Airport retail space up for grabs

| 16/08/2016 | 9 Comments
CNS Business

Artist’s redition of Owen Roberts Airport interior after expansion

(CNS Business): As the Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) continues work on the redevelopment of Owen Roberts International Airport (ORIA), it is about to begin an open tender for all the retail spaces at the new facility, which is set to open in 2018. A total of seventeen potentially lucrative spaces will be up for grabs when the tender process begins and businesses will be able to bid on as many spaces as they like, but they will be limited to winning three spaces in total and just one space in any of the three categories: food and beverage, retail and duty-free.

Officials explained that rents at the new airport, where hundreds of thousands of passengers will be moving through each year, will be based on a percentage of revenue with a guaranteed minimum. Any business with a licence to trade in the Cayman Islands will be eligible to submit a tender.

Eligible businesses, which are 60% or more Caymanian owned, will receive points in the tender evaluation process. Eligible businesses that are in good standing with the CIAA and currently operate a food and beverage, retail or duty free store in ORIA will also receive points in the tender evaluation process.

The CIAA’s CEO Albert Anderson said, “We want to ensure we have a fair and open process for everyone interested in submitting a proposal, as we strive towards our ultimate vision of giving our passengers the best experience when travelling through the Owen Roberts International Airport.”

All interested retailers will have to submit a bid when the request for proposals (RFP) goes out to the public, giving the CIAA an opportunity to select the highest quality shopping and dining concepts to meet the passengers’ needs. The authority is finalising the RFP documents, which will detail all of the requirements to submit a valid proposal. This will be released to the public once the tender package is completed and approved.

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Category: Food & Drink, Local Business, Retail, Stay-over tourism, Tourism

Comments (9)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    The Thompsons has always operated a very clean restaurant . One can eat and feel assured that the food is very clean and is also very tasty. A very organized Caymanian who works very hard with some very friendly and efficient staff.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Good to hear that the airport redevelopment is proceeding at good pace. In case any of the other readers have a short memory, contrast the improvements already done and underway with the previous administration. As for the bids on retail space, in my opinion the Airport Authority is completely right to assign points for 60% Cayman ownership and to give some recognition to the existing vendors. I will hold-off from further comments until the full point system is available.

    • Great. Let’s continue eating crap food and overpriced beverages at our new first class airport terminal while making local Caymanians operators even richer.

      Come on AIrports Authority, open the tender process up to outsiders and get good food and reasonable prices at our new airport terminal. We need a new world class airport and good food and beverages are a major part of being world class especially with the thousands of tourists that visit us here.

      • Anonymous says:

        Most restaurants on island are owned by Caymanians are you stating you do not enjoying dining out in Cayman? Get informed.

  3. Anonymous says:

    So we have had to put up with limited food which half the time consisted of stale days old sandwiches and cold patties for the last 20 years and in return the current provider gets the inside track to provide food services.

    A first class terminal building with sh*t food = a sh*t terminal.

    • pproved? says:

      On the plus side the coke machine in the departure lounge is the cheapest on the island. If it wasnt hidden in the corner no one would buy from the counter. Have always wondered about that machine.

  4. This is bad news for locals and tourists. The current food and beverage operation at the airport is an absolute rip off. Certain how the tender is structured discriminating against non Caymanians we will all continue to be ripped off with the local operator laughing to the bank.

    • Anonymous says:

      You are aware that the food vendor currently in the airport is 100% owned and operated? They are the same owners of Island Taste.

      • Anonymous says:

        Does it matter who the operators are? If they are good, that’s fine if not, complain.

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