Press

Museum Visitors are Hungry for an On-Site Cafe

Agreement Aims to Bring Food and Beverage Services Back for Guests to Enjoy

In collaboration with the Office of General Services, the Office of Cultural Education is thrilled to announce the issuance of a Request for Information (RFI) for qualified vendors interested in reopening the café at the New York State Museum. This initiative underscores the Museum’s continued commitment to enhancing the guest experience through unique programming, engaging exhibitions, and expanded hospitality services.  

The selected vendor will become the official on-site food and beverage provider at the Cultural Education Center, home to the New York State Museum, Library, and Archives. Prospective operators will have the unique opportunity to capitalize on the Museum’s surge in attendance and its dynamic, family-friendly programming. Recent events have consistently surpassed expectations, drawing enthusiastic and sizable crowds. With visitor numbers seeing steady increases, the atmosphere is charged with excitement—offering the perfect moment to establish a dining experience that complements the Museum’s rising prominence. 

Interim Deputy Commission for Cultural Education, Michael Mastroianni said, “We’ve heard our visitors loud and clear—they want a museum experience served with a side of exceptional food. Our goal is to become the premier state museum in the country within the next decade, and restoring hospitality services is a vital step toward achieving that vision. With an audience of over 500,000 annual visitors, convenient access to tens of thousands of daily employees throughout the Empire State Plaza and capitol complex, and 250 building staff, the opportunities here are tremendous. We’re incredibly grateful to the Office of General Services for their partnership as we turn the page on this exciting new chapter for the café.” 

The café will be located on the second-floor mezzanine of the Cultural Education Center, encompassing approximately 1,035 square feet. Qualified food service operators should have at least five years of successful experience in managing and operating comparable food service establishments.  

Bids are due by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, with the lease expected to be finalized this fall. Find more information and apply here.

About the Cultural Education Center

Established in 1836, the New York State Museum is the oldest and largest public museum in the United States. Home to leading scientists, historians, archeologists, and anthropologists, its collections represent the State’s rich cultural and natural heritage from the past and present, including a staggering 20+ million artifacts spanning 1.1 billion years ago to today. Located at 222 Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is free. For additional information, visit the New York State Museum website and subscribe to our newsletter. 

The New York State Library, established in 1818, is the largest state library system in the nation and one of the largest research libraries in North America. It oversees a vast network of more than 7,000 libraries statewide. Collections are made available onsite and through a robust interlibrary loan program. The Library’s mission is advanced through several key divisions, including the Research Library, which houses a collection of over 20 million items, the Talking Book and Braille Library, and the Division of Library Development. The Library preserves and maintains invaluable historical collections and works, and serves as a Regional Depository for federal publications. Additionally, the State Library is the official repository of New York State government publications, ensuring their enduring preservation and accessibility for future generations. For more information, please visit the New York State Library website and subscribe to our quarterly newsletter.  

The New York State Archives holds many of the oldest and most important archival treasures in the nation. The Archives preserves and makes accessible over 250 million records of New York’s State and colonial governments dating from 1630 to the present. The State Archives provides free access to photographs, artifacts, documents, manuscripts, and other materials that tell the story of New York’s history via its Digital Collections on the Archives website.  

The Archives Partnership Trust was founded in 1992 to build an endowment and provide project support to enhance humanities programs, increase access to these outstanding treasures, and continue the preservation of New York's historical records. Since its founding, the Partnership Trust, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has supported exceptional projects and programs. These include the Research Residency Program, the Student Research Awards Program, history conferences, special exhibitions, public education programs, book signings and lectures, publications, teacher training institutes, preservation projects, and more.

The State Museum, State Library, and State Archives are programs of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or by visiting the Office of Cultural Education website.    

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