Operator Bids Now Open to Host Capitol Complex’s First Year-Round Café

HELENA, MT – The Montana Historical Society is seeking an experienced vendor to operate a café inside the new Montana Heritage Center, set to open to the public in November 2025. The café will be the first permanent, year-round food establishment within the Montana State Capitol Complex, offering a unique opportunity to serve thousands of daily employees and nearly 100,000 annual visitors.

A formal Request for Proposal (RFP), released April 25, invites businesses to bid on the opportunity to operate the café, which is housed in a newly constructed, architecturally modern space adjacent to the museum’s public entrance and outdoor plaza. The café is expected to serve a diverse clientele, including Capitol staff, museum guests, students, and out-of-state tourists.

According to the Montana Historical Society, the Montana Heritage Center will feature state-of-the-art galleries, a reference library, a retail gift shop, event facilities, and interpretive trails—all of which will funnel traffic toward the café space. Officials say the café will function not only as a food service location but also as a welcoming hub where guests can gather, relax, and refuel while engaging with Montana’s history and culture.

The new facility is projected to dramatically increase foot traffic. A University of Montana study estimates the Heritage Center will attract an additional 78,000 visitors annually beyond the Montana Historical Society’s current attendance, contributing an estimated $12.5 million to the state’s economy each year. The café operator will also have the opportunity to provide catering for events held at the Center’s various indoor and outdoor spaces.

The chosen vendor will operate under a lease and revenue-sharing agreement with the state and will be expected to offer breakfast, lunch, and beverage service tailored to both grab-and-go convenience and casual dine-in experiences. The space includes a prep area and service counter, and additional seating will be available in an adjoining public plaza.

Interested businesses must be registered with the state’s eMACS procurement system to submit a proposal. The RFP closes at 2:00 p.m. on June 12, 2025. A pre-proposal walk-through and Q&A process are part of the application timeline. Contact Procurement Officer Trenton Hatch for more details at (406) 444-3315 or [email protected].