Request for Proposals (RFP) for Moonlight Amphitheatre Concession Services

The City of Vista is soliciting written proposals for Moonlight Amphitheatre concession services. The City will enter into an agreement for up to five years with one selected Vendor.

Vendors may submit proposals as a single firm with in-house capabilities or as a primary vendor with sub-vendors to provide the RFP services. For specialized work for which the prime vendor will require a sub-vendor, the prime vendor will serve as an administrative liaison between the City and the sub-vendor. The prime vendor mark-up for sub-vendors shall not exceed five percent (5%). The City reserves the right to request proposals from other firms throughout the Agreement term for special projects requiring unique qualifications.

Schedule & Capacity
The summer season has been in operation at the open-air Moonlight Amphitheatre in Brengle Terrace Park in Vista for over 40 years. The summer season generally runs from May through October and consists of five Broadway-style musicals with fourteen (14) performances of each musical and a youth (8-18 years) theatre production for five (5) performances over two weekends. In order to ensure that a concessionaire is in place by the first show taking place on April 29, 2026, the timeline for this RFP has been expedited. The city is seeking a vendor that will be able to begin operations in this timeframe.

Average nightly audience for the musicals is 1,000-1,500 people with an annual summer attendance of approximately 75,000. Musical performances typically begin at either 7:30 PM or 8:00 PM, Wednesday through Sunday evenings, with gates typically opening at either 6 PM or 6:30 PM. Food and beverage service is typically available to patrons starting two hours before the performance and continuing through the end of intermission. Once the performance begins, concession operations are required to limit activity to avoid disrupting the production. If the performance includes an intermission—typically lasting 15 to 20 minutes—concession service can resume as usual during that time. The concessionaire typically does not operate after the performance concludes.

In addition to the summer season, Moonlight offers a Presents Series in the amphitheatre throughout the year, typically in the months of March, April, May, July, August and October. These may be one-night-only events or span two to three days in a row. The same patron service and concessions procedures for summer season productions are observed during Presents events.

Most patrons dress casually for the summer season musicals and Presents events.

Shows are viewed by patrons from fixed stadium seating and lawn chair seating on grass areas throughout the venue. There are 904 fixed stadium seats, 368 reserved lawn seats, and capacity for over 700 additional patrons in general lawn seating area. Venue capacity is approximately 2,000.

Patrons are permitted to enter with picnic items, ice chests, and blankets; smoking is prohibited within the amphitheatre gates and guests are not permitted to bring alcohol into the amphitheatre. Bag checks are performed at the entrance to ensure compliance.

Concessions are the primary service, and any catering would be rare and on an as-needed basis. For instance, the City’s philanthropic partner, the Moonlight Cultural Foundation, may require catering for select events.

Free Community Event
Every December, Moonlight offers a free community event themed around the holidays. This event runs for three weeks in December for 3-4 nights a week from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. This event focuses on a holiday light show with extra activities such as live animals, pictures with Santa and kids crafts. Attendance at this event is between 1,500 and 2,500 people per night.

Independence Day
The City hosts an annual Independence Day celebration that typically includes a fireworks display every July 4, and there typically is a concert at the Moonlight Amphitheatre for which patrons can pay to attend. Concessions are open on July 4. While City has typically had Vendor operate concessions on July 4, City reserves right not to use Vendor.

Facility Rentals
From October through April, the amphitheatre is available to the public as a rental facility. If renters require food, the concessionaire is offered first right of refusal to provide concessions for the event, except for Moonlight Cultural Foundation (MCF) events. Currently, MCF events are included in the annual calendar of events at the Moonlight Amphitheatre that the concessionaire is required to staff.

Other Events
March 2025 was the first time a cannabis event was hosted at the Moonlight Amphitheatre. Concessions were open in the amphitheatre; however, third-party food and beverage vendors, such as food trucks, were in the parking lot and available to patrons. The City does not guarantee any future cannabis events or any other facility rentals. Note, that there was not a cannabis event in March 2026. Additionally, the concessionaire is the only operator during summer season musicals, Presents events, Independence Day, and the free-holiday themed community event.

Kitchen & Equipment
The primary concession facility is in the Moonlight Amphitheatre patio area. The facility consists of a 38’6” x 13’9” kitchen space. A list of City-owned equipment is detailed in the table below:

There are two walk-up windows for snack bar service and a large, covered patio with tables and chairs to seat 60-80 for dinner. There is approximately 177 square feet of preparation room adjacent to the kitchen. A second snack bar concession, approximately 50 square feet, is located next to the lighting booth at the rear center of the amphitheatre. This concession has shelves and a roll-up door over the serving counter. Previous concession beverage service has included fountain soft drinks, coffee, beer, and wine. Any other necessary and/or requested equipment would be the sole responsibility, including cost, of the concessionaire.

Additional Information

The Moonlight Amphitheatre has sponsors; however, none is for food or beverage services.

There currently is no exclusivity with a soft beverage company.

The vendor shall be responsible for their own point-of-sale (POS) system.

The current concessionaire does not serve liquor. However, the City would prefer a vendor who can obtain necessary and proper licensing to serve beer, wine, liquor, and other alcoholic beverages.

To the best of the City’s knowledge, grilled cheese is the best-selling item currently, followed by chicken tenders and fries. City recommends proposed menus have variety because subscribers to the musicals attend the Moonlight Amphitheatre monthly. Because there is a strong patron base, some changes to the menu are needed each year. One option, which is not required, is to have menu items complement the different musical performances.

For the Presents concerts, patrons typically prefer Coors Lite to IPA beers.

The most recent concessionaire has been operating at the amphitheatre since 2021. The current concessionaire reported $783,561.50 in gross sales (including snack bar operations, beer and wine bar, sit-down dinners, and any special event catering) to the City for 2024.

About two seasons ago, the City started sending a voluntary post-show survey to patrons, which mainly includes questions on demographics; however, City has the capability and right to survey patrons on other topics, including but not limited to, food and beverage service.

There is a ground-floor storage area that may be used by the concessionaire.

The information provided above is generalized information regarding the Moonlight Amphitheatre and is subject to change.