This Black-owned family bakery exists to improve its Western New York community.
According to WKBW-7 TV, Radah Baked Goods Founders Lavenia and Lee Thomas have been leading the sweet shop for nearly four years and most recently moved to a new location at 247 Amherst Street in Buffalo, NY. Their shop offers brownies and cupcakes for $3.50, cookies for $2.50, and three-layer cakes for $50.
The owners say the price point is intentional as they set out to provide affordable goods.
“We didn’t want to be too extensive with our pricing,” Lavenia explained to the outlet. “The point of it is to give back to the community. We’re not trying to take from it.”
What’s more, the bakery shop is making even further strides investing in its community by offering decorating classes as well as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs in collaboration with Say Yes Buffalo.
“We do cupcake decorating classes,” Lee told WKBW-7 TV. “STEM programs for education program like ‘SAY YES Buffalo,’ BestSelf throughout Western New York.”
Its website shares that the Say Yes Buffalo partnership was created to make education and workforce participation more accessible to students in Buffalo. Partners include parents, Buffalo Public School District, Buffalo Teachers Federation, Buffalo Association of Administrators and Supervisors, City of Buffalo, Say Yes to Education Inc., and more.
Looking ahead, the founders hope to continue to scale their efforts and their business. They have joined Erie County Legislator April Baskin’s program “Level Up,” which was created to assist disadvantaged business-owners by helping them obtain a Minority-and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) certification and get involved in bidding on government contracts, according to the program’s website.
Lee says the two hope their participation in the program will bring them one step closer to their goal of doing business with the Buffalo Bills stadium.
“[We’re working on things] such as capability statements negotiating contracts with larger corporations,” Lee explained to WKBW-7 TV. “And now we’re at ECC every Monday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. serving South Towns. So it’s a program to showcase our talents and hopefully one day get into the new Bills stadium.”
