Tom Cullen came back to Cattaraugus County from Chicago six years ago with the goal of helping support startup companies and revitalizing the area's business communities.
That is where RocketCup Coffee Co. comes in.
Cullen opened the coffee shop and café in the Village of Cattaraugus a year ago, and it has turned into a centerpiece for other local business owners, artists and teachers in the community.
Five other businesses have opened their doors in the business district of the village of 1,000 people since RocketCup Coffee came to town a year ago.
A roastery and speakeasy have since been added to the location, helping create more of a destination in the village.
Cullen has teamed with MacKenzie Bush, also a partner in the Laine Business Accelerator Program in Olean, and Steve McClain, director of corporate sales at Cutco Corp., to start the mission-driven company focused on the revitalization of communities such as Cattaraugus.
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"Through that mission, we were able to open this café, and now that revitalization is happening here, which is huge," said Cullen, the founding director of the St. Bonaventure University Entrepreneurship Center and an entrepreneur himself who has bought and sold companies.
"Are we the only reason? No. But we're one of them. It's a catalyst."
Cullen is banking on people's love for coffee and the uniqueness of the establishment to make it a place that attracts people from not only Western New York, but also beyond the area.
"We think this town has the potential to be a destination for a lot of people," he said.
RocketCup Coffee earlier this month added a roastery and speakeasy to the Cattaraugus location.
It is where customers can roast coffee and create and name their own personal blend. It is packaged and finished using an exclusive label. Coffee tastings and tours are also being offered. The speakeasy serves craft cocktails and beers and specialty coffee drinks, like an espresso martini.
Additionally, the establishment serves breakfast sandwiches, flatbreads, and other small bites and beverages.
RocketCup Coffee has also partnered with a rail bike company to help with the tourism aspect around the village.
"There aren't a lot of places where you can do coffee tastings and can go roast coffee and get to experience that, so we pride ourselves on that," said Cullen, who recently opened a second RocketCup Coffee café in Olean.
Cullen didn't start drinking coffee until age 30, but quickly discovered while living in Chicago a variety of different blends that he enjoyed. It inspired his taste for specialty coffee, which is served at RocketCup Coffee, using blends from Brazil, Colombia and Honduras. It costs a little more than regular coffee, but customers are seeing the value, kind of like with the craft beer movement, Cullen said.
Bush said when they started the company, which stemmed from an idea a student had in an entrepreneurship class at St. Bonaventure, they were selling business to business, like to bake shops, co-working spaces and boutiques. The idea for a coffee shop and café came next, and the Cattaraugus location was first opened Oct. 21, 2023.
"As we were going, we thought that we needed a headquarters, somewhere we can package coffee and have a café, where people could come to visit," said Bush, who got to know Cullen while attending St. Bonaventure and through both having a long family history at the Bank of Cattaraugus.
"Then we thought, 'What if we open a roastery and make this an experience where people come from Buffalo and, one day, from all over the world?'"
They'd like to one day see more of the company's profits go back into the community through a grant program benefitting local businesses.
PostProcess Technologies lands new partnerships
PostProcess Technologies is expanding its reseller network in Europe and Asia with several new partnerships.
The Buffalo-headquartered startup, which delivers automated post-printing solutions for 3D printing, has partnered with Izit and Altair Consulting in Europe, Laser Lines in the UK, and Monotech Systems Limited and AAM Co. in Asia.
These new collaborations broaden PostProcess' global footprint to 22 international resellers covering 43 countries. Each partner brings unique capabilities to drive localized approaches in their respective 3D printing markets, the company said. It already works with 500-plus customers in North America and the European Union.
Izit, based in Croatia, specializes in 3D printing and rapid prototyping with Stratasys and Ultimaker. Altair, based in Switzerland, provides 3D printers that deliver high levels of detail, specifically for the watch and jewelry industries. Laser Lines, one of the UK's leading suppliers of 3D printers and laser processing solutions, represents more than 20 technology suppliers. Monotech is a manufacturer for the printing and packaging industry in India. AAM, a player in South Korea's 3D printing sector, produces prototypes and manufacturing tools for various domestic industries.
Welcome to Buffalo Next. This newsletter from The Buffalo News brings you the latest coverage on the changing Buffalo Niagara economy - from real estate to health care to startups. Read more at BuffaloNext.com.
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ICYMI
Five reads from Buffalo Next:
1. The food industry across Western New York has a growing hunger for additional workers.
2. The construction of the new Buffalo Bills stadium is reaching new heights.
3. Hiring picked up during September, but the region's job market still is stuck in the doldrums.
4. Cannabis growers have gone through the highs and lows of the legal cannabis market.
5. An East Side business accelerator looks for ways to just get things done.
The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the region's economic revitalization. Email tips to [email protected] or reach Buffalo Next Editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435.
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