Back on Board: Concessions Will Return to the Staten Island Ferry in the Next Two Months

Photo Courtesy of NYC DOT

Dunkin Selected as the Concessionaire, Marking the First Time Concessions Will Be Available on the Ferries Since the Onset of the Pandemic

Today was announced that concessions will return to the Staten Island Ferry in the next two months and that Dunkin has been selected as the concessionaire. This will mark the first time refreshments have been offered on the ferryboats since before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dunkin will offer the variety of coffee and donuts that it is famous for worldwide. With this procurement allowing for alcohol to be sold on the ferryboats, Dunkin is pursuing all permitting necessary to sell beer. Dunkin was selected via a competitive process launched by a Request for Proposals announced in January.

Dunkin will likely initially operate concession stands inside two ferryboats from the Staten Island Ferry’s newest class, the Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis and the Dorothy Day. Dunkin concessions will later be added to additional ferryboats in the fleet.

Under a lease reached with the city, the concessionaire will begin operations within 60 days of its lease signing on November 20. The Staten Island Ferry is the busiest municipal ferry service in the country, with approximately 45,000 passengers on an average weekday and over 15 million annual riders.

The agreement announced today is 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 judged the 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.