Hand of Doom Finds A Home
Looks like HOD Tattoo found a new home on Elmwood Avenue. That's good news because Jon (owner) has been looking for quite a while. His new home? He found a space across from Pier 1 in the former Romance Antiques... a couple doors from Lu Modern Classics. That means two things… a cool parlor found a new location, and a stretch of Elmwood that needed a new tenant got one. The walls are papered and Jon is busy turning the inside into a brand new layout. He's constructing walls, painting, and installing new lights.
HOD will soon be open and when it does it will add an element that can (and should) be found on the greatest shopping districts in the country. Jon's parlor will add a mix to the street scene that will show off the artistic talents of some of the area's best tat artists. "I want HOD to be a contributing part of the Elmwood dynamic", Jon told me. "This place will look great when I'm finished with it. When we're open people will really see that a tattoo parlor can add vitality to an area."
Jon has already amassed quite a following in Buffalo and it would have been a shame to lose him to another city. HOD's former location was in the footprint of the future Elmwood Hotel (Elmwood and Forest), where Jon ran a successful shop for many years. The mix of new shops entering the ‘long in a state of flux’ 500-block is an excellent sign of progress. Now we have to get the Pier 1 space filled and that stretch will be unstoppable.
HOD is now located at 500 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. (716) 881-4424
Variety adds vitality
Good luck guys! Erich is one of the best artists in town.
Good luck guys!! Great location, glad you finally found a place. You will be a great addition to the neighborhood! Can't wait to see what you do with the place.
Edward - Erich no longer works at HOD he opened his own shop on Hertel called Rise Above Tattoo.
Tatoo parlors stay open late at night and generate constant foot traffic. The proposed Elmwood hotel is having a good impact on other business districts as it moves forward and the current shops at that location find new homes. Can't wait to see what shops we get in the hotel when it opens
too bad there will be no Hotel, Savarino is ready to pull the plug after he just wasted so much money met with resistance from idiots and nimby's. Savarino has a large and growing portfolio in Florida where they are thriving, wouldnt be surprised to see him focus more efforts there where the economy and jobsa re thriving.
Eva from the Savarino group told me at the downtown loft tour in late August that they are currently preparing the plans for the new hotel at Forest and Elmwood. Can't wait for the hotel project to move forward. It will have only a positive impact on Elmwood and all of Buffalo.
Wonder what the current occupancy rate on Elmwood is? There's been a bunch of openings this summer as witnessed on BRising. I know there are two storefronts vacant near Bidwell and of course Pier One. How many more? Exciting times- keep them filled and busy and entrepreneurs will need to look elsewhere for shop space- great news for the city.
Congrats HOD, i'm so happy that you guys found a new beautiful home. Let me know if i can help with anything, i like to paint:)
Erin