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Chicago Tribune
29-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Robert Gomez: Chicago's Riverwalk vendor process is shrouded in secrecy. It's time for real reform.
There is no accountability in how the city of Chicago awards vendor contracts on the Riverwalk. There is no transparency, no oversight and no way to appeal decisions. Even when those decisions push out high-performing Latino-owned businesses and leave public space vacant, the people responsible are shielded from scrutiny. The Riverwalk belongs to the public. It is city-owned space that generates public revenue and should reflect public values. Right now, it does not. The process for selecting vendors is hidden from view, managed by unnamed committee members who are not required to disclose how applications are scored or why decisions are made. Vendors are not allowed to ask questions or challenge outcomes. The rules are not public. The standards are not clear. The decisions are final. I know because I went through it. Twice. I own Beat Kitchen on the Riverwalk, which we operated for three seasons. A month ago, the city told me we were being removed. There was no explanation, no feedback and no opportunity to respond. Our business was one of the top revenue producers on the Riverwalk. We were the only Latino-owned vendor among the major operators. Despite a smaller footprint, we matched the revenue of the largest players. We did it after being denied basic signage and other forms of support. We did it through strong service and local partnerships, bringing thousands of the most diverse group of Chicagoans and tourists to the Riverwalk every week. Beat Kitchen on the Riverwalk was grounded in the same approach that has defined our work in the city for decades. Our music venues, the original Beat Kitchen in Roscoe Village and Subterranean in Wicker Park, have supported artists across genres for over 30 years. We've helped shape Chicago's independent music scene, not just participate in it. That same commitment extends to the food we serve. At street festivals and on the Riverwalk, we put thought into every menu, drawing from regional and cultural traditions that reflect the neighborhoods we serve. We don't treat public space like a temporary booth. We build with care and hire staff members who reflect the city. The city's own request for proposals for the Riverwalk said these things matter. It asked for vendors who understand the community, contribute to Chicago's cultural life, represent one of our 77 great neighborhoods, and bring quality and care to their operation. We did all of that. But we have no idea if any of that mattered. The criteria were shrouded in secrecy. The decision-makers weren't identified. The outcome offered no explanation. When the selection process fails to acknowledge the values it claims to prioritize, the problem isn't with the applicants. It's with the system. I invested more than $350,000 in that location. The city initially promised running water, drainage and electric connections. Then it backed out. I hired engineers and contractors to design and install a custom drain system beneath Lower Wacker Drive. I also purchased $70,000 in patio furniture after the city initially committed in my lease to providing it. I paid for it upfront from a city-mandated vendor, expecting to use it at my location, when, in fact, the city gave most of the furniture to other vendors on the Riverwalk for their use. Before our five-year lease ended, I asked for a two-year extension. The first year was lost because the city failed to prepare the space. The second was lost to COVID-19, like so much else across Chicago. Neither was within my business's control. Still, the city denied the request without explanation. There was no one to ask, no one to appeal to and no system in place to challenge the decision. The city delayed the application process for Riverwalk vendor spaces until after our lease had ended, and the 2024 season was already underway. I asked to continue operating during the evaluation period, as is common at places such as O'Hare airport and Navy Pier. The city declined, and our location stayed closed for the entire season. The review process began late, involved only two applications and still took more than 12 months. When I asked who was evaluating proposals or what criteria would be used, the city refused to provide any answers. Public records requests were also denied. That delay cost the city an estimated $800,000 in rent, tax revenue and revenue share in 2024. With the 2025 season already underway and the location still closed, the city is on track to lose another $1 million. These are real financial losses tied directly to decisions made behind closed doors. The public deserves better. A Latino-owned business that consistently met and exceeded expectations was removed without explanation. In response to a direct appeal from the Latino Caucus, the city claimed there were 11 minority-owned vendors on the Riverwalk. Seven of those businesses had already closed. The few that remain operate in smaller, less visible spaces. The highest-revenue locations are overwhelmingly white-owned. The city speaks often about equity, but the results here tell a different story. This is the moment to fix the system. The goal of reform should not be to revisit one decision, but to build a system that current and future Riverwalk vendors can trust. If my speaking out draws attention to this process's failures, it serves a purpose. The city cannot keep running a vendor process that is closed to the public, unclear in its rules and impossible to challenge. The selection process should be paused immediately. Scoring criteria must be published. Decision-makers should be named and held accountable. Meetings should be open to public review. Vendors deserve a process that is transparent, consistent and fair. The current system looks less like public service and more like old-fashioned patronage. This is not about one business. It is about a system that protects insiders, avoids accountability and ignores public interest. If the city is serious about reform, it must start with the Riverwalk. Robert Gomez is a Chicago-based entrepreneur and owner of Beat Kitchen, Subterranean, Bar Sol Mariscos on Navy Pier and other local hospitality venues. He co-founded the Chicago Independent Venue League and serves on the mayor's Cultural Advisory Council.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicago Riverwalk restaurant owner questions city's decision to cut his lease
The Brief Robert Gomez, owner of Beat Kitchen and other Chicago restaurants, says the city shut him out of a profitable Riverwalk location with no clear explanation. He claims the site sat unused for a year while city officials delayed a decision. Gomez is now speaking out about a lack of transparency and oversight in the selection process. CHICAGO - Robert Gomez, a longtime Chicago restaurant owner, says he's still in the dark about why the city didn't renew his lease for a Riverwalk spot that had previously generated about $3 million in annual sales. The backstory Gomez ran Beat Kitchen on the Riverwalk for three years under a five-year lease. The first two years were wiped out due to delays, he said, but in the last three years, the business was strong. When the lease came up for renewal last year, he applied again, competing against just one other applicant. But the process dragged on for months, and the space remained closed for the entire 2023 season. Eventually, the city awarded the spot to someone else. What we don't know Gomez says the city hasn't told him why he was passed over, who made the decision, or even who the other applicant was. He also hasn't been able to get answers through a Freedom of Information request. He's concerned that the selection committee operates without public oversight or transparency. He said there's no appeals process, and business owners have no way to contest the outcome or even learn how it was reached. Despite offering to meet with the city for a debriefing, Gomez said officials told him they wouldn't meet until after the new lease was finalized — at which point, he says, it was too late to do anything about it. The other side City officials confirmed Gomez's application was not selected, citing a competitive bidding process. A statement from the Department of Fleet and Facility Management said the review was conducted by an evaluation committee and followed normal protocols. The full statement can be found below: "The purpose of the RFP process is to ensure that Chicagoans benefit from a competitive bidding process that takes into account a number of factors. Unfortunately, this applicant was not selected for a renewed concessions agreement based on the assessment by the Evaluation Committee." What's next Gomez said he's speaking out in hopes of prompting changes in how the city handles Riverwalk concessions. He wants more transparency in the evaluation process and a way for business owners to appeal decisions or at least receive a meaningful explanation. He also warned the city lost out on significant revenue by leaving the space closed in 2023 and not renewing a lease with a proven operator. By his estimate, the city missed out on about $800,000 in taxes and fees from his business alone. For now, Gomez says he's focusing on his other venues — including Subterranean and Beat Kitchen on Belmont. The Source Interview with Robert Gomez on Fox 32's "Parrish on Politics"; statement from Chicago's Department of Fleet and Facility Management.
