandatory Operator Qualifications & Service Requirements, provides a comprehensive list of all mandatory requirements. Preference will be afforded to New York State small businesses and businesses certified pursuant to Article 3 and Article 15-A of the NYS Executive Law to encourage their participation. Proposals are due Friday, October 02, 2026, at 1400/2:00p ET. In accordance with New York State (“NYS”) Lobbying Law §139 requirements, effective immediately, this procurement is in a "Restricted Procurement Period." This restricted period will be in effect until an award for this product and/or service has been fully executed. As this procurement is subject to NYS Finance Law §§139–j & –k, also referred to as the Lobbying Law, vendors are cautioned that the only permissible contact for this procurement is the individual(s) listed in this advertisement and in the RFP document. Failure to comply with this requirement can range from no contract to debarment from doing business with other NYS agencies. Please refer to the OGS website at https://ogs.ny.gov/acpl/procurement-lobbying-law for more information on the Lobbying Law. NYS Small Businesses and businesses certified pursuant to Articles 3 and 15-A of the NYS Executive Law are encouraged to submit bids. If you have any technical problems accessing the documents online, please email CONTRACT@upstate.edu or call (315) 464-5720 for assistance.