County weighing vending, grab-and-go options after courthouse restaurant tenant leaves

Will County officials told the Capital Improvements Committee on Feb. 4 that the tenant operating a restaurant in the old courthouse declined to renew a one-year lease with two renewal options, leaving the county without a full-time food vendor.

County facilities staff said the business was not financially sustainable — the vendor sold about 60 lunches in the last two weeks of operation, a level staff judged insufficient to support traditional restaurant staffing. For the short term, the county plans a bank of vending machines offering grab-and-go sandwiches and similar items. Staff said they also are evaluating fresh-food vending solutions (described in the meeting as a Farmer's Fridge–style option) that offer refrigerated wraps and salads.

Committee members asked whether the county would go back out to bid for a food vendor and who has jurisdiction to negotiate contracts for the space. Facilities staff said any request for proposals or a vendor selection would be handled through the county’s executive office and that any future restaurant contract would be an open bid. Staff also said some vendors expect a management fee that can reach about $15,000 a month, a cost that makes a conventional cafeteria model expensive for the county given current downtown demand.

No formal action was taken; staff said they will return with options and cost estimates for the board and the executive office to consider.

Ending: The county will temporarily install vending machines and continue research into fresh-food vending and formal bidding options; a final procurement decision was not made at the meeting.