The Korner Kaffé opens... so what else is up?
It's so nice to see life back in that location. This place went from a wasted commercial space to a neighborhood hotspot overnight. Seeing the conversion got me to wondering about the last few remaining vacant holdouts on Elmwood and on Allen. Why are they vacant? And how long will it take for them to fill up?
For example, what's up with the former Sweet Tooth location on Elmwood? And the Drool spot on Allen – that building’s façade is half missing with exposed concrete where the bricks used to be (hellooo City Hall?) There is still no action in the renovated Boosing building (I wonder why?). The empty dueling retro storefronts (Mix and Moda) are still vacant, but those are tough to fill due to the lack of foot-traffic. Mike Attardo still has one of his modern white commercial storefronts open – there were two until Naava of London Hair Salon moved in.
I do hear that negotiations are close with the vacant Fleet Feet location as well as the Elmwood Village Bagel space… those would be nice to see occupied. Recent success stories filling in the rest of the gaps include The Thirsty Buffalo (on the way), Tabree, Wine Thief (on the way), Comfort Zone Café, new ETS, Bank of America, Evans National Bank, Elmwood Market – still need to fill the neighboring X-Cel too. Plus Rick Cycle and NEO are set along with The Falafel Bar 2 (coming soon), and theSpot/Brodo expansion is still supposedly on the way (filling the New World storefront).
It would still be cool to see some of the residential areas filled in with commercial businesses (after the empty spaces are filled in). Of course we should all cross our fingers that the Latina Market block gets razed in order to make way for a multi-use development that utilizes the footprint properly. That and the Kentucky Fried Chicken corner – now that would be a dream!
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Comment Options
dagner
I'm sorry, but the interior design is horribly unappetizing. The terrible design sense, as evidenced by the typography on the sign (see previous post & numerous comments) continues in their choice of colors and materials. Cold blue and grey? Tacky, but new, cheap couches and tables. Cold blue and grey? With plastic tablecloth covered tables? What an opportunity wasted. Wonderful windows looking out onto greenery, letting in tons of light.
And if it's bad graphic design you want, check out their menu. Multiple, inconsistent font styles.
Oh, make it stop.
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Dave
dagner; maybe it will be better when they remove all that Blue painter's tape.
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scooter
dude, shut up!
it's a small business, not starbucks or dennys.
why don't you go in and try the food.....judge them on that and there service.
some of my favorite places to eat aren't nice, newly built places. look at santaserios on niagra street. nothing special, but the food is great. it's made it since 1927, because of good food and good service.
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enrique14150
I think it's natural for there to be some vacant properties at any point. There's a natural turnover of success and failure going on. Sort of like how 5% unemployment is considering 'full employment', because at any time there are naturally going to be people changing jobs or in between phases in life.
I wonder if there's a limit to the amount of development that the area can handle. I frequent some bars on Allen (the Pink, Brick, Hardware, Staples) and we often say it would be great to have even more places to go. But it's not really possible because there just isn't enough parking. One thing about urban development is that the more people you want to concentrate in an area, the more parking there needs to be...thus making it hard to concentrate people and business.
Is this site a big advertisement for Elmwood or is there ever any criticism? That's not really a knock, more an observation. I am an urban person myself. I like living in the city (or in my case, a block from it). But I also recognize that there's plenty to life out in the suburbs. What some people out in Clarence want isn't the same as what I want and it's not a question of wrong or right. Needs and wants are just different.
Wow, this kinda got away from the story about the cafe. Looks nice, hopefully it's something they can build on.
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Your_Intellectual_Superior
Scooter,
I agree. Perhaps, then, the fawning review of the place should wait until the author has, in fact, tried the food he is pushing?
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bellavt731
I hate being negative, BUT I can't stand the spelling. I can totally look past fonts and interior design but Koffee Kaffe KILLS ME. If someone stops by here and writes a post that it is absolutely amazing, then I might investigate further.
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bellavt731
My bad. KORNER Kaffe. Just as bad, if not worse.
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wizardofza
Oh good looks like you superficial yuppies won't be going there...I think I might check this place out.
Not everything has to look like starbucks!
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stephenjames716
good luck to those involved!...it looks great!
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anothersaab
mmm... Starbucks.
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nicoleshoe
speaking of comfort zone cafe, more people really need to go there. the food is EXCELLENT. i usually stop in there for a little cookie or something during the intermission at the bidwell concerts. aroma is way too crowded, and its really a nice, quality place to go. id like to see the traffic pick up!
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LightoftheMoon
I agree, nicoleshoe. I think Comfort Zone just needs to settle into this new location... more people will go there when they remember it's there. We go there a lot during the Bidwell concerts & there's always some people in there but it's not usually crowded. I'm sure it will be in time, their food is great! (oh and their drinks are pretty tasty too.)
