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Buffalo, NY - Mayor Byron W. Brown announced today that Restaurant Operators at Soho