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) NO. 2018-249-ZD, FOR MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER (MBCC) PORTABLE FOOD CONCESSION AND BAR CARTS; AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH IKONIQ, INC., THE TOP RANKED PROPOSER; AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT UPON CONCLUSION OF SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS BY THE ADMINISTRATION.

The Miami Beach Convention Center’s (MBCC) renovation is scheduled to be completed in late 2018. The renovated facility will have several open spaces that will require food and beverage services to be provided to patrons through a robust portable food and bar cart program. The portable food concession carts and bar carts are to be designed in a manner that allows the convention center to tailor its program for the nuances of each show. The carts will facilitate the sales and distribution of the F&B in any building layout or corridor traffic patterns and congested public areas which vary from show to show. In turn, this helps maximize the capture rate and escalate top line revenues. The convention center must be able to offer almost any type of food and beverage with these carts. This wide variety of food concepts become a selling point for the building sales team, since clients and attendees are looking for options. The ability to offer such a diverse range of foods and beverages will attract new clients and repeat business to the center. Additionally, the new look of the carts also helps to establish buyer confidence. Carts have traditionally had a carnival look which can cause attendees to have preconceived ideas about food and beverage quality. However, it is the City’s desire that the carts should be designed to look professional, like miniature restaurants.

On January 26, 2018, the City issued ITB No. 2018-140-ZD for Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) portable food carts with a bid opening date of March 2, 2018.  Two (2) addenda were issued responding to questions received by prospective bidders. The City received two (2) responses from: K2 Evolution, LLC (“K2”) and The Carriage Works, LLC (“Carriage Works”).

Upon further review of the two (2) bids received and staff's attempt to confirm each bids compliance with the specifications, it was determined that the technical specifications were ambiguous, lacked significant product details, and required components that were not essential for the use and mobility of the carts. After review and consideration of the above-referenced issues, staff determined that an RFP would better assess the qualifications, equipment, methodology, and costs associated with this project. Additionally, the RFP would offer the ability to deliver custom made, high-quality food concession equipment to be utilized at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Therefore and pursuant to Section 2-367(b) (1) of the City of Miami Beach code, the City Manager authorized the rejection of all bids and the issuance of a subsequent RFP.

RFP PROCESS

On July 31, 2018, the City issued of Request for Proposals (RFP) 2018-249-ZD for the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) portable food concession and bar carts. The Procurement Department issued notices to 128 firms utilizing publicpurchase.com and fifty-five (55) via email notifications.  128 prospective proposers accessed the advertised solicitation.  On September 14, 2018, the City received proposals from the following three (3) firms: Ikoniq, Inc., K2 Evolution/TDC Manufacturing, LLC., and The Carriage Works, LLC.

The Evaluation Committee appointed by the City Manager pursuant to LTC# 499-2018 convened on October 4, 2018, to consider the responsive proposals received.  The Committee comprised of Laurence A. Herrup, Chairman, Miami Beach Convention Center Advisory Board, City of Miami Beach; Steve Haas, Director of Operations, Centerplate, Miami Beach Convention Center, City of Miami Beach; Frederick Peterson, General Manager, Miami Beach Convention Center, City of Miami Beach; and Heather Shaw, Acting Director, Tourism, Culture, & Economic Development Department, City of Miami Beach.

The Committee was provided an overview of the project, information relative to the City’s Cone of Silence Ordinance and the Government Sunshine Law. The Committee was also provided with general information on the scope of services and a copy of each proposal.  The Committee was instructed to score and rank each proposal pursuant to the evaluation criteria established in the RFP. The evaluation process resulted in the ranking of proposers as indicated in Attachment A. A brief description of the top ranked proposer, as provided in it's response to the RFP, follows.

Ikoniq, Inc.

Since 2009, Ikoniq has been providing carts, kiosks, shipping containers, and modular pop ups and has provided services to a wide variety of iconic facilities similar to the Miami Beach Convention Center. Ikoniq’s purpose is to deliver best-in-class solutions for customers seeking to develop non-traditional points of service. Ikoniq and its team are located in New York and are engineers, craftsmen, entrepreneurs, and pioneers in the field. It understands the importance of delivering the ultimate customer and fan experience. No matter the size and complexity of the project, Ikoniq commits to delivering quality carts on time, with minimal disruption to the facilities’ operations. Further, Ikoniq’s creative approach, especially during the design portion of the project, and willingness to provide top-notch customer service allows its customers to focus on other facility operations. Ikoniq works hand in hand with its clients, which include national accounts such as Bacardi and Live Nation Entertainment to creatively design and maximize the utilization of their food and beverage carts to make a memorable experience for all guests. Before construction it carefully looks at, and discusses with its customers, materials, access, mobility, and all unique and possible challenges to ensure a smooth experience from concept to installation. Amongst other similar design, construction and installation projects are those of Nationals Park (Washington, DC), Lakepoint Sports Park (Atlanta, GA),  Petco Park (San Diego, CA), and Circuit of the Americas (Austin, TX). Ikoniq is able to provide a quick response to customer inquiries, typically within 48 hours, and can commit to expeditious construction as it has a state-of- the-art technology with hands-on craftsmanship in its 60,000-square- foot manufacturing facility, as Ikoniq builds each kiosk, cart, and container with a focus on aesthetics and endurance. 

After reviewing all the submissions and the results of the evaluation process, I find that Ikoniq, Inc. provided the best overall ranking combination of experience/qualifications and cost. Some of the highlights of Ikoniq’s proposal, as articulated by the Evaluation Committee, include:

• Ikoniq offers unique and custom designs.
• Ikoniq provided the most aggressive schedule for delivery with a timeline of 49 days upon final approval of design.
• Additionally, the company provides the possibility of building a prototype for the MBCC team to inspect and approve prior to production of all carts.
• Ikoniq proposed ideal flexibility for the City during the design phase.
• The company’s holistic approach to ensure the cart’s final design meets the needs and theme of the convention center which is in the best interest of the City.
• Ikoniq offers a two-year warranty.
• Ikoniq is certified through Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) and UL Sanitary, for Custom-built Food Service Equipment and Mobile Food Carts Sanitation respectively, which allows for an NSF certification from The Public Health and Safety Organization.
• Ikoniq provides an extensive design team with in-staff designers and also engage architectural firms to create new and innovative carts.

Additionally, Ikoniq, Inc. submitted the lowest overall cost of $802,110.00 which is $418,374.00, approximately 34%, less than the next lowest cost proposal. Originally, the Department had budgeted $1,000,000.00 and through this procurement process a savings of $197,890.00 has been realized.

Therefore, based on the best overall ranking combination of experience/qualifications and cost, I recommend that the Mayor and City Commission approve the Resolution authorizing the Administration to enter into negotiations with Ikoniq, Inc., the top ranked proposer pursuant to Request for Proposals (RFP) 2018-249-ZD for the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) portable food concession and bar carts; and, further, authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute an agreement upon conclusion of successful negotiations by the Administration.

The costs of the related services are subject to funds availability approved through the City’s budgeting process.  Grant funding will not be utilized for this project.