Catering for Main Library Opening Events

Location:	North Carolina
Posted:	Sep 1, 2026
Due:	Sep 30, 2026
Agency:	State Government of North Carolina
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	V - Transportation, Travel and Relocation Services
Solicitation No:	940RFP090126
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

Solicitation Number:	940RFP090126
Project Title:	Catering for Main Library Opening Events
Description:	The New Main Library Grand Opening catering needs include two events during the week of April 26, 2027. Dates, times, final attendance, service locations, and program elements are preliminary and may change as planning continues. •Staff Celebration & Preview – April 26, 2027, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (approximately 500 guests) •Donor Recognition & Celebration Event – April 29, 2027, 5:00-8:00 p.m. (approximately 1,000 guests) The successful firm will serve as the library’s full-service catering partner for both events, providing menu development, food and beverage service, professional staffing, setup, replenishment, clearing, and strike. Drop-off catering will not meet the requirements of this RFP. Final menus, quantities, staffing, bar locations, and service details will be developed collaboratively after award, following site access and confirmation of the event programs. This RFP is intended to support vendor selection; it is not a request for final guaranteed menus or a final staffing schedule. There is a possibility the events will be split between two caterers. The library does not guarantee a minimum quantity of services, number of guests, event dates, event scope, or award of both events.
Opening Date:	9/30/2026 2:00 PM
Posted Date:	9/1/2026
Status:	Open
Department:	CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY


Solicitation Number * 940RFP090126	Department CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY	Status Reason Open
Opening Date 2026-09-30T14:00:00.0000000	Posted Date * 2026-09-01T13:32:22.0000000Z	Primary Commodity Code Banquet and catering services
Mandatory Conference/Site Visit — —	Special Instructions —	Solicitation Type * RFP
Owner Walter Freeman
Description The New Main Library Grand Opening catering needs include two events during the week of April 26, 2027. Dates, times, final attendance, service locations, and program elements are preliminary and may change as planning continues. •Staff Celebration & Preview – April 26, 2027, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (approximately 500 guests) •Donor Recognition & Celebration Event – April 29, 2027, 5:00-8:00 p.m. (approximately 1,000 guests) The successful firm will serve as the library’s full-service catering partner for both events, providing menu development, food and beverage service, professional staffing, setup, replenishment, clearing, and strike. Drop-off catering will not meet the requirements of this RFP. Final menus, quantities, staffing, bar locations, and service details will be developed collaboratively after award, following site access and confirmation of the event programs. This RFP is intended to support vendor selection; it is not a request for final guaranteed menus or a final staffing schedule. There is a possibility the events will be split between two caterers. The library does not guarantee a minimum quantity of services, number of guests, event dates, event scope, or award of both events.

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Request for Proposals

Catering for Main Library Opening Events

Issued September 1, 2026

Proposals Will Be Received Until September 30, 2026

2:00 PM EST

Table of Contents

Introduction............................................................................................................................................... 3

Scope .......................................................................................................................................................... 7

Project Overview ................................................................................................................................... 7

Scope of Services .................................................................................................................................. 7

Event-Specific Requirements .............................................................................................................. 8

Staff Celebration & Preview ................................................................................................................ 8

Donor Recognition & Celebration Event ............................................................................................ 8

Selection-Stage Submittal Expectations ............................................................................................ 9

Contract Term ....................................................................................................................................... 9

Notice to Proposers ................................................................................................................................ 10

Request for Proposal Process ............................................................................................................... 12

Schedule............................................................................................................................................... 12

Optional Site Visit of Main Library .................................................................................................... 13

Proposer Questions and Inquiries .................................................................................................... 13

Submission of Responses .................................................................................................................. 13

Evaluation Criteria.............................................................................................................................. 14

Rejection of the Proposal ................................................................................................................... 16

Proposal Format ..................................................................................................................................... 17

Section A: Firm Overview and Relevant Experience ...................................................................... 17

Section B: Comparable Events .......................................................................................................... 17

Section C: Representative Menus and Service Approach.............................................................. 17

Section D: Staffing Plan ...................................................................................................................... 17

Section E: References ......................................................................................................................... 17

Section F: Pricing................................................................................................................................. 17

Acknowledgement of Addenda ............................................................................................................. 19

Introduction

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (the “Library” or “CML”) is seeking an experienced catering firm

to provide food and beverage service for two New Main Library opening events in spring 2027.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is ushering in a new era of improving lives and building a

stronger community. This includes opening a new Main Library that will be an architecturally

distinct information and technology hub, and a welcoming accessible destination for all. CML is

committed to being a welcoming space for engagement and learning in all 21 of our locations.

