After spending millions of dollars and traveling through the city's complicated development approval process, Dash's Market opened its new store at Hertel and Starin avenues Wednesday morning. When owner Joe Dash was pushing the project a year ago, he listed the cost as $13 million. The final price tag is believed to be higher.
Dash was joined by local officials in cutting the ribbon for the new store just before it opened to the public at 8 a.m.
The two-story building is more than double the size as the previous store. It includes full-service meat, cheese, and seafood counters, a greater emphasis on prepared foods, and both indoor and outdoor seating areas.
"I like the different varities they have now with the coffee and the desserts and the sandwiches and subs. I like the new additions they've put in the store," said shopper Jim McNicholas.
The store was crowded throughout the day, with the new parking lot filled, along with surrounding streets.
"Parking was an issue today. I suggested that they get valet parking," laughed shopper John Hafey.
To make the expansion possible, Dash's bought two adjacent buildings, knocked them down, and then demolished the former store and replaced everything with the much larger store and parking lot. The new lot is heavily landscaped and marked off by a large stone wall
"It's amazing. I took pictures of everything," said Fran, another shopper, who came all the way from the Town of Boston.
For North Buffalo shoppers, Dash's will compete with the Lexington Co-Op, which opened its second location on the next block in the summer of 2017.
To mark the opening, Dash's was offering some items at the same price they were in 1971, when the original store opened.
WBFO's Omar Fetouh contributed to this report.