I remember when that was a shovel ready parking lot =) It is awesome to see a building built up to the corner there with a service buisness on the ground floor.

Perfect, more donuts for a dangerously underweight population.

While it's just one store... it's interesting to consider the ramifications of more franchises entering the mix in the city. To this point, even the more viable commercial strips have few franchises. While the sentiment on this site, I imagine, would be to support the locally owned store, it may be more important what it might do to retail rents in the city. On the other hand... maybe it's too soon for a Starbucks to move into someplace like Graniteworks. But why would the landlord for NEO want significantly more, unless they felt the space was being significantly under utilized? It will be interesting to watch over the next few years.

I went there for an ice coffee today its a pretty small store. i didnt realize it was there frist day in business. there was a line durring lunch tho

Hopefully this store gets the standard accompanying Baskin Robbins to fill out more of the retail space in the building...and provide me with yummy yummy ice cream during the day :)

I love the BR ice cream, but while you're waiting don't forget about Melanie's Sweets just a couple doors down on Main St. next to Sue's for your ice cream fix.

We need a mighty taco downtown and on elmwood and a cold stone creamery in both locations as well. both of these places are in high enough demand that people will make a special trip for them so it will force more foot and vehical traffic into these locations which will result in more retail and so on and so forth. plus they are good eats!

Hell, while were at it, when are they going to expand Duff's to downtown? The Anchor Bar is a tourist trap and most outsiders don't know enough to get their real Buffalo wing experience at Gabriels Gate. It would be a gold mine for cripes sake!

Was riding to the bank this morning when I rode up to dunkins...called Newell who was also on a bike..."Wow, another dunkins in the City - just like at the Sonic Cafe across from Artspace - you should check it out!!!

Thought I saw Newell inhaling his third chocolate glazed with sprinkles, when I rode by again...

Does this mean that a Timmy Ho's is gonna open up close by?

Is there a Timmy Ho's downtown? There should be!

gaustad,

There are Tim Horton's outlets in Key Tower and HSBC Center. The HSBC one's been open about a year and the Key Tower location for about six months.

That is an award-winning photo!

Cosentino.... as in the Cosentino who fell behind on $500k in hotel taxes??? That Cosentino!! Businesses is business, its small things like Dunkin doughnuts that we doon't have in the city that limit the quality of life, welcome.

I agree with Left Coast re Trader Joe's - I miss them! - but Pittsburgh and Cleveland are at least twice the size of Buffalo. At least I can get my DD french vanilla coffee fix before work now!

Oh nice another franchise.. to compete with spot coffee.. and perfect location right across from corporate TGI Fridays and down the street from Tim Hortons.. There are very few chain restaurants in this city... because we are blessed with amazing restaurants locally owned.. Lets keep it that way before all our money is going out of state. I agree there should be a mighty taco, but keep duffs in the suburbs if you want real wings go to Gabreils gate (allen), Charlie O'Briens's (elk street), and O'Daniel's (abbott rd.) Your not going to find no Olive Garden or Maggianos Littly italy when you have the Mulberry Cafe (bethlehem steel park), Chefs (seneca St), Ilio Diapolos (south Park) Or a Famous Daves, or an Applebees when you have Fat Bobs (virgina pl), buffalo bbq and brew (elmwood), colter bay (allen), Jimmy Macs (elmwood) Or Chilis, when you have places like Cozumel (elmwood), El Caporal (union rd) Not to mention Mothers, Empire Grill, Toro, EB Greens, Scoth And Sirloin, Kennedys Cove, Stillwater, etc. Theres a ton more than fall into all of these categories.. Point is support yoru local economy... Get your coffee from Spot and keep money in WNY.

^^ just becaues a brand didint start in the b-lo doesnt mean the money doesnt stay here. you only pay a franchise fee one time then the owner (a local) keeps the profits (usually). plus it wouldnt hurt to have a few more franchises in the city to fill in some of the holes. who is to say we cant have dunkin and spot... a little competition? i just desperately want a nice national clothing retailer (gap? banana republic?) to move into downtown because i think after the first one a tidal wave will follow.

Regardless of the business, having an occupied retail store front on such an important corner of downtown is the true victory. It is essential to tie the Theater and Chippewa Districts together more firmly so that people can easily hop back and forth. With a half of a block of empty storefronts and blank walls, that just cannot happen. Now with that highly visible corner generating attention, a continuity can form along Main and Chippewa Streets.

The benefit of having a national retail chain (Dunkin' Donuts) on that corner is the visibilty - thus draw - that it will have among people in that section of downtown - especially with visitors less familiar with existing local businesses. Although I don't see a flurry of new growth heading to downtown as a result of Dunkin' Donuts, I do see that corner (and adjacent storefronts) becoming more desirable for other retail opportunities because of the increased attention. Although it is nice to have two Tim Horton's downtown, its is a shame that they are set up like exclusive kiosks inside office buildings. As a result little benefit will be felt on the street level or to people not employed in those businesses. It's not exactly easy to run up into the HSBC Center for a quick cup of joe.