As for the Korner Kaffe, the food sounds like it'll be good, so I wish them the best and will check it out for myself... but... dagner & bellavt731 are right on. You don't have to be a giant chain to make a place nice or give it a consistent & appropriate look. Just doesn't look inviting to me. I hope that changes. But I'll still go anywhere BUT Starbucks ;)
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magnum
Just got back from Montreal and to look at this is so sad. It doesn't take much money to make a place look unique. Upper Elmwood needs to get its act together. Add that new coffee shop near HSBC to the list of blandness. I recommend anyone opening a business on Elmwood to spend a weekend in Montreal or Toronto. As for all you people saying "try the food before you pass judgment", get a clue. If all people want is food, they can cook at home. Going out and paying more is just as much about atmosphere as it is about food and service.
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dagner
Dave: I wish it were painter's tape. But thanks for identifying the color inspiration!
Scooter, babe, my comments were based on patronizing the place. You had no basis for assuming I hadn't. The market will judge it on the entire customer experience which includes food, service, value, and atmosphere. The food and service were basic, and possibly could improve, but never enough to make up for the painful interior.
I'm not looking for cookie-cutter places. My favorite restaurant is Schwabel's - for its great food and excellent service. I wouldn't want them to change a single, dated, plastic placemat. I don't generally patronize Starbucks, but I understand why it is attractive to so many customers. Buffalo bistro owners need to get up to speed.
The KK owners have obviously sunk much time and money into getting this place ready. I hope they find a way to inexpensively revise their decor and make their menu more readable. Until then, this yuppie will take her money elsewhere.
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crosbydee
has anyone tried their food? we went to the 'soft' opening and it was a disaster...sorry...the service was bad the waitress was smoking, the buff state salad was 5 pieces of baby spinich, iceberg lettuce, two tomatoes, some walnuts, and an egg...i was embarassed as a buff state alumni...when we commented on the lack of quality we were told that it was fine...this salad is supposed to be a meal? check out the men's bathroom still as small as when it was might taco...sorry to be negative and i hope it was just because it was a soft opening...we ended up grabbing a slice from mr. pizza and then had apple pie and a 'zinner' from the COMFORT ZONE...comfort zone has everything that buffalo rising wants moes to have...
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wheatenwalker
The food is not good and the service is worse- the decor is jarring and ugly- two thumbs down from me!
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MichaelB
So far this is what I have read and seen:
Destination? - No.
Interesting Environment? - No.
Great Service? - No.
Good Food? - No.
Why go there now?
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islyndseydevine
why go there now? it's simple. you should go there now because everything you read is not true. maybe the critics are right and you won't like it. so what? it's very inexpensive so it's not like you'll be breaking the bank. who cares what everyone on here says, when usually all anyone on here has to say is something negative anyway. go and decide for yourself. you may find that you love it, but you'll never know if listen to everyone else's opinions and don't experience things first hand.
my opinion, however, is a positive one. i've been there i think three times and i've liked it three times. so what, maybe the font on the menu isn't the most beautiful thing you've ever seen, but they're only a few weeks into it and still working out the kinks. nothing great was built over night and of course there are going to be minor problems. but that doesn't mean that the food isn't good and that definately doesn't mean that the service isn't great (they have an excellent staff). so give it a chance before you completely throw the idea out.
two thumbs up for me ;]
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MoeBFU
MichaelB ...You should come in and check us out 1st hand ...because we have tons of people that come in EVERYDAY to eat so it can't be as bad as everyone on here says it is ..Almost everyone that has eaten one of our paninis, fruit stuffed french toast, crepes, burgers, etc. has loved it ...so please don't just listen to others and judge by that
...I know a lot of people don't understand that our last place caused some debt that we brought with us to add to the debt of opening here due to having a 50 seat cafe and only 7 parking spaces [not great math for a business] so we don't have as much money as people must think we have ...the place is still under construction ...the menu boards aren't up yet, the TV isn't up yet, we don't have free wi-fi yet because time warner has the worst customer service, the furniture is from our lancaster place so that is holding us over till i can get matching furniture, the table clothes are temporary till i can cover them in matching formica, our main chef just had surgery last monday so when she comes back we will have our finalized menu including dinners ...People must not understand that almost everything [except for the color scheme ...sorry] is temporary ...I'm sorry our name bothers people too ...It was a name that was inherited when we bought the business from Karen's Korner Kaffe in Lancaster
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GaryBusey
"I recommend anyone opening a business on Elmwood to spend a weekend in Montreal or Toronto."
Back story, as though you don't need it, born in and raised in Montréal, Québec and recently relocated to a nearby area.
