Pullen Park Café Operation

Location:	North Carolina
Posted:	May 26, 2026
Due:	Aug 10, 2026
Agency:	State Government of North Carolina
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	R - Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services
Solicitation No:	274-1-PullCafe-2026
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Request for Qualifications 274-1-PullCafe-2026

Title: Pullen Park Café Operation

Issue Date: May 28, 2026

Due Date: August 10, 2026, not later than 5:00PM EST

*LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED*

Issuing Department: Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources

Direct all inquiries concerning this RFQ to:

Kimberly Oliver

Administrative Support Specialist

Email: Kimberly.Oliver@Raleighnc.gov

Table of Contents

1. Introduction.............................................................................................. 3

1.1. Purpose........................................................................................... 3

1.2. Background ..................................................................................... 4

1.3. RFQ Timeline .................................................................................. 6

1.4. Pre-Submittal Conference ............................................................... 6

1.5. Questions ........................................................................................ 6

1.6. Submittal Requirements and Contact Information ........................... 7

1.7. Business Engagement and Opportunities ....................................... 8

1.8. Rights to Submitted Material ........................................................... 8

1.9. Communications ............................................................................. 8

1.10. Lobbying ......................................................................................... 8

1.11. Conflicts of Interest ......................................................................... 8

1.12. Proposer Expenses......................................................................... 9

1.13. Proposer Acceptance ...................................................................... 9

2. Qualifications Package.......................................................................... 10

2.1. Request for Qualifications Required Document Format ................ 10

2.2. Hourly Rates ................................................................................. 10

2.3. Qualifications Package Documents............................................... 12

3. Proposal Evaluation .............................................................................. 12

3.1. Evaluation Criteria......................................................................... 12

3.2. Final Selection............................................................................... 12

3.3. Notice to Proposers Regarding RFQ Terms & Conditions ............ 13

3.4. Contract Term…………………………………………………………..13

4. Scope of Services .................................................................................. 13

Appendix I – Map of Licensed Building .......................................................... 17

Appendix II – Proposer Questionnaire ........................................................... 20

Appendix III – Reference Questionnaire (Instructions) ................................. 21

Appendix III – Reference Questionnaire Form ............................................... 22

Appendix IV – Sample Contract ...................................................................... 24

Appendix V – Service Obligations .................................................................. 52

Appendix VI – Anticipated License Fee Schedule ......................................... 53

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Purpose

The City of Raleigh is seeking a partner to operate the café space at Pullen Park

Amusements. The café includes a 1,988 square foot building with nearly 70 feet of frontage,

accompanied by an adjacent 1,950 square foot outdoor seating area. The Operator will be the

exclusive “brick and mortar” provider of food and beverage in the park, including beer and wine.

All food concept proposals are welcome!

Utilize in-place amenities and make the Café and outdoor seating your own. On the front

end, the building is designed with multiple points for walk-up window service. The back of house

consists of a kitchen and office already equipped with a walk-in-cooler, dry storage, fume

exhaust hood, grease trap interceptor, and hand, food prep, and dishwashing sinks. Most

utilities are covered by the City of Raleigh. The City of Raleigh can assist with additional

upfit costs, to be negotiated with the selected operator.

Guests enjoy the scenery of Pullen Park with their meal as part of a fun family day

outside. Pullen Amusements welcomes over one million visitors each year with an abundance

of historic attractions and activities, including a miniature train, historic carousel, kiddie boats,

carnival games, pedal boats, large playground, and more. The outdoor seating, picnic shelters,

and a top-notch café encourage guests to extend their visit all day.

Join park events that welcome thousands of visitors throughout the year. Families flock

to Holiday Express each December, with last year’s event drawing over 42,000 people over

three weeks. Additional events have included a summer concert series, movie nights, egg

hunts, and more. The café operator is an important partner during these events, ensuring

guests’ comfort and enhancing their experiences.

Pullen Amusements is just one part of the larger Pullen Park campus. Stretching over

66.4 acres, Pullen Park includes an aquatics center, community center, athletic fields, arts

center, and the renowned Theatre in the Park. The Café Operator will join this exceptional line-

up.

A network of recreational and innovative destinations in the area. On the edge of

downtown Raleigh, Pullen Park is just steps away from NC State University, Dix Park, the

Capital Area Greenway, and more - destinations with exciting new features drawing visitors to

the area.

History plays at Pullen Park! Opened in 1887 as North Carolina’s first public park, Pullen

Park is the fifth oldest operating amusement park in the country. The Café operator is an

important contributor to the park and food concepts that engage the park’s history are

encouraged.

