Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson Opens Bids For 112 New Concessions at O’Hare International Airport
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CHICAGO – Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) announced one of the largest concessions bid opportunities in the history of U.S. airports today for more than one hundred new concession locations at Terminals 1 and 3 at O'Hare International Airport, as part of ongoing efforts to update and modernize O'Hare's terminal core.

"Today's announcement of the new concession contracts offers another opportunity for Chicago to invest in the diverse people and communities that make our city a premier travel destination," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "O'Hare is a welcoming jewel of Chicago, and together, we continue to prioritize new opportunities for that spirit to shine. We are creating additional space for Chicagoans from every neighborhood to operate businesses while at the same time offering world-class amenities to travelers."

"Airport concessions offer opportunities to build generational wealth and create fantastic employment opportunities for Chicagoans of all ages," CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee said. "I want to encourage diverse firms of all sizes and backgrounds to participate in this competitive bid process and help us build the future of O'Hare with concessions that showcase the culture and hospitality of Chicago."

The ORDerUp! RFP packages offered include opportunities for 112 individual concession locations — 75 Food and Beverage, 34 Retail and three Duty Free locations — totaling more than 146,000 square feet of commercial real estate in Terminals 1 and 3. Of the available concessions space, 10% is reserved exclusively for small businesses, with additional incentives to encourage participation by small and diverse business owners in the remaining opportunities. The largest packages also include a commitment to operate an incubator program at four prime airport locations, enabling small first-time businesses to enter the airport business environment.

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The City of Chicago has established an Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) participation target of 32% for the concession packages covered by this RFP.

Key Dates:
  • Interested applicants are invited to attend an optional pre-proposal meeting on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, at 10 a.m.at the Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport, with a virtual option available to those interested in attending remotely.
  • CDA will also host a networking event immediately following the pre-proposal meeting at the O'Hare Hilton on Sept. 30 from 11 a.m. to noon, where interested respondents can mix and mingle to facilitate business partnerships.
  • The registration deadline to attend these events is Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. That week, the CDA will also offer tours of the available concession spaces for potential applicants.  
  • The final date prospective concessionaires can submit questions about the RFP is Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.  
  • Proposals are due by Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025.

The CDA will evaluate each proposal and make recommendations for awards before finalizing concession lease and license agreements with the selected respondents. Those agreements will then be submitted to the Chicago City Council for approval and execution.

Proposals will be evaluated based on weighted criteria including Experience and Qualifications; Concept Plan, Services and Capital Investment; Facility Design; Management, Operations and Customer Service Plan; and Financial Compensation to the City. Selections will be made by an evaluation committee selected by the Commissioner of Aviation. New shops and restaurants selected through ORDerUp! would open in phases, and the first new concessionaires could welcome customers as soon as 2027.

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The full ORDerUp! RFP and additional supporting information on how to submit a bid can be found at flychicago.com/concessionsresources.

Last November, the CDA hosted more than 550 attendees at the O'Hare Airport Concessions Symposium at the UIC Forum in an effort to educate local entrepreneurs about upcoming opportunities at the airport, teach them how to achieve ACDBE certification and prepare them for the process of bidding for contracts.

The department hosted a second O'Hare Airport Concessions Symposium in February at the O'Hare Hilton, focused on the process of financing concessions businesses. Business owners had the chance to meet banks looking to work with small businesses and learn the ins-and-outs of the concessions industry.

In 2022, the Chicago City Council approved the largest set of concessions agreements at O'Hare in over a decade, including several local offerings in the renovated and expanded Terminal 5.

With those agreements, the CDA achieved an Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) participation rate of 40%, exceeding its goal of 32%. The new Terminal 5 concessions continue to open in phases, with the latest additions — BLVD & Branch, InMotion, Six Points Market/Metropolis Coffee and Publican Quality Bread — having opened their doors this August.

The new concessions offerings throughout O'Hare will build upon CDA's efforts to modernize O'Hare's terminal core under O'Hare 21, Chicago's vision to transform the country's best-connected airport into an efficient and accessible international gateway for the 21st century. For more information, visit ORD21.com.

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