Kenosha County is accepting proposals from businesses interested in operating a beer garden at Old Settlers Park, Parks Director Matthew Collins announced today.
Collins said the county is seeking a qualified food and beverage vendor that would fully manage all aspects of the operation.
“Given the success of the Petrifying Springs Biergarten, we see a strong market for a similar, family-friendly operation in western Kenosha County, at Old Settlers Park,” Collins said. “Located in a beautiful setting alongside Paddock Lake and a newly built band shelter that hosts a weekly concert series and other events, we believe this amenity would attract patrons both locally and regional tourists.”
Old Settlers Park is located at 24100 75th St. (Highway 50) in the Village of Paddock Lake.
The vendor selected would occupy the west end of the pavilion on the northwest end of the park, near the new band shelter and a playground. Years ago, a concessionaire operated out of this site.
Like the Petrifying Springs Biergarten and other public-private partnerships that Kenosha County Parks has pursued in recent years, the county would receive a share of the privately-operated business’ revenue, with these funds to go toward future park improvements.
Collins said the county anticipates the vendor selected in a formal request-for-proposals process would be operational for the 2024 season.
“We look forward to giving a thorough review to all of the proposals that come through,” Collins said.
Sealed proposals will be accepted until 3 p.m. on Oct. 18.
Complete proposal packages may be obtained from the State of Wisconsin’s VendorNet website, at https://vendornet.wi.gov/. To receive notifications of addendum and future bids and proposals, vendors must register with https://esupplier.wi.gov. There is no fee to register.
For more information about Old Settlers Park and all of the county’s other park locations, visit https://parks.kenoshacounty.org or follow Kenosha County Parks on Facebook and Instagram.