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Council asks Parks & Rec to study options for Forest Park Beach concessions
Summary
Council directed Parks & Recreation staff and the committee to evaluate options for Forest Park Beach concessions, including improved operating hours, menu expansion, food trucks, and potential RFPs for vendors; current concessions are managed by Kemper.
The Lake Forest City Council on Dec. 1 gave direction to Parks & Recreation staff to study options for Forest Park Beach concessions and return with recommendations.
Mayor Taack opened a brief, non-action discussion asking whether the council wanted Parks & Rec to look into alternatives to the current concession model. Council members said they support exploring options ranging from optimizing the existing concession to issuing an RFP for private vendors or food trucks, noting current limitations on equipment in the concession stand and questions about season length and economic sustainability for a 90‑day operation.
Staff said the concession stand at the North Pavilion is predominantly open from Memorial Day to Labor Day with abbreviated hours in August; Kemper currently manages concessions under the city contract and also runs concession operations at other city facilities.
Council asked staff to include analyses of service hours, menu options, equipment needs, potential partnership models for local restaurants, and the feasibility of food trucks. No ordinance or budget appropriation was requested at the meeting; staff will report back with options.
