WINTERVILLE—With the new Craig Goess Student Center set to open in early 2009, Pitt Community College is seeking proposals from vendors wanting to manage an expanded array of food and/or vending services, including catering. PCC administrators issued a request for proposals for a new food services contract on Oct. 1 and set an Oct. 31 deadline for submissions. The college is seeking a three-year deal plus two optional years with a vendor that would manage cafeteria line services, catering and vending machine services on and off campus. Vendors bidding on the PCC food services contract must attend a mandatory pre-bid conference at the college on Oct. 15. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. in the Everett Building (Room 141) and will include a walk-through of the Goess Center, which will include a kitchen with commercial-grade restaurant equipment and student, faculty and staff dining facilities. PCC administrators view the Goess Center’s opening as an opportunity for the college to expand and improve upon its current ‘snack bar’ facility. A new and expanded dining area in the Goess Center is to include wireless Internet access and food services provided from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. “We'll expect the bidders to include a variety of healthy and quality food choices at reasonable prices,” said Susan Everett, Vice President of Administrative Services at PCC. Everett noted that PCC is a member of the Pitt County Department of Health’s Winner’s Circle Healthy Dining Program, meaning the college must make a minimum of one Winner’s Circle food choice available at all times. PCC administrators hope to have the bidding process for its food services completed by Nov. 26 with a contract awarded by Dec. 18. |