Tampa General Hospital Celebrates Grand Opening of Coffee Uniting People Location in TGH Outpatient Center

This partnership provides individuals with disabilities meaningful employment opportunities within the hospital setting, fostering independence and a more inclusive community.

Tampa, FL (Nov. 19, 2025) – Tampa General Hospital (TGH) today celebrated the grand opening of a new Coffee Uniting People (CUP) location at the TGH Outpatient Center in Brandon. CUP is a Tampa-based nonprofit that hires people with and without disabilities to work together in an inclusive café workplace. This partnership with Tampa General will mark CUP’s fifth Tampa Bay area location.

“This partnership is an embodiment of Tampa General’s commitment to giving back to our community and leading with authenticity, kindness and inclusivity,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General. “With the opening of our CUP café, we are supporting a truly impactful local business, creating new employment opportunities and also enhancing the experience for our patients – a testament to our belief that a united community is a healthier and stronger community.”

CUP’s mission is to help individuals with disabilities, often intellectual or developmental, become employed and, in turn, more independent. This mission is deeply rooted in the personal experiences of CUP’s founders, Laura and Greg Jones. After seeing the limited job prospects and social isolation faced by adults with disabilities after aging out of youth programs—a challenge exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic—the Joneses conceived CUP. In this nonprofit coffee shop, people with and without disabilities work side by side, providing vital employment opportunities and fostering community.

Earlier this year, Tampa General’s immediate past board chairman, Phil Dingle, introduced the Tampa General team to CUP and proposed the idea of a CUP location in a Tampa General facility. From there, Marion Dawkins, senior vice president of ambulatory operations for the academic health system, met with CUP to see if the café might be a fit for the Outpatient Center and continued working closely with them to bring the partnership to life.

“CUP is truly the perfect fit for our TGH Outpatient Center,” said Adam Smith, executive vice president and chief ambulatory care officer at Tampa General. “Their mission aligns seamlessly with our own, to provide compassionate care and create a welcoming, supportive environment.”

With the opening of their new location at the TGH Outpatient Center in Brandon, CUP currently employs more than 60 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in inclusive workplaces.

“We are incredibly grateful to Tampa General for embracing our mission and providing the opportunity to expand CUP into their facilities,” said Gregory Jones, president, founder and executive director of CUP. “In addition to standing as a powerful example of what inclusive employment can achieve, our new location at the TGH Outpatient Center will expand our reach and continue proving that everyone deserves to be recognized as integral and vital contributors to the workforce.”

Tampa General and CUP co-hosted a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony at the TGH Outpatient Center on Nov. 19. The café is now open to patients and visitors at the TGH Outpatient Center at 10740 Palm River Rd. in Brandon, Florida.