While Western New York has seen a rise in national restaurant chains among the suburbs, downtown Buffalo's restaurant scene remains rich in locally-owned establishments, some of which are rediscovering the city after a few years away.
Sure, you can find a fast food burger in some Buffalo neighborhoods. But local business leaders say when folks are heading downtown to eat, they're looking for truly local flavor.
"I think the people that work in downtown Buffalo, they like good food," said Buffalo Place executive director Michael Schmand. "And now you're having people that are coming to vacation and coming back to Buffalo. Take a look at all the hotels that are going up. We have an opportunity to feed the masses that are coming up from across the country back into Buffalo. They get an opportunity to taste original Buffalo food. It's all good."
Schmand spoke with WBFO in advance of the planned ribbon-cutting Monday of a new Ted's Hot Dogs location in downtown Buffalo, on West Chippewa near Elmwood, not far from some of those hotels and from the Chippewa bar and entertainment district. It's the first business presence in Buffalo for the local hot dog chain, founded in 1927, since it moved out of the city in 1998.
Longtime eateries such as Chef's have remained downtown, of course. Charlie the Butcher has operated out of the Ellicott Square Building for years. Schmand also gave credit to Bijou Grille, which has remained in business in Buffalo's Theater District even during the neighborhood's slowest, depressed times over the past few years - even a Burger King restaurant pulled out of the neighborhood.
There are also numerous new eateries popping up in the Ellicott neighborhood and, of course, the 716 restaurant and sports bar which is part of HarborCenter.
All of these businesses, Schmand hopes, will enjoy more customers that Buffalo Place is trying to lure downtown for holiday shopping.
"And it's more of an incentive for retailers to take another look at downtown Buffalo and decide that maybe it's time to come back down and recreate what used to be here."
