BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Larry Stitts, co-owner of Golden Cup Coffee, has been running this coffee shop with his wife for more than a decade.
"Golden Cup is a passion of mine," Stitts said. "We're dedicated to the community. We're here to serve the community, and we would want to be anywhere else but here on the East Side, Jefferson Avenue."
His business is one of the many benefiting from the Buffalo Bills Community Benefits Agreement. It’s a legally binding agreement that the community at large will benefit from stadium construction. The goal is for the community to receive at least a $3 million investment each year.
The Buffalo Bills released its first of many CBA reports Monday.
"This first year, the goal was $3 million, and we were able to accomplish $3.6 million," Penny Semaia, VP of Stadium relations, said.
He said the invested money is divided into three pillars:
- community and civic programs
- economic development
- youth & education
"We're excited because there's the history of what we've continued to do, and then also potential opportunities for more to come to help continue to grow Western New York," Semaia said.
Because of this agreement, Golden Cup Coffee was able to participate in the Erie County Level Up Program created in partnership with the county and Legislature Chairwoman April Baskin. Level Up is a wraparound service initiative for business owners who come from disadvantaged backgrounds within Erie County.
Stitts participated in the Taste of Diversity program, a six-week pilot, training five restaurants to work in a fast-paced kitchen in a stadium-like concession setting.
"There were five companies that participated out at ECC for six weeks, and they were checking us out to see how we operated and it was a very successful project," Stitts said.
He said hopes that one day his coffee shop can serve in the new stadium.
"Because we in it from the start, and we want to see what's going to happen at the finish," he said.
FeedMore WNY Chief Communications Officer Collin Bishop said the CBA further strengthens the partnership between the organization and the Bills, especially through community food drives throughout the year.
"We need more ways and more partners like the bills to continue to do the work we do," Bishop said. "I think the CBA is going to continue to build on the longstanding relationship that we have with the Bills and the Bills Foundation continue to do great work in the community and support FeedMore Western New York and all of our needs."
Baskin shared the following statement with 7 News about the CBA report:
I advocated for the Community Benefits Agreement to be included in the new Buffalo Bills stadium lease to ensure that Erie County residents would see a return on the $850 million investment they were making to his project. I am happy to see that the Buffalo Bills have invested $3.6 million back into our community for various causes in the 1st year of this 33 year agreement. I want to thank the Buffalo Bills for their tireless work in making sure we are hitting our MBE and workforce participation goals on the stadium’s construction and supporting local disadvantaged business owners, youth sports, and social justice initiatives in the community. Going forward, I look forward to a much more inclusive process with public participation so the community can help shape how and where these funds are spent for the next 30+ years.
