It likely will be late this year or early next year before the company handling concessions at the new Buffalo Bills stadium starts bringing on local vendors ahead of its opening for the 2026 season.
Concessions operator Legends wants to have its major hires in place for running the food and beverage and retail programs at the new stadium before it brings aboard local and diverse vendors, a Bills official said Monday.
Many of those hires will be made during the remainder of the year, and it won’t be until after that when Legends focuses on these local vendors as part of meeting the goals of the community benefits agreement, according to Penny Semaia, Bills vice president for new stadium relations.
A timeline has been established through next year for when Legends will have some of the major hires in place. The company has yet to make any of these hires, though it is getting closer to bringing on an executive chef, general manager and controller at the new stadium.
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Semaia said Legends is still on time, even as the new stadium is now only a year away from substantial completion and preparation beginning in earnest for the 2026 NFL season.
The hospitality and consulting company is significantly involved in the construction and post-construction of the new stadium. The company will run sales and merchandise and the food and beverage programs at the venue, taking over for longtime Bills concessionaire Delaware North.
“Where we are right now with the timeline is industry standard,” Semaia said at Monday's meeting of the Community Benefits Oversight Committee. “With Legends coming on board, we want to make sure the leadership is in place for those important hirings and those contracts with vendors.”
Legends will be expected to implement initiatives maximizing participation of local, small and disadvantaged businesses in maintenance and concessions at the $2.1 billion stadium in Orchard Park. It is part of the deal reached in the CBA, tied to $850 million of public funds going into the construction of the stadium.
Members of the Community Benefits Oversight Committee are anxious to get the process going so not to repeat the slow start it experienced with the process for reporting construction employment figures that are needed to determine if the project is on path to meet worker and diversity goals.
“I don’t want us to miss a moment of time in which we are in the community and in touch with vendors and encouraging them to respond,” said committee member Maria Whyte, chief community impact officer and chief of staff for the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. "Knowing when to expect that is important so that we can support that effort.”
Of the retailers, vendors and service companies used in new stadium maintenance and operation, 30% are to be minority- and women-owned business entities and 6% must be service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.
Legends also is expected to purchase 30% of its food products used at the new stadium from MWBE-certified food service companies. And preference should be given to food and beverage items for sale at the new stadium produced and manufactured in New York. Legends also will be required to administer food and beverage service mentorship programs for MWBE firms.
Semaia said Legends is still developing the process of how and when these opportunities are to be presented for local vendors. He said it will likely be like the construction process, where outreach is conducted in the community before any local vendors are brought on.
Community Benefits Oversight Committee
Penny Semaia, vice president of stadium relations for the Bills, and Maria Whyte, chief of staff at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, listen to discussion during Monday's meeting of the Community Benefits Oversight Committee. Mike Petro/Buffalo News
Most recently, Legends posted jobs for director of sales and director of human resources.
Starting in July, Legends anticipates focusing on hiring for other key roles like assistant general manager, director of local eats, information technology manager, director of purchasing, catering managers, human resources and payroll positions, an executive sous chef and several tour-related positions.
By the final quarter of this year, Legends expects to begin interviews for employee engagement, beverage, suites, club and event manager positions, along with sous chefs and other managers.
At the start of next year, Legends will make additional hires for other open roles as it ramps up during a six-month time frame before the stadium opens.
Public hearing set to review CBA funding
A public hearing on the annual team spending on community initiatives and a chance for residents to chime in on local needs will take place Sept. 25.
As part of the CBA, the team agreed to make at least $3 million in annual fund allocations for community initiatives over 33 years. That includes the approximately three years of stadium construction and the 30-year lease period, starting in 2026. The annual report on the latest community spending will be out July 29.
Whyte asked that the Bills present a more thorough breakdown of their community contributions, including what was paid out in cash and what was in-kind services and donations.
Last year, the Bills said they spent $3.69 million into community initiatives over the first year of the CBA, but did not go into great detail on much of that spending.
Big response by local artists
There was a big response to the call for artist works as part of the public arts program meant to show off local talent at the new stadium.
The Bills received triple the submissions they were expecting. Time Collector, the consultant working with the team on the project, said it is one of the most robust responses it has ever seen after working with a number of NFL teams on similar programs, Semaia said.
There is no timeline for when artist works and pieces will be selected.
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