The City of Raleigh is seeking one or more qualified firm(s) with which to contract for the

following services:

The City of Raleigh, NC is soliciting proposals to identify individuals and/or businesses

qualified to operate a café concession space at Pullen Park. This RFQ is designed for those

interested in creating a licensor/licensee relationship to operate a food service concession

within the City-owned café space located at the park at 520 Ashe Avenue, Raleigh, NC. The

selected operator will operate the café according to the terms and conditions as outlined in

this RFQ and the subsequent license agreement signed by the selected operator.

Notwithstanding any reference to a contract or lease in this RFQ, the City intends to execute

a license agreement with a selected operator allowing the selected operator to operate a food

service concession within the café space in Pullen Park in accordance with the rights and

obligations of each party to the license agreement. The City will not convey any property

interest in any part of Pullen Park to the selected operator from this RFQ process.

A detailed scope of services is provided in Section 4 of this document.

All information related to this solicitation, including any addenda, will be posted to the North

Carolina electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) at https://evp.nc.gov/.

All questions related to this solicitation must be submitted in writing (via email) to the following

individual – questions submitted via telephone will not be answered:

Contact Name

Kimberly Oliver

Email Address

Kimberly.Oliver@Raleighnc.gov

1.2 Background

The City of Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina and one of the fastest growing areas in the

country. A great economy, top educational institutions, and exceptional health care facilities

are some of the characteristics that attract people to the triangle area. The mild climate,

diverse work force and proximity to Research Triangle Park combine to make Raleigh a great

place to live.

Pullen Park is North Carolina’s first public park, and one of the oldest amusement parks in

the country. Since its opening in 1887, Pullen Park has been the premiere park destination

for citizens in the region as well as guests visiting from afar.

In addition to its historical significance, the park is centrally located just minutes from

downtown Raleigh and steps away from North Carolina State University and Dix Park. Pullen

Park enjoys constant activity throughout the year, including use of our train, historic carousel,

pedal boats, picnic shelters, aquatics center, and more. We welcome approximately one

million visitors to the park over the course of the year. Pullen Park also hosts Holiday Express

for three weeks in the month of December, with over 42,000 people attending the most

recognized and sought after holiday event in the region.

In 2011, the City of Raleigh completed a major renovation of Pullen Park that included the

renovation of the café facility, as well as significant grounds and overall site improvements.

For the purposes of this RFQ, the café facility to be licensed to the selected operator -

including the climate-controlled building (“Licensed Building”) and appurtenant outdoor

seating area for the selected operator’s patrons (“Licensed Outdoor Seating Area”) - is

referred to collectively as the “Licensed Area.” A map of the layout of the Licensed Area is

attached to this RFQ as Appendix V.

The Licensed Building is approximately 1,988 square feet and will be provided in a warm

shell condition with the following City-owned fixtures installed for the operator’s use: one (1)

walk-in cooler, one (1) fume exhaust hood, two (2) hand sinks, one (1) food prep sink, one (1)

dishwashing sink, and one (1) grease trap interceptor. The café does not have interior

seating, but covered seating is available on the outdoor plaza and throughout the park. The

Licensed Outdoor Seating Area is approximately 1,950 square feet and will contain at least

ten covered tables.

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

Solicitation Number:	274-1-PullCafe-2026
Project Title:	Pullen Park Café Operation
Description:	The City of Raleigh is seeking a partner to operate the café space at Pullen Park Amusements. The café includes a 1,988 square foot building with nearly 70 feet of frontage, accompanied by an adjacent 1,950 square foot outdoor seating area. The Operator will be the exclusive “brick and mortar” provider of food and beverage in the park, including beer and wine. All food concept proposals are welcome!
Opening Date:	8/10/2026 5:00 PM
Posted Date:	5/27/2026
Status:	Open
Department:	CITY OF RALEIGH


Solicitation Number * 274-1-PullCafe-2026	Department CITY OF RALEIGH	Status Reason Open
Opening Date 2026-08-10T17:00:00.0000000	Posted Date * 2026-05-26T19:41:42.0000000Z	Primary Commodity Code Eating and drinking establishments
Mandatory Conference/Site Visit — —	Special Instructions Kimberly Oliver Administrative Support Specialist Email: Kimberly.Oliver@Raleighnc.gov	Solicitation Type * Select RFP IFB RFI
Owner Nikolai Merza
Description The City of Raleigh is seeking a partner to operate the café space at Pullen Park Amusements. The café includes a 1,988 square foot building with nearly 70 feet of frontage, accompanied by an adjacent 1,950 square foot outdoor seating area. The Operator will be the exclusive “brick and mortar” provider of food and beverage in the park, including beer and wine. All food concept proposals are welcome!