Now everything at Off the Wall really is for sale...
Five years ago, an usual restaurant opened on Elmwood Avenue. The business was one of the first articles we ever published... in a little publication called Explore the Elmwood/Allentown District Magazine. The premise was simple. Enjoy your meal and shop around the restaurant for non-edible items to take home with you. The tables were for sale... and so were the clocks on the wall. Off the wall is still open for business, though owners, Cherie & Brandon Chase, have decided to put the business up for sale to all interested parties. Brandon has decided to move over to the family business and is looking for someone to take the reins.
The lunch, brunch, and dinner eatery that doubles as a cocktail lounge on weekends comes as a package deal with the building (includes four apartments - two studios a one-bedroom and a two-bedroom). The storefront/dining room boasts excellent views onto Elmwood, a front patio, new kitchen, some pretty cool furniture and a private back party room. In recent years Brandon and Cherie have realized that raising their young children, Kyan Luca & Iris Love, takes more time and the restaurant business with a built-in music scene can be a bit too time-consuming when trying to raise a family at the same time. If anyone is interested in purchasing the whole enchilada, or is in need of additional information, please email brandon@offthewallonline.com.
Off the Wall 534 Elmwood Ave. Buffalo, NY 14222
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leonwestbrook
I hope the new owners continue the great music over there. That place was responsible for introducing Elmwood to me when I first came here for school two years ago.
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Andrew
i've been there for lunch. very unique, i like it
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jennimi
I've really enjoyed the lounge and dj feel at night and have always felt welcome at Off the Wall. As long as I can recall that spot has struggled, yet the building and location are ideal. Have to agree with leonwestbrook's comment. Let's hope the music stays. That is a beautiful room up in front. Good luck to the owners, old and new, and thanks for the hospitality.
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sally
yet another business failure on Elmwood
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AtwaterLouse
Speaking of the biggest thing ever... has anyone heard any recent updates on -
- Sahara Grill? (a sign outside it said remodeling for new ownership, but that was while ago)
- Elmwood Bagel/Sandwich? (haven't heard anything about that since they closed)
- NW Record? (last rumor I saw on BR was Spot and Brodo might split the space?)
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Andrew
Sally can you read? "Brandon has decided to move over to the family business and is looking for someone to take the reigns. "
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Andrew
And what is your beef w/ the district anyway?
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LittleSis
Best wishes Brandon and Cherie- we will miss your presence.
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Frankster
That's "reins." "Reigns" means a monarch's rule.
Sally evidently hasn't noticed that businesses coming and going is how capitalism works, whether the address is Elmwood Avenue or Niagara Falls Boulevard.
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DanielSack
Sally,
I have lived one-half block from Elmwood for 31 years. In the very successful business district closest to me (between Ferry and Lafayette) not one business is the same now as it was in 1976 (M&T is still there but moved one block south).
Businesses open, close, and move. Get used to it.
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becker
Capitalism is an outdated institution. Socialism is a more efficient and equitable system with fewer casualties.
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sally
When the going far outnumber the coming as in Elmwood there is a problem... you can choose to ignore it if you wish but come back in 10 years and you will see a heavily diminished Elmwood... unless the decline is nipped now!
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BfloHighRise
What happened to the Medina Deli at the corner of Main & North St? It was open for like only 3 weeks.
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BfloHighRise
What happened to the Medina Deli at the corner of Main & North St? It was only open for like 3 weeks.
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jerkface
Sally, get a life. I'll bet you a 'high five' that Elmwood is equally as vibrant in 10 yrs.
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GoldenLark
I was treated so poorly the one time I went there I never returned, but I thought the concept was great. I hope whoever takes over the business will continue with the theme.
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hippiegrrl
i'm not really sure why there is always a nay-sayer on the threads when it comes to elmwood avenue. someone who just KNOWS that in 10 or 15 or 100 years elmwood will be in decline.
the thing that strikes me is that elmwood has been in a steady climb since the late 80's/early 90's.
i've said it before and i'll say it again - when i started at buff state (in 1992) elmwood was a pretty dreary and dismal place. our orientation tour leaders only took us as far as delavan on the strip and the said "there isn't really anything past this point that is worth going to". ofcourse - that wasn't exactly true because the co-op was down further (on lexington) and allen was a thiving art/bar/gay community, but i understood what they meant.
in 1992 if you hoped in a car and travelled down elmwood there were not NEARLY as many things happening between delavan and allen as there are now. yes - businesses come and go and sometimes it takes a while to get a new tenant in (especially due to the exponential increase in rent over the years on elmwood - rents used to be under $1000/month and now they are pushing anywhere from $2000-$4000) but that is the nature of evolving.
if everyone could just stay positive and do their part to make the neighbourhood great, it will be. it's really as simple as that.
