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New food is coming to Washington ferries – from out of state

caption: Nove and Susan Meyers of Olympic Cascade Services Inc. (father and daughter) said they were ending their legal challenge to Washington State Ferries' decision to give the food contract to Centerplate Inc. of Connecticut.
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Nove and Susan Meyers of Olympic Cascade Services Inc. (father and daughter) said they were ending their legal challenge to Washington State Ferries' decision to give the food contract to Centerplate Inc. of Connecticut.
KUOW Photo/Carolyn Adolph

The food on Washington State Ferries is set to change.

Today a court injunction expires; that frees Washington State Ferries to sign a new contract with Centerplate of Connecticut.

TRANSCRIPT

Ferry food: love it or hate it, if you're on a ferry, it's what you're going to eat. And it looks like that menu is going to change.

Olympic Cascade, the longtime local provider for WSF, has lost its contract to an out-of-state bidder, despite holding out hope that the governor might intervene.

Centerplate said it will set up operations where the Olympic Cascade's current base is in Bremerton.

Nove Meyers is the president of Olympic Cascade.

Meyers: “What we’re saying is our proposal is the best of those that you have. And we’re local. And we’ve got history.”

Olympic Cascade’s Susan Meyers said thousands of people had signed a petition to ask the state to reconsider.

Susan Meyers: “The relationships that we’ve had have been very, very positive. We’re truly surprised by this.”

But Washington State Ferries said it judged Centerplate’s bid was better. It’s the company that also serves the fancy hot dogs at Safeco Field.

A spokesman said WSF must get the best value for taxpayers.

It's not clear what will happen to the hundred or so workers at Olympic Cascade.

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