Food & drink to return to S.I. Ferry

The city’s favorite floating bar could reopen by year’s end, as the Department of Transportation announced it is seeking vendors to bring food, coffee and beer concessions back to the Staten Island ferry.

“There are few better feelings than taking in the Manhattan skyline from the Staten Island Ferry with a cold beverage in hand,” Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in a statement.

The ferry system’s ships, which carry 45,000 passengers daily, have been without concession stands since 2019, when a contract with a then-vendor expired, and efforts to reopen the stands stalled with the onset of the COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020.

“As ferry ridership rebounds from COVID-19, we have heard from commuters that they’d like the food and beverage offerings to return to the boats,” Rodriguez said.

The new contract, which will be handled by the city’s Economic Development Corp., will run for 10 years, with two five-year renewal options at EDC’s discretion.

Concession stands will return to all nine ships in the Staten Island Ferry fleet.

In a release, city officials said a vendor will be chosen based on experience and financial capacity — and that vendors planning to sell beer should consider options from Manhattan or Staten Island-based breweries.

At a press event at the St. George ferry terminal, however, several expressed other preferences.

“We are very excited to share a cold beverage — maybe a Presidente — on the ferry,” said Sabrina Lippman, a senior vice president at EDC.

“Yes, looking forward to a Presidente on the ferry,” Rodriguez replied, calling the Dominican brew “a great beer.”

“[DOT Staten Island] Commissioner [Roseann] Caruana said she wanted a tallboy,” Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella joined in.

Fossella said the return of concessions on board the ferry was “long overdue,” and that, more than a beer, “an extra cup of coffee or a roll” is an important part of the ride for regular ferry commuters.

Bids are due to the EDC by March 7, and officials said they hope to select a vendor before the year’s end.