Buffalo’s waterfront scene is getting another big boost. The owners of Midtown Kitchen on Elmwood Avenue have made a bid to open a beach club style venue at 301 Ohio Street, inside Ellicott Development’s newest waterfront destination. Buffalo Beach Club will be a mostly seasonal enterprise with 600 feet of dock space, a boardwalk, sand and lounge chairs, and beach games, in a cabana-esque setting.
Co-owner Charlie Barone said that they are taking over half of the first floor, and he understands that a second year-round restaurant operation is in the process of signing off on the other half of the building. Buffalo Beach Club will offer up a waterfront vibe for people who want to sit in the sun with board shorts and bikinis, while digging into a bucket of Coronas. “When I lived in Chicago,” said Charlie. “I though nothing of walking out of my house in a bathing suit to go to a pool. The club is going to have water features like water spouts, and beach games like badminton, and human beer pong. This is going to be a bigger project – people aren’t going to believe what they see. There’s nothing like it around.”
Charlie told me that the group was inspired by other waterfront developments in the area, such as RiverWorks. He feels that there will soon be a critical mass, and the Buffalo River will be the ultimate waterfront destination in WNY. There will be an indoor-outdoor bar with floor to ceiling glass for incredible views. The food will be more casual – something that you might find at a beach bar or by the pool. People will be able to enjoy some sun and sand, and live music, while watching all of the boating activity on the lake.
“This area is evolving,” said Charlie. “We’re trying to create something completely different – something that really says that you’re on the water. This is going to be the closest thing to having a boat or a pool – everyone is going to feel like it’s their own private beach club. It’s going to be a fun summertime adult playground.”
Once the summer season is over, Buffalo Beach Club will not shut down entirely. Instead, the owners will host private events, but it will not be open to the public on a regular basis.