WV Capitol Food Court Goes Back to the Drawing Board

The foodservice operation at the West Virginia state capitol in Charleston is looking for a new management company to manage its operations after the current contract holder announced that it would be opting out, reports the Daily Mail. The operation has been managed by Pittman Group, a local firm that had been hired last December.

Pittman following a short and unsuccessful period of self-operation by the state's Dept. of Administration. The eatery had originally been managed by Guest Services but was shuttered in 2007 for health violations.

After a $3.7 million renovation, Guest Services resumed management of operations but asked to be let out of its contract in 2009 because of the operation's lack of financial viability. The experiment with self-operation came after another management company refused to take over unless specific changes were made in how the operation is run in order to make it more financially viable.

Difficulties include lack of customers during periods when the legislature is not in session and the high prices that have to be charged in order to subsidize the slow periods. An attempt by Pittman to increase revenues by operating mobile carts that could serve employees of nearby state offices ran into conflict with the Randolph-Sheppard Act that prohibits competing with blind vendors who operate retail kiosks in the buildings.