Everything but the beer.
With just over a week remaining until the grand opening, The Village Beer Merchant is more than ready. "If we could only get our beer license...” the owners tell me. That's right... the only thing missing is the state's issuance of a license to sell beer. The process has been agonizingly long, and when the doors open people are going to be disappointed that there will be no beer on hand. The owners are hoping that people will still be happy with the market end of the business... until the license comes through that is. "We'll be making deli sandwiches," the owners informed me. "We found George the deli-guy through a post on BRO. And our cheeses started coming in this morning. We've been stocking the shelves and crossing our fingers. We even have a professional popcorn machine that will be popping free popcorn. We want customers to know that it's OK to bring their kids in."
The wood and slate floors look great, as does the restored tin ceiling. The enormous 360 degrees olive and cheese bar is installed, and the draft station... yes, the draft station, is about the coolest operation around. The tap system leads directly into the cooler where the kegs are stored (with brand new diamond-plate floors), and the empty glass growlers line the walls in anticipation of the flowing draft beer. The shelves are packed with chips, nuts, jams, honeys and sea-salts. When the beer license arrives, The Village Beer Merchant is going to be incredible. Actually, it's going to be incredible even without the beer. Elmwood is in need of a deli and good deli sandwiches... the beer is going to be the icing on the keg.
The Village Beer Merchant 547 Elmwood Avenue
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Comment Options
Martin
Wicked cool color...what is that "molton lava" Draft station looks killer...I will now know where to find Terry [or give him 20 bucks to get lost for a few hours....lol]
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SilentMajority
queenseyes - any idea why so long to get the beer license? I'd like to know more about the process. Seems to be just another reason not to do business in NYS. The bureaucratic machine seems to be revving on all cylinders these days.
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CKBuffalo
Good luck. Excellent job on transforming the space.
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NBJOHN
Way to go NY State... Tax us to death then not allow, or make it hard for hard working individuals make a buck.
So frustrated - Love the City... Hate the State.
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galaxyjay
Im so excited! Can't wait to tap in to some growler type action..mmm
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leadi
Queenseyes - can you please give the day/date/time of the Grandopening party as well as list their telephone number? Would love to check out this Grand Opening!
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Quinn
I just got down with a four month knock down drag out with ABC (New York State Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control) for a long-time bar owner. Just between you and me, the high up Albany guy told me the Buffalo office is "a mess".
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Quinn
Should be "just got done". No edit program would have helped me on that one.
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Metropolis
We do need a good sandwich shop on the Strip and this hopefully will fill that void. Something simple (ham and cheese) and yet delicious will be wonderful. Be better than Globe Market!! Superior customer service and beer will be the key.
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UnionAMG
Anybody know when The Wine Thief is supposed to open up?(http://www.buffalorising.com/story/wine_thief_on_elmwood)
I really liked the sound of this place when I read the article and I can't wait to check it out... but can't find any info on when it will be opening. Are we talking soon, next month, summertime?
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BetterThanDetroit
2 weeks. Dave Simpson is bartneding at Papaya now and if you stop in, he can give you an invite to the private opening.
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icecreamsub
oh the irony....grand opening of the beer store minus one thing....beer. looking forward to this like no other business I can remember in a long time. Apparently there is no delay in getting licenses "to suck" for Mexican restaurants in WNY
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carlmalone
God I hope they carry nitrous oxide cylinders and cheap crackers.
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leadi
Thanks BRD! Much appreciated.
By the way - what time at the Old Pink Monday? For a drink only - no eye socket dragging.
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leadi
Thanks BTD! Much appreciated.
By the way - what time at the Old Pink Monday? For a drink only - no eye socket dragging.
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BetterThanDetroit
Late - I'll arrive roughly 3:30AM. My hair will be on fire and my jaw will be wrapped around the back of my head. There will be sparks coming off my heels. I will fit right in. Just meet me in the stalls...
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BROKEEPSBLOCKINGME
typical NYS to take too long in licensing apparently there's a big pissing match between Spitzer and the SLA and of course buffalo suffers. The new Irish pub on Chippewa waited 11 months...yes u heard right 11 months. Way to go buffalo and NYS wanna know why people leave here is just one tiny example
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sbrof
Who should contact about the messiness of the Buffalo office or the total lack of punctuality when it comes to licenses. Is this a Spitzer issue? Our NYS delegation?
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dpbflo
I just had to get a liquor license this past year. The Buffalo office is not the problem I was told that there are only 2 people in albany approving liquor licenses. It is a shame because here we have a brand new place opening, someone who invested a lot of time and money and now they have to wait for backwards NYS. Funny how places like PJ bottoms seem to grab a new license 7 times over every time they get shut down for serving minors, but a new investor and new business takes what seems like forever. Desiderios are trying to open Desi's south (old roxbury night club) in west seneca.. They have been waiting over a year and a half. Supposedly because the history of the building. Too bad it looks amazing after the 10's of thousands of dollars dumped into the place.
Good luck to the village beer merchant cant wait to check it out.
And yes SPITZER is an issue..... but not the whole problem.
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RisingDamp666
I hear Spitzer will be doling out liquor licenses to illegal immigrants, provided they can prove they came to upstate NY by their own free will.
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NewBuffalo
way to go NYS. I bet a LARGE chain would of had it by now. This just is ANOTHER EXAMPLE of how STUPID the state can be.
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buffaloed
Dealing with the SLA is of course, a very slow process, as is any NYS agency. However, in their defense they are doing alot of research as well on the particular businesses. The SLA has to go through countless financial records to see if you owe money to any 'less-than-legal' operation. They also check to see if you are fronting for anybody who may need to amazing revenue that alcohol provides. I am in no way saying that the Village Beer Merchant is doing anything of the sort, but there are people to weed out. Good or bad, the process takes a long time.
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Quinn
sbrof – the only saving grace dealing with the ABC was Senator Stakowski’s office. Joan kept up constant pressure on both the Buffalo and Albany offices. She was relentless. The Senator personally contacted the governor’s office on my client’s behalf. Will one bar owner’s plight bring the issue to light? Maybe not. I suggest every bar owner or potential bar owner contact their state senator. Call early and often. Keep the pressure up.
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