Return of Refreshments on the Staten Island Ferry

Image by johnuwe2805 from Pixabay

An open call for vendors begins today and will run through March 7, with refreshments areas anticipated to return by fall 2024 

Today, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball announced the return of refreshments on the Staten Island Ferry. Under a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued today, the operator will be responsible for selling food and drinks aboard in-service vessels – including alcoholic beverages. The RFP will be open through March 7, 2024, and refreshments areas are anticipated to be in place by fall 2024. This will mark the first time refreshments have been offered on the boats since before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve invested and secured tens of millions of dollars to improve our ferry system, because we know how vital it is to keep working-class New Yorkers moving,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “We’ve already delivered for Staten Island with our Ferry Forward plan and with a long-overdue contract for ferry workers, and we’re going to keep delivering by finding the best company to provide concessions on the Staten Island Ferry. More and more New Yorkers are riding our ferries for work and for fun, and they deserve to kick back, have a snack, and enjoy the journey without a second thought.”

The selected operator will be serving aboard the busiest municipal ferry service in the country. Roughly 45,000 passengers ride the Staten Island Ferry on an average weekday, with about 15 million riding people annually. The selected operator will sign on for a period of 10 years, with the option for NYCEDC to extend the lease for two additional five-year periods, for a total of 20 years.

NYCEDC will judge respondents to the RFP based on several criteria: including their experience in the field; their financial capacity to take on the lease agreement; and the types of products and services they plan to offer. Should the respondents choose to include beer sales, where possible, they are advised to consider offering local beer and local craft breweries from Staten Island and Manhattan.