Palm Springs City Council Approves New Food and Beverage Deal for Convention Center

Palm Springs City Council unanimously approved a new five-year food and beverage agreement for the Palm Springs Convention Center on Tuesday night, capping days of back-and-forth negotiations that began when council first considered the deal on June 24 and chose to keep talking instead of voting.

The contract goes to Ovations Fanfare L.P., doing business as OVG Hospitality, the hospitality arm of Oak View Group. That company already took over operations of the Convention Center last year, and also operates the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre and Acrisure Arena.

The current provider, Savoury's Good Earth Cuisine, had been running food and beverage service on a temporary basis since last September during the transition from the previous operator. Following the June 24 meeting, the city's negotiating team spent several days in talks with both companies, and those conversations led to meaningful changes in the final agreement.

City officials say the revised contract creates new opportunities for local Coachella Valley restaurants, vendors, and nonprofit organizations to participate in Convention Center events, though the specific details around local vendor requirements and nonprofit thresholds still need to be finalized and brought back to council within 30 days.

Financially, the city is guaranteed at least $750,000 per year under the new deal, something the previous contract didn't include. Staff estimate the agreement could bring in more than $17 million over five years.