Obama Foundation Seeks Partner to Oversee Culinary Experience at Obama Presidential Center
Obama Foundation Seeks Partner to Oversee Culinary
Experience at Obama Presidential Center
On Thursday, Dec. 1st, the Obama Foundation released the details
of its RFP to identify a partner to oversee the culinary experience at the
Obama Presidential Center.
The scope of the RFP will include overseeing a restaurant and
grab-and-go cafe at the Center that will seat just under 200 guests
collectively. Additionally, respondents will be asked to support catering
opportunities within the Center and programming of the Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden and teaching kitchen.
Looking to prioritize diverse participation and create opportunities
for smaller, locally owned businesses, the Foundation is inviting food
providers to partner with each other to be able to meet the requirements
laid out in the RFP and hosted a number of community meetings to help
prepare businesses to compete in the process.
“The engagement process and partnership approach to this RFP
are steps we’re taking to ensure South Side restaurants benefitf rom
our presence, and that we continue to be a force for good for our local
businesses,” said Lori Healey, Senior Vice President and Obama
Presidential Center Implementation Lead for the Obama Foundation.
“We recognize the biggest benefit for most will come in the increased
visitorship we bring to their restaurants so we’re also using this time to
help prepare restaurants for that moment.”
The Obama Foundation participated in many community engagement
meetings on Chicago’s South and West sides over the course of
two months, meeting with more than 100 local restaurant owners and
food providers to help them understand the RFP process. The Foundation is inviting participants to embrace the model used by airports
where large-scale food operators often partner with local restaurateurs.
It is also similar to the model the Obama Foundation embraced with the
selection of Lakeside Alliance where diverse contractors created a joint
partnership to reach the scale needed to serve as construction manager
for the project.
“We appreciate the Obama Foundation spending so much time
meeting with our local restaurant owners and food providers to help
them prepare for this RFP,” explained Tonya Trice, Executive Director
of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. “There are a lot of
restaurant owners and food entrepreneurs in South Shore who are eager
to understand what the Center opening means for their restaurant - and
many have never participated in an RFP process.”
In the RFP, the Obama Foundation notes that vendors are expected
to abide by the Foundation’s diversity goals, allocating a minimum
of 40% ownership to diverse vendors and a minimum diverse spend
of 40% of non-personnel expenses. Vendors will also be expected to
provide a workforce diversity and development plan outlining past
performance on workforce training and hiring programs.
To ensure vendors have the scale and expertise to oversee the
significant food services operation at the Center, the Foundation is
prioritizing vendors who have been in business for five years and have a
cumulative $5M in annual average revenues for those five years .
“Chicago is an independent restaurant town, and it takes extra
work to include local restaurant owners in a process like this,” explained
Sam Toia, President and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association.
“But the outcome of the Obama Presidential Center will be a culinary
experience that celebrates local food while also giving local businesses
a boost.”
Those interested in learning more about the RFP can find more
information at www.obama.org. Responses are due in February, 2023.
Experience at Obama Presidential Center
of its RFP to identify a partner to oversee the culinary experience at the
Obama Presidential Center.
The scope of the RFP will include overseeing a restaurant and
grab-and-go cafe at the Center that will seat just under 200 guests
collectively. Additionally, respondents will be asked to support catering
opportunities within the Center and programming of the Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden and teaching kitchen.
for smaller, locally owned businesses, the Foundation is inviting food
providers to partner with each other to be able to meet the requirements
laid out in the RFP and hosted a number of community meetings to help
prepare businesses to compete in the process.
are steps we’re taking to ensure South Side restaurants benefitf rom
our presence, and that we continue to be a force for good for our local
businesses,” said Lori Healey, Senior Vice President and Obama
Presidential Center Implementation Lead for the Obama Foundation.
“We recognize the biggest benefit for most will come in the increased
visitorship we bring to their restaurants so we’re also using this time to
help prepare restaurants for that moment.”
The Obama Foundation participated in many community engagement
meetings on Chicago’s South and West sides over the course of
two months, meeting with more than 100 local restaurant owners and
food providers to help them understand the RFP process. The Foundation is inviting participants to embrace the model used by airports
where large-scale food operators often partner with local restaurateurs.
It is also similar to the model the Obama Foundation embraced with the
selection of Lakeside Alliance where diverse contractors created a joint
partnership to reach the scale needed to serve as construction manager
for the project.
meeting with our local restaurant owners and food providers to help
them prepare for this RFP,” explained Tonya Trice, Executive Director
of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. “There are a lot of
restaurant owners and food entrepreneurs in South Shore who are eager
to understand what the Center opening means for their restaurant - and
many have never participated in an RFP process.”
In the RFP, the Obama Foundation notes that vendors are expected
to abide by the Foundation’s diversity goals, allocating a minimum
of 40% ownership to diverse vendors and a minimum diverse spend
of 40% of non-personnel expenses. Vendors will also be expected to
provide a workforce diversity and development plan outlining past
performance on workforce training and hiring programs.
To ensure vendors have the scale and expertise to oversee the
significant food services operation at the Center, the Foundation is
prioritizing vendors who have been in business for five years and have a
cumulative $5M in annual average revenues for those five years .
“Chicago is an independent restaurant town, and it takes extra
work to include local restaurant owners in a process like this,” explained
Sam Toia, President and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association.
“But the outcome of the Obama Presidential Center will be a culinary
experience that celebrates local food while also giving local businesses
a boost.”
Those interested in learning more about the RFP can find more
information at www.obama.org. Responses are due in February, 2023.
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