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zen
"elmwood was a pretty dreary and dismal place. " wtf are you talking abt? It's a matter of perception of course, but Elmwood-in the 40 yrs I've been around- has always had the same vibrancy, different names on the signs but the businesses have always been eclectic.
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Digginit
Sally - when I opened Diggin' it! in 1999 there were only 4 Businesses in the block of Elmwood between Auburn abd Lafayette Avenues. They were: Circular Word bookstore, The Scoop Shop consignment shop, May Jen Chinese restaurant and Red Room Gallery/Lounge. When I closed in January 2007 I believe there were about 23 businesses in that block alone. There might be a few more now.
I closed for the same family reasons that you do not want to believe. It is very difficult to run a retail store (even harder for the restaurant bus.) and give every hour to it that is needed, when you have a family with small children. My Kids needed to see a real live mom everyday versus hearing me on the telephone asking how their day was. I came home after they went to bed during the most of the spring and summer as well as the Christmas season. I am sure that Brandon and Cherie have struggled with this decision.
Sally - this is NOT a failure. It is their time to move on with the next chapter of their lives (and I wish them the very best). They created an awesome business on Elmwood. Obviously they did something "right" as you were interested enough to read the post about them, right?
Kudos to Brandon and Cherie for giving it so much effort for as many years as they did!
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DJB
Sally, Elmwood is on the decline? Is that why the rents are higher than any other retail location in the city? The idea that Elmwood is on the decline because there is turnover is ridiculous and uninformed. There are many reasons for turnover in any location, including those mentioned in the article, poor management, and, in New World Record's case; seeking lower rent. New businesses will take over these spaces and Elmwood will be MORE vibrant and economically viable in 10 years. My business has a location right in the heart of Elmwood and we couldn't be happier with it.
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Spaulding97
Sally, did you try to open a store named "Schmuck" and it failed? Is that why you're so jaded?
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JamesEverlawn
Christine the yum lady would laugh but the reason why thois place is failing is because the food is only really good sometimes. Its very inconsistant. Lots of times it is badt and the waitresses always seem like t hey'd rather be somewhere else and have lead in their shoes, the really young one is so slow. I just can't spend $60 on bruch with my family and know that I'll be there for two hours and the food won't be good. I keep going and hoping that it will be good, but I'm mostly disappointed. They could be one of the best on t he street if tey could deal with the kitchen and serviceproblems.
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Dakovich
good luck to the owners on their next adventure. the place was a really cool concept....now, that being said, our trips to O.T.W were not good. food was never very good and for what you got it was overpriced. after a couple visits it was scratched from our list of places to visit. but, it was a cool place and we wish the owners all the luck in the world on ther next venture.
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al-alo
i have to agree with the preceeding comments. i only had been there once, so understand my views are only based on that visit. but i found the food to be underwhelming and overpriced. never went back since i dont have that kind of dough to throw at inconsistancy.
as far as elmwood as a whole goes. its hard to really tell if the "elmwood business model" is itself a marginal enterprise because of the nature of local ownership - was the business a failure due to poor marketing, absent planning, or family issues, overpriced rents or something else? impossible to tell. a better barometer may be the "chain" locations like starbucks, BK, wilson farms, etc. there is very little change over in these buinesses. most have/had been there for many years, if not decades.
that said, and this may exist already, workshops on small business development and orientation to the neighborhood for prosepective businesses may be a worthwhile pursuit for the EVA.
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al-alo
BfloHighRise,
saddly, medina suffered from a number of shortcomings. i have to say i wasnt shocked at its close.
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comptart_lws
Hey Sally — I've often wondered if you keep track of turnover at the malls. I don't go to them all that much but, recall from when I did, that smaller merchants were constantly changing over. Not the anchors so much, of course. You really like collecting data as I recall. Perhaps you could enlighten us with a 10 year study of tenant history at Galleria and Blvd malls?
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