2019 GREENWAY DEWEY SQUARE POP UP DRINKERY

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1 2019 GREENWAY DEWEY SQUARE POP UP DRINKERY RFP Questions and Answers RFP Process Questions: Is it possible to receive a document with all of the RFP questions and application requirements before submitting the online application? Can we get a PDF copy of the application? Yes, please click here for a PDF copy. Are vendors charged rent? If so, how much? What is the expectation from the Conservancy in regards to financial gains? Is the Conservancy looking for a percentage of sales? If so, do you have a number in mind? The Conservancy is looking for a revenue sharing model that includes both a monthly site fee as well as a percentage of gross revenues. The amount of the monthly site fee and percentage of gross revenues is up to each respondent to propose. Schedule: Is there an idea of how many days the drinkery may be open a week, or length of season? The Conservancy encourages the Drinkery to be open at least two evenings per week (Wednesdays and Fridays) and Saturdays from mid-may to mid-september. The Drinkery cannot operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays due to the layout impact of the Boston Public Market Farmers Market and Dewey Square Block Parties on Thursdays. Will the drinkery be able to be open the same time as farmers market scheduled dates? Would we be able to operate the space during other events (i.e. farmer s markets)? Unfortunately, there is not enough space on the Dewey Square Plaza to have both the Boston Public Market Farmers Market and the Dewey Square Drinkery operating at the same time.

2 What are hours of operation? What days/hours were the Downeast activation open last summer? Do you feel this was the right approach? How would you recommend changing it up this year to maximize the space and traffic? Respondents are asked to provide a proposed weekly schedule and proposed date range for operating the Drinkery. General operating hours for The Greenway parks are from 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM. Recommended Drinkery hours are 4 PM - 9 PM on Wednesday and Friday and between 2 PM - 10 PM on Saturday from mid-may to mid-september. Additional days (Monday and Sunday) and hours could be added under certain circumstances. The Drinkery cannot operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays due to the layout impact of the Boston Public Market Farmers Market and Dewey Square Block Parties on Thursdays. The Conservancy requests the weekday shifts open at 3:30pm or later, allowing time for our 8 food trucks to leave the plaza prior to Drinkery set-up. The weekend shifts can begin at anytime, but we would encourage participants to consider the summer heat on an open plaza. Each shift cannot exceed 8 hours due to Boston Police permitting requests. The 2018 hours were as follows: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 4 PM - 9 PM, Saturday 1 PM - 9 PM, and Sunday 12 PM - 7 PM Volume: What were the average weekly visitors counts last year? What were the average weekly vendor revenue numbers from last year? What is the annual volume of product sold? Do you have data showing average turnout for other after-work events in the Dewey Square space? Do you know how much revenue Downeast took in through this activation last year? The Conservancy only collects data on the numbers of sales, not the number of visitors. At Dewey Square Park with different operators on different days, we have seen hourly averages of sales of 100, 150, and 200. We are confident in the potential for growth in this hourly average at

3 Dewey Square Park as piloting alcohol here is still relatively new. See the chart below to view the average number of transactions per day of the week. What is the foot traffic of this (if not a new site) and other locations? The Conservancy does not have foot traffic data for all locations, but it is estimated the the commuter traffic in and out of South Station each weekday is 100,000 people. The foot traffic in the area mirrors commuter traffic and is highest during commuter hours. What is the max capacity of the enclosed area? Do you know what the occupancy max of the proposed space would be? If the activation gets very popular during the summer, would there be an opportunity to add more portable toilets and space to increase occupancy? The Conservancy does not have capacity guidelines. Seating and standing capacity will be dependent on City of Boston permitting requirements. Past applicants saw a capacity of about 300 people. The Conservancy will continue conversations with the chosen applicant throughout the course of the Drinkery operating season to accommodate and adjust the space to provide the best guest experience. However, due to the number of other activities taking place on Dewey Square Plaza expansion may not be viable.

4 Do you see anything that would inhibit this location from being similar in scope what Trillium has been able to offer? The Trillium Garden on The Greenway has significant semi-permanent infrastructure, which is not possibly in this heavily used plaza. We have adjusted the footprint of the Drinkery space this year to account for the addition of some semi-permanent elements, but the pop-up nature of this space demands innovative thinking. Would you happen to have any photos of this location at peak operating hours from last season? With last year s layout it was difficult to capture photos that truly represented the full space. Please see one example below.

5 Operations: Do we know if there is a possibility to serve items other than beer, cider, or wine? We are requiring non-alcoholic beverages and snacks as part of this year s selection. While the Conservancy is open to discussion liquor service, the permitting process for liquor is different from beer, cider and wine and is something the vendor would need to investigate. Is there a standard price charged per beer or is that up to each individual brewery? Respondents can suggest their own price structure. Affordable menus/options are strongly encouraged. Is music allowed? Live or recorded? The Conservancy is open to both recorded and live music in the space but details would need to be discussed and proper permitting applied for. The RFP states that three restrooms should be incorporated into the plan. Are the vendors responsible for paying for portable restrooms? Yes, vendors are responsible for the costs and upkeep of the restrooms. Last year Downeast Cider House used tickets for drinks. Is that required? This is not required.

6 Are vendors permitted to use the lawn adjacent to the paved area? Can patrons drink alcohol on the lawn? Vendors are not permitted to use the lawn as part of their regular footprint and patrons cannot have alcoholic beverages outside of the perimeter. Is there a provision for site security? Is it OK to use private security? Or is it required to have a Boston police officer on duty? Private security should be a part of your plan, as this will most likely be looked for as part of your permitting process. BPD detail is typically required as part of your permit, though details are not always filled, meaning you would not always have an officer (you only pay for officers when the detail is filled). Do Vendors pay for the security? Yes, vendors cover the cost of security. Are there any scheduled Greenway events that vendors will be required to participate in? If so, which ones? There are no required events, however there may be times when you either need to share the space with an event or will need to pause operations for a day to make room for an event. This should be limited, especially with flexibility on the part of everyone. Vendors typically get first right of refusal for alcohol vending on events in Dewey Square Park. Can you tell us how the Downeast Back Porch activation worked out last year? What worked and what didn t work with that activation in your opinion? In the RFP you mention build upon the successes and lessons learned from the Downeast activation can you expand?

7 Many of the lessons we learned were built into the RFP information this year, such as changes to the site layout and days of operation. We will continue discussing this with the chosen vendor. Other: What breweries have occupied the sites? How many other drinkery sites are there? Last year, the Dewey Square Drinkery was operated by Downeast Cider House. The Conservancy has also worked with Trillium Brewing for two years at the beer garden located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and High Street. There are also Thursday night weekly block parties, that run from mid-may - August, organized by Crashline Productions on Dewey Square Park. We occasionally have other events with alcohol but no other drinkeries. Will the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy provide marketing and communication strategy for the Dewey Square Drinkery? We are looking to partner with our chosen vendor on marketing and communications; the vendor s ability to produce and own part of the marketing and communications for this site is important. The Conservancy does not buy paid advertising but would actively promote this space on owned media. Is Downeast being considered for the space again this year? If not, is there a reason why? We mutually agreed that we would look for a different vendor this year.