The City of Charleston seeks a qualified vendor to operate a convenience grocery store at the Eastside Corner Store. The city provides the sustainably upfitted building and major equipment at no cost. No onsite food preparation is permitted; only commercially prepackaged food may be sold. The initial contract term is 5 years with two possible 1-year extensions. Proposals are due November 19, 2026 at 12:00 PM. A non-mandatory site visit is scheduled for November 5, 2026 at 9:00 AM at 91 Hanover St. Questions must be submitted in writing by November 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM. Vendors must have 3-5 years of retail store experience. SBE participation of 20% is required. Insurance requirements include general liability, auto liability, workers compensation, and professional liability. Proposals must include one original, seven bound copies, and one electronic copy on flash drive.
Proposals must be received by November 19, 2026 at 12:00 PM. The city states: proposals must be submitted to and received by the city no later than the date and time specified within this rfp.
Payment for goods/services is processed within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice. The document states: payment for goods services arising out of the contract resulting from this solicitation and received by the city shall be processed within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice.
All labor and materials are warranted free from defects for a minimum of 24 months after final payment. The document states: all labor and materials are warranted to be free from defects for a minimum period of twentyfour 24 months after the date of final payment by the city.
The city will select a proposal representing the best value. The document states: select a proposal which represents the best value to the city.
Vendors must have 3-5 years of experience operating a retail store, ideally a convenience grocery or corner store. The document states: the city is looking for respondents with demonstrated capacity and 3 5 years experience in the operation of a retail store.
A non-mandatory site visit is scheduled for November 5, 2026 at 9:00 AM at 91 Hanover St. The document states: there will be a nonmandatory site visit at 9: 00am on november 5, 2026 at 91 hanover st.
Questions regarding the solicitation must be submitted in writing by November 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM. The document states: all questions must be received before 11: 00am on november 6, 2026.
Offerors may be disqualified for reasons including collusion, litigation against the city, arrears on contracts, lack of financial stability, or being debarred. The document states: offerors may be disqualified for any of the following reasons: o reason to believe collusion exists among the offerors o the offeror is involved in any litigation against the city.