Ellicott Commons Secures First Commercial Tenant
The Ellicott Commons, Rocco Termini’s newest addition to his ever-growing Ellicott Street project, have signed their first commercial tenant. Advantage Retail, a first of its kind retail technology store, will provide hardware and software solutions to Buffalo restaurants, bars and cafes.
“It’s an all-in-one store for anyone in the POS market,” said owner Paul Tsouflidis, long involved in Buffalo’s business community, who also helped co-found Washington Market.
Tsouflidis has been selling his software, Amigo POS, online to resellers across the U.S. and Canada. The new store is Tsouflidis’ attempt to launch the software in Buffalo and help local start-ups get off the ground.
“I’m giving an option to people who need a more economical choice,” Tsouflidis said of his do-it-yourself technology systems. By getting their system from Advantage Retail and installing it themselves, business owners can save thousands of dollars in overhead. It’s another positive step toward developing businesses in Buffalo, particularly downtown.
“It’s a good tool for owners to come into the store, demo the program – even enter their menu – and see it all before they buy it,” Tsouflidis said.
The store will have exclusive rights not just to Amigo POS, but also to Dell POS, POS-x, and motion computing software. Anything related to the hospitality industry will be found in the store, which will serve as a showroom to clients, including doctors from the nearby medical campus.
Tsouflidis noted the proximiity to Buffalo's huge medical sector as one reason behind his choice to move into the Ellicott Street storefront. Another reason is his desire to be in our revitalized downtown - he was one of the first tenants of the Ellicott Lofts complex - and his strong relationship with landlord Rocco Termini.
“Rocco has always been a motivator for me,” Tsouflidis said. “He takes risks with small, high-tech companies and they keep growing.”
Indeed, Advantage Retail joins the expanding Vaspian as yet another high-tech business in Termini's developing neighborhood. Look for Advantage Retail to open mid-December.
Photo: Rendering of the new Ellicott Commons project on Ellicott Street.
In a way, this type of development news is just as meaningful to downtown's revitalization as a 40+ glass tower. Why? B/c small, tangible development adds up to create neighborhoods, districts, momentum, exposure, tax revenue and traffic for downtown.
This area of the city...with companies like Vaspian and Advantage Retail joining the mix, is not a vision, concept or promise...its happening before our eyes. THAT....is a-typical for Buffalo and we need more of it.
I pointed to that in my one "tower" post.
The tower when added to all these other smaller happenings hold great promise for long term sustainable growth and a vibrant DT....
This is nice but I don't understand the sketch - I thought there was a space between two of the buildings with a gated patio space between. Can't see that here. And, yes, this is great news.
The rendering above is what was originally proposed there. It has been slightly changed, i.e. the new buildings are three stories not four, and there is the a 'courtyard' in the new addition currently UC.
jefferson - washington market is at far right, with green awning. three buildings to the left are all new construction - one complete, and two under construction. ellicott commons is at far left - it's half the height of the 4 mixed use bldgs. so the enclosed patio exists just beyond the left edge of the sketch.