A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY MANAGER, PURSUANT TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) 2020-109-WG FOOD AND BEVERAGE OPERATOR AT THE CARL FISHER CLUBHOUSE, TO AWARD THE RFP TO SERVICE AMERICA CORPORATION (CENTERPLATE), THE SOLE RESPONSIVE, RESPONSIBLE PROPOSER TO THE RFP; AND FURTHER REFERRING A DISCUSSION ON THE MATERIAL TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT TO THE FINANCE AND CITYWIDE PROJECTS COMMITTEE.

The Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida approve the resolution accepting the recommendation pertaining to bids received, pursuant to RFP 2020-109-WG, for a Food and Beverage Operator at the Carl Fisher Clubhouse, to award a contract to Service America Corporation (Centerplate), the sole responsive, responsible proposer; and referring for discussion to the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee on the material terms of the resulting agreement. 

Construction on the Carl Fisher Clubhouse is nearing completion. Accordingly, the City is seeking a food and beverage operator for the facility. In addition to supporting convention center functions, the Administration believes that the Carl Fisher Clubhouse can also serve the thriving Civic Center/MBCC and South Beach business and residential neighborhoods and attract a diverse clientele which values quality and innovative food experiences. The facilities will have available public parking, within walking distance, and is accessible via public transportation on Washington Avenue.

On January 15, 2020 the City Commission directed the Administration to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a food and beverage operator at the Carl Fisher Clubhouse.  

On January 28, 2020, the Administration issued RFP 2020-109-WG for a food and beverage operator at the Carl Fisher Clubhouse. In addition to posting RFP on the City’s BidSync e-bidding site and in an effort to maximize competition by reaching the greatest number of potential bidders, staff notified Miami office of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association of the RFP and asked it to share it with its local members who include many local restauranteurs. The RFP was also sent to local restauranteur groups and was advertised in the Daily Business Review. Staff efforts in issuing notice of the RFP resulted in over 3,000 potential bidders being notified of the RFP. 

Further efforts were made to attract and accommodate interested parties, including holding three on-site visits, three pre-bid conferences and an extension to the submittal deadline. Despite staff’s efforts, on March 10, 2020, only one proposal was received from Service America Corporation (Centerplate).

The proposal submitted by Centerplate, was found to be responsive to the requirements of the RFP. Centerplate's proposal also satisfies City’s primary goal to ensure continuity of operations in the overall Miami Beach Convention Center campus. Staff has negotiated preliminary terms with Centerplate. 

As noted above, staff made efforts to seek the largest number of interested parties as possible and some parties did express interest early on. However, despite those efforts, only one proposal was received from Centerplate. 

An award to Centerplate will ensure a collaborative partnership with the MBCC management and MBCC vendors and service providers. The award to Centerplate will ensure that the Carl Fisher Clubhouse venue will be an integral part and extension of the Convention Center specifically with respect to booking events in all venues on the campus, while utilizing this space as additional sales revenue from incoming conventions and event producers. Additionally, Centerplate’s proposal provides an opportunity for the venue to welcome the community with various sorts of dining experiences and venue options. 

The Administration has negotiated some preliminary terms with Centerplate and believes a discussion at the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee is appropriate prior to finalizing the agreement. In order to do that, it is recommended that the City Commission approve the award to Centerplate so that the Cone of Silence can be terminated and final discussions/negotiations can be held. 

Therefore, I recommend that the Mayor and City Commission approve the resolution accepting the recommendation pertaining to bids received, pursuant to RFP 2020-109-WG, for a Food and Beverage Operator at the Carl Fisher Clubhouse, to award a contract to Service America Corporation (Centerplate), the sole responsive, responsible proposer; and referring for discussion to the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee on the material terms of the resulting agreement.