The Library supports information access, intellectual freedom, and cultural and civic growth in

our community.

The successful firm will provide a comprehensive catering program for two New Main Library

opening events. We are looking for an experienced partner who can meet the distinct needs of a

500-person staff celebration and a 1,000-person donor recognition event through thoughtful

menu development, professional staffing, and polished food and beverage service. The selected

firm should deliver reliable, high-quality service that supports each event’s purpose and

enhances the guest experience.

CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY

About

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is a diverse, innovative system that spans a county of 1.2 million

residents. The Library is made up of:

• 21 stationary branch locations reflective of their diverse communities, including:

 Main Library in the center of Uptown, scheduled to open in spring 2027;

 ImaginOn, a nationally-recognized innovative children’s library and family

destination;

• Two mobile libraries, MoLi (Mobile Library) and MiLa (Mobile Internet Lab); and

• More than 450 dedicated staff members serving as librarians, outreach coordinators,

program associates and more.

Throughout the system, the Library provides free and open access to more than 800,000 items

ranging from physical and electronic collections and information, as well as a range of programs

and services for people of all ages. In FY2025, the Library had a total circulation of more than 9.5

million items, saw more than 2.6 million visitors, and hosted 26,061 programs with over 540,000

in-person attendees.

Mission, Vision, Values & More

Our mission is to improve lives and build a stronger community. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

envisions itself as the essential connector of a thriving community of readers, leaders and

learners. We value learning, openness, respect, inclusion and leadership. Our brand promise is

to be accessible and welcoming to all while celebrating and supporting the joy of reading and

learning, fostering exploration and personal growth, and connecting individuals to each other,

the community and the world.

We believe in intellectual freedom. The Library is committed to protecting the First

Amendment’s guarantee of free and open access to information and ideas—a principle vital to

our democracy and to each individual’s search for knowledge. We seek to provide our diverse

community with a comprehensive collection of materials and programs providing a wide range

of knowledge and perspectives.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s New Main Library

The new Main Library, anticipated to open in spring 2027, will be a free, open, and accessible

hub of information and activities and a major regional destination in Uptown Charlotte. This

115,000 square foot, five-story facility within the city’s North Tryon Vision Plan and

incorporates the historic Spirit Square space. As Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s flagship

location, it will be an architecturally distinctive, state-of-the-art, technologically advanced

knowledge center, and a free, open, and accessible hub of information and activities where

everyone in the community can access the resources of a 21st century library. In addition to

traditional Library programs and services, the new Main Library will introduce a new

innovative model for Library services, offering a platform for programs created and delivered

with community partners.

Location

The new Main Library is being built on the same site as the previous main library: the 300 block

of North Tryon Street, also known as the corner of 6th & N. Tryon Streets. It is the same site

where the original Carnegie Library – the first free library in Mecklenburg County – stood in

1903. Work on the new Main Library began August 2023 with the demolition of the old Uptown

library.

The facility is designed to welcome and celebrate the Charlotte Mecklenburg community, and

it will feature indoor/outdoor spaces over five themed floors spiraling up to a skylight.

Inside the New Main Library

The new facility, which will serve as the main branch of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

system, will include a variety of resources including: 15 meeting rooms; an event space; an

immersive theater; a digital visualization lab with a 270-degree screen for creative projects

and technology classes; a café, and a new Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room for history and

genealogy research. The building will have five floors each tailored to a specific theme.

• Level One - Community (Knight Hall, the dynamic grand lobby; open air courtyard, forum

for new, innovative programming; popular collection showcase including NYT bestsellers

and latest releases; Morris Family immersive theater area for information sharing, digital

art, and more; and the café.)

• Level Two - Opportunity and Innovation

Bank of America Opportunity Center; Katherine Belk Social Services Office, Gambrell

innovation lab supports the conception and development of new ideas; Lowe’s

technology hub; Honeywell digital visualization lab provides resources and support for

discovering, analyzing, and visualizing information; and a wrap-around outdoor terrace

• Level Three - Reference and Research

Collections; study carrels; Philip Van Every Foundation multi-purpose classroom;

reference hub; Fleming Weisiger Reading Room community “living room” for open,

salon-style conversations

• Level Four - History and Genealogy

Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room; one of the largest genealogy and N.C. history

collections in the state, Schnall Family Reading Room

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

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Catering for Main Library Opening Events

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