The Lazy Llama currently holds the lease, which is up in April 2024, here in the space between First Street and Houston adjacent to the First Avenue F stop.
The coffee shop, which has a cafe across the way at 72 E. First St., between First Avenue and Second Avenue, has been operating from the kiosk since July 2021. (They can apply for the new lease/agreement as well.)
Here's some info from the RFP:
The snack bar kiosk is an octagonal, 10-foot by 15-foot structure featuring a brick exterior, a pass-through counter and window, and a unique, wildlife-inspired roof. The interior includes a service area and storage. The kiosk sits just above the 2nd Avenue F train and is a prime location for commuters and park patrons to stop and enjoy the offerings of the snack bar.
And!
The concessionaire will be required to renovate, operate, and maintain a café at a high standard of quality. The café should make a significant improvement to the ambiance of the park and surrounding area while providing a convenient service to the public. Proposers should submit a menu and price list in their proposals that demonstrate quality, variety, and affordability. Proposers should include some low-cost items on their menus. Parks will favorably view proposals that incorporate ethnically diverse and/or healthy food choices, such as salads, fresh fruit, yogurt, nuts, granola...
A "recommended" remote prospect meeting is tomorrow (Wednesday, July 26) at 11 a.m. The meeting link via Teams is here.
You can find a copy of the RFP via this site. (Click on the "Concessions Opportunities at Parks” link.)
Proposals are due on Aug. 25 by 3 p.m.
Previous local businesses at the kiosk include S'MAC and Mudspot Café.
9 comments:
The City uses this sort of thing to “nickel and dime” for revenue.
Similar to “newsstands” which are in a worse situation - no one is buying plus there is competition from food vendors who set up on the street. Yet the City expects news stand operators to pay huge amounts.
This kiosk has a lot of potential. I agree. It does need some upgrades though. I do love sitting on the benches if I need a brief rest or if I want to people watch.
didn’t Mud on 9th st use to run the kiosk?
All these "requirements" that have to be squeezed into 150 square feet, hmmm.
I wonder what you have to pay the city for the privilege of "demonstrating quality, variety & affordability" AND making sure you're offering "ethnically diverse and/or healthy" food? (And is that last part an either-or choice??)
To 12:08,
Yes — that's in the last sentence in the post.
There's something eerily suspicious about this; as if a competitor lobbied for changes nobody has asked for, to run the current tenant out of business. The Lazy Llama did a great job buying new tables/chairs, cleaning up the park, and adding a great community offering to a park that was totally run-down before they had invested. This "RFP" is really ungrateful.
This place was best when two women ran it, back around 2000?
Best tomato soup (served w/ big chunk of Sullivan St bread) I've ever had. Great pastries too.
Agree with the above comment. When I moved here in early 2000s they had a delicious egg on baguette sandwich and I spent a lot of time here people watching. It's a great spot.
Veselka did a stint there. I miss their killer BEC sammies!
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