It didn't take long to find some interest in the Jimmy Mac's location. Mark Wadams, a Chicago restaurateur and native Buffalonian has decided to open up something totally new and different to the WNY area. "I've lived in Miami, LA, Chicago and currently reside in Manhattan. I want to bring a concept to this city that has worked in bigger metropolitan areas... and I've wanted to do something in Buffalo for quite some time. This is the perfect location, and after we get done with the interior we'll have... let's just say the restaurant is getting a facelift."
I walked around the former Jimmy Mac's interior earlier today as Mark pointed out some of the 1st Phase renovation steps. "We're blowing out a good part of the wall that divides the two rooms on the first floor. I think by opening it up the expanded space will become more workable and customer friendly. Then we're taking out the back booths to open that area to a standing crowd. There's a back wall that I want to change by putting in wood slat dividers... so the light comes through. I'm going over the lighting plan right now (see photo) and Phase 1 is coming together. We'll be ready to announce the rest of the phases at a later date... and those plans might change depending on how the business takes off."
I asked Mark what sort of culinary plans were ahead and he answered, "We're going to cater to a wide group of people. This restaurant will serve lunches and dinners (until 4am), and we'll have an extensive Saturday and Sunday brunch menu... we'll be closed very few hours during the week. My business partner comes from three generations of cooking his family's traditional Mexican meals. Built around that traditional Mexican we will introduce sushi, gourmet burgers, and we'll have vegan choices too. That does not mean that the menu will be overwhelming... we've been running restaurants for a while now and want to bring those concepts here. We also want this to be the type of restaurant where everyone that comes in leaves happy, full and satisfied. I've got a lot of bartending experience and already have relationships with vineyards."
Not only will Buffalo see some different food selections coming, Mark plans on bringing in some other concepts as well. Like i-Pod night... that's when a customer can come in and be a DJ for a few songs. Mark knows his music, but feels that his customers will want to add to the scene. "My fiancé, Stefane, is the co-creator of the restaurant," he added. "She's my other half and I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without her. I still have a big family here too. And they are really happy that I'm opening this (name yet to be announced) business. Plus, our motto in Chicago is that our customers are our family." That sounds like he already brought some of his Buffalo roots to the windy city... now Mark will be bringing some of what he has learned back to the City of Trees... or City of Light... or City of Good Neighbors...
Speaking of good neighbors, Mark has already met the owners of The Village Beer Merchant, and the two businesses are already hatching a plan for joint marketing. Maybe something like this: Drink a micro beer at Mark's restaurant and if you really like it why not stop in at TVBM and pick up a six pack. Or if a customer stops in to TVBM and asks what a beer tastes like, he or she can stop by Mark's to sample it. This could just be a commercial marriage made in heaven.