… I am sorry, but Elmwood will never be anything like that of Old Montréal or Kensington Market. If you believe it will in your lifetime, you're living a pipe dream.
I dropped by Moe's café while visiting family and experienced great service, great food and had some great drinks. I was with several friends who all had high expectations going in - all of which were satisfied.
Knocking down the people and the establishments that are trying to do right by your city will only keep your city the depressing place that it is.
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dangereric
The people who are slamming a brand new business in Buffalo should be ashamed. I'm sure it's the same people who complain about Buffalo not having what cities like NY or Toronto have. Those cities have support from the people who live there for businesses based there.
If you want that menu to be glossy, shiny pages of photos of food and designed by a top notch corporate designer then go to Olive Garden. If it wasn't for places like Moe's, Cafe Taza, Amy's, the Lake Effect, and other cool diners (with mismatching furniture, glassware, and awesome staff) then this city would be heartless.
Moe's has great food at good prices, both for the omnivore and people with special diets. Not to mention a great staff.
I'm sure the place will be a work in progress for those of you that are complaining about wall color, etc. If anything give constructive criticism, not final judgements.
Support Buffalo. Support local businesses. And encourage this city to be what it can be. A mid size city with many small size local owned and ran businesses.
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sia
The cafe is great. They have amazing vegan desserts and the paninis are fantastic! Who cares what the inside looks like? On the lounge side there are great old couches that you can actually relax on unlike something in Starbucks. Stop hating on a new local business and embrace it. The people are great, the food is great and it's the cheapest place to eat on Elmwood.
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Yvo86
I was there opening day and I thought the food was great I tried the Elmwood Salad plus some bites of what my friends got! The portions were perfect and priced out well. I was definitely satisfied! I hate that most corporate places give you way to much and jack up the price! Everyone who has something to say but has never actually been in the restaurant should give it a try the pics don't give it justice the coffee side and the front porch are comfy and relaxing! How can you really judge a place after only a few weeks of opening give it some time to let it fall into place!
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Yvo86
I was there opening day and I thought the food was great I tried the Elmwood Salad plus some bites of what my friends got! The portions were perfect and priced out well. I was definitely satisfied! I hate that most corporate places give you way to much and jack up the price! Everyone who has something to say but has never actually been in the restaurant should give it a try the pics don't give it justice the coffee side and the front porch are comfy and relaxing! How can you really judge a place after only a few weeks of opening give it some time to let it fall into place!
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Colin
Sure are a lot of people posting positive reviews all of a sudden.
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sweeper
You'll also notice the positive reviews are from people that actually went there and ate. I myself included, the food was very good and more than reasonably priced.
One thing on the current menus - they're temporary until they expand their selection to include dinners. Why dump a ton of money into something they'll just discard in a few weeks?
I know the owners, and they're normal people like the rest (at least most) of us. The capital needed to open an operation such as this might seem like pocket change to some people, but at least to me it's quite a lot of money. If you want them to buy better seating, go eat there and let them turn a profit. You won't be disapointed.
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ridelong
It seems as though the few people who posted negative comments .... and actually went there... went in expecting a fine dinning atmosphere. When you go in any place without an open mind you aren't going to enjoy any place. The place speaks for what it is. A chill, relaxed, greesy spoon. It's inviting for you to sit down enjoy your meal and not sit up straight. It's cheap enough for you to take your date there on a tight buget. It's Bufffalo, it's not the nicest place on the block, but it's a new, growing, homegrown place where the owners are always present and care about your expierence.
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Colin
I don't think anyone was expecting fine dining.
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ridelong
excuse me wrong word useage. Expecting more than the prices suggested.
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ashley627
i served at the other kaffe for two years, and i think it's great that we brought the homey, family feel with us [inlcuding the silly spelling; get to know donna and you'll understand :p].we don't WANT to be comfort zone, we want to be the korner kaffe, purposeful misspellings and all. a restaurant has nothing to do with the font of a MENU which is not ever meant to be our permanent menu. anyone who has TIME to knock things like font and colors of a menu should try running a business, putting in just ONE 90+ hour work week and see if you even have time to BREATHE much less make menu fonts an absolute priority. because i thought, and i suppose this is MY mistake, that you went to a restaurant for FOOD, not an aesthetically pleasing menu to look at. my bad we're glad to be on elmwood, come check us out, you never know you won't like something until you try it, and you should never trust another person's assessment of a place, especially the [self proclaimed, mind you; don't take my word for it, just ask her] "yuppie" types. elmwood isn't the place for them anyway. thank you to every one of our regulars, of course i can't necessarily identify you by username, but it's people like you we want to stay open for =]
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mikedigital
Coming from someone who went to the restaurant and actually ate there, I enjoyed it. Sure, the decor left a bit to be desired, but it's a new place that, in due time, will get pictures of Elvis and license plates from around the US and funny signs from around the world...not really. It's a "young" place run by young people that with the current menu, could probably cater to multiple demographics of people. I can't believe that people are complaining about type faces. Anyone who has ever been to Pizza Plant knows that you can have the worst menu ever and be packed all the time. So since all of you in Buffalo aren't graphic designers or print artists, why don't you just go there and eat and if you don't like it, don't go back. I know that the place will get that feeling that it has intended once the kids come back from summer and the place starts jumping at all hours of the day.
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Meeshloff
i assure you that there are many plans for decorating this establishment when there is time and money to do so. i am an employee and customer of the korner kaffe and i stand behind it fully. i am close with the owners and they have nothing but the best intentions for the place and its customers. we have just opened, give it some time and improvements will come. its not perfect but what in this world is? its good people doing good business. i love the korner kaffe. i'm there even if i'm not working, its just a good environment. the prices are more than reasonable. if you want to go to some overpriced, over crowed places just because they have some splattered art or bean bag chairs or something there...thats your choice. but if you are looking for the basics(good food, good people, cheap prices), then the korner kaffe is for you. stop by and see for yourself
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pumpkinseed
I was really excited about vegan pancakes because I've never had them outside of the house. We also ordered vegan french toast. Now, it probably would have been awesome if it were actually cooked all the way through. Our waitress was very nice (and vegan), so we gave her a good tip despite the fact that the food wasn't great and the decor was....beyond words. My boyfriend and I were apprehensive to even go in there because of the signage, even though we knew they had vegan food! I would seriously help them fix that place up, pro bono! I understand that they're a small business and they opened somewhat recently, but eating out isn't just about the food (which wasn't great anyway), it's about the whole experience, whether it's a cafe, a diner, or a fine restaurant. And there are certain expectations in the Elmwood Village; I wish they had consulted with a graphic designer for their sign (same with the Comfort Zone Cafe
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dagner
The design problems are not generally a function of money. Attractive colors cost the same as ugly ones do. Actually they cost less because you don't have to redo them. The sign, which may have been purchased from the previous establishment, seems to be a substantial and costly item.
The majority of their problems would be solved with some well-selected colors of paint. Ask a professional decorator to select them. Stay away from garish ones that people mistake for construction materials (painter-tape-blue, insulation-pink, road cone-orange, that kind of thing) and cold tones (the grey) that not only make folks uncomfortable but cause them to order less food and beverages. Homey is a good goal that you didn't achieve. Cold grey looks like a basement.
The complaint about the fonts on their menu is not that they weren't fancy, it's that they were bad attempts at using "fancy" fonts. The menu is confusing. Simpler would have been easier to read and less visually offensive.
It's just such a waste of potential. The space has great bones, with lots of windows, outdoor space, location. I have given them a pass on the food as that can improve over time.
Elmwood is BUILT on and for yuppie business - they're the ones with money. It does stand for young urban professionals and I would include the students who hope to achieve yuppiedom -anyone studying a profession be it law or art. If you wanted country laborers as customers, you've picked the wrong neighborhood.
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JRR
Check out the left hand side of this link: http://www.ihncc.com/korner_kaffe.php3
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JRR
Check out the left hand side of this link: http://www.ihncc.com/korner_kaffe.php3
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pumpkinseed
AHH! It's a Christian coffee house??? Who do they think they are coming to the village?? Sorry if I'm a pretentious "yuppie" but GD.
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ChristaSeychew
I was there last week and the best word I can use to sum up everything--food, menu, service, decor, etc.--is disappointing. Very disappointing. People eat with their eyes first. Atmosphere (especially in an artsy-eclectic neighborhood like Elmwood) is terribly important. So is good food. I had trouble finding either and I had really hoped for better since the prices are family friendly and it is located mere blocks from my home. So sad.
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MoeBFU
As I said ...everything is temporary. Our menu is being designed by Chris Reilley of Reilley Promotion & Graphics right now along with many other things. [http://www.reilleypromotions.com/home] It isn't out yet because our head chef reinjured herself right before opening and just had back surgery and will be back in 3 weeks. Our signage and website will eventually be done by Josh Mullin who does the Falaffel Bar signage & website.
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jmilles
Korner Kafe has become one of my favorite breakfast places. I ate there this morning for the second time, and the stuffed French toast was the best I've had. The pancakes I had last time were perfect. It's a cozy and very friendly little place, and the young staff are enthusiastic and excited about what they're doing: offering tasty food, including vegetarian and vegan choices, with imagination and flair. I'm telling all my friends to try it, and I wish them all kinds of success.
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