Hot Chocolate Vendor for 2026 Christmas Tree Lighting

Description: Event Date: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026 Event Time: 6 p.m. Location: Downtown West Plains, Court Square Proposal Deadline: Friday, November 13, 2026 Overview The City of West Plains is seeking proposals from qualified businesses and vendors to provide hot chocolate during the city's annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026. The city anticipates providing approximately 500 servings (no less than 8 fl oz/serving) of hot chocolate to event attendees at no charge to the public. The selected vendor will be compensated by the city for the agreed-upon services. The city welcomes proposals from businesses utilizing food trucks, mobile beverage stations, temporary tables, existing permanent storefront or other appropriate serving arrangements. Scope of Services The selected vendor will be responsible for: • Preparing and providing an estimated 500 individual servings of hot chocolate of no less than 8 fl oz. This is only an estimate and not a exact number. • Providing all necessary supplies, including cups, lids, napkins, serving equipment and ingredients. • Providing adequate personnel to distribute hot chocolate to event attendees. • Setting up and operating a serving station during the event. • Maintaining a clean and safe serving area and removing all vendor-generated waste following the event. • Complying with all applicable food safety and health requirements. Vendor Location and Setup Hot chocolate setup and distribution will take place within the designated Christmas Tree Lighting event area on Court Square in downtown West Plains, between East Main Street and Washington Avenue. Vendors will be permitted to establish their serving stations within the designated event area, subject to city approval. Temporary serving stations must be positioned to maintain reasonable visibility and customer access for existing downtown businesses operating during the event. Vendors shall not occupy locations that would impede access to, or substantially interfere with the operations of, an established business. Businesses operating from an existing permanent location within the event area may continue serving customers from their established premises, subject to all applicable requirements. Final vendor placement shall be subject to City approval. Final vendor placement and set-up arrangements will be coordinated with city staff before the event. Proposal Requirements Interested vendors should submit a proposal containing the following information: 1. Business name and contact information. 2. A brief description of the proposed hot chocolate service. 3. Total cost to provide an estimated 500 servings, including staffing, supplies and any additional fees. 4. Description of the proposed serving setup, including whether the vendor will utilize a food truck, temporary table or existing storefront. 5. Any special requirements, including access to electricity or other utilities. 6. Confirmation of availability for the event on Dec. 1, 2026. Proposal Evaluation The City of West Plains will evaluate proposals based on overall cost, ability to fulfill the requested services, experience and suitability of the proposed setup for the event. The city reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and to select the proposal determined to be in the city's best interest, subject to applicable purchasing policies and requirements. Submission Information Proposals must be received by Friday, November 13, 2026. Proposals may be submitted to: City of West Plains Attn: Cody Sanders cody.sanders@westplains.org 417-256-7176 ext. 2208 Questions regarding this request may be directed to the contact listed above. The City of West Plains looks forward to working with a local or regional business to help make the 2026 Christmas Tree Lighting a memorable community celebration.