LACCD vendor decision puts Pierce food future in possible flux

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The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) approved two outside vendors, seeking to satisfy the need for food on campuses and to replace the businesses currently serving the schools.

Falafelicious Catering made a bid, but did not make it past the interview phase.

Pacific Dining of San Jose and High Rise Goodies Restaurant Group are the two leading vendors that have been approved for phase two of the deciding process. The Board of Trustees plans to send out a Notice of Intent to Award at Board by May 10.

LACCD anticipates that the approved vendors will be ready to open the cafes and cafeterias at their respective colleges by fall 2017. ess than a year after filling the void left in the vacant Pierce College Food Court, Falafelicious Catering’s contract is being terminated as the district plans to approve a new food vendor.To qualify, a potential district vendor must be able to provide food court / cafe services, mobile food operations and vending services. A vendor must make a bid for each college it's interested in servicing within the LACCD district.

“The overarching goal of the district is to provide a consistent quality level of food service for all of our 225,000 students at all nine campuses,” Robert B. Miller, LACCD vice chancellor for finance and resource development told the Daily News in a story that ran on May 5. “We believe that this will do that.”

The Pierce College Food Court had been vacant several semesters before it signed a lease with Falafelicious Catering owner Ofir Bass in September 2016. The Falafelicious food truck began operations at Pierce in 2014, and according to Bass, they fought for years to take over the unoccupied cafeteria.

“I think it’s unfortunate, because the cafeteria was closed for so long,” Bass said. “They were trying to find an imaginary

Samantha Bravo / Roundup discretion of Pierce College. district-wide vendor to take over the entire district, and it didn’t happen for years. Pierce College then took initiative and signed the lease with me.” Falafelicious is under a fiveyear lease that is annually reviewed and is subject to termination at the

The Falafelicious Catering overtook the cafeteria last semester, fall 2016, but business owner Ofir Bass is uncertain if Pierce College will honor its five-year lease with the District considering other vendors, at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on May 9, 2017.

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