Restaurant and food-serving services

Tender description

The Council are seeking and appropriate Contractor to operate the Venetian Waterways Café and Boating concession, together with the horticultural maintenance of the park. These elements will be procured as 2 lots and contractors are invited to bid for one or both Lots as appropriate. This procurement is being undertaken through the ProContract Portal and tenders will not be accepted through any other means. It is proposed to turn the building in the middle of the boating lake into a café/restaurant and boating lake ticket kiosk. There are indicative sketches which show circa 20 covers internal covers, with variable external seating (see annex A): — the Council intend the site and the cafe to be a destination in itself that complements the waterways and one which can drive footfall and business to the area, — the Council intend for the facility to be an all year round offer, open throughout the week, which could be used for functions and events on occasion, —the Council anticipate the café will be fitted out to internal wall finish but final fit out including kitchen fit out and furnishing are envisaged to be undertaken by the tenants to enable choice of finish and functionality. It is anticipated the tenants will also run the ticket kiosk and day to day management of the boating lake either in conjunction with the horticulture Repair and Maintenance (R + M) operator or inclusive of their services. There is a requirement for the facility to be run and managed by an operator with a social enterprise element to the operation; however, as this needs to provide a long-term sustainable economic solution for the site, quality of offer is the priority. The Council would anticipate that the operator would develop and manage a “Friends” group of the waterways to assist with events and also support the maintenance of the gardens. This would be in conjunction/agreement with the contractor holding the R + M contract. The income from the boating concession is intended to be retained by the Borough Council but this is open to negotiation with the final operator depending on justification and need. The Council has an obligation to maintain the Waterways and Boating Lake and has some budget to undertake this using a Contractor to carry this out, preferably with volunteers. The contract will need to include the repair and maintenance of the boats situated on the boating lake. There is a Head Gardener and an Assistant Gardener currently in temporary positions which we hope would move across to the operator, but this is not an essential requirement as this. The Council is open to discuss and agree and TUPE arrangements with the preferred operator. There will be an expectation that the quality of the water on both the Boating Lake and Venetian Waterways will be managed by the operator. This can be undertaken in a variety of ways, including aeration and dyes. Again the final approach and commitment will be discussed and agreed throughout the process. The topping up of water will be the obligation of this contract, with the volume of water drawn off monitored to ensure this does not exceed allowed amounts. There is an expectation that the operator of this contract will be responsible for both the maintenance of the hard and soft landscaping. — soft landscaping: this will include the care (pruning/weeding/dead heading etc.) of the floral displays as well as irrigation. Should there be a need for replacement of plants or features this responsibility would also fall to the Contractor, — hard landscaping: pathways (such as cleaning), rockery features, and edging would also be the responsibility of the Contractor, — Waste disposal will the responsibility of the GYBS service a contract currently managed by the Council. Furniture such as benches, shelters and ornamental features, their upkeep and care will be the responsibility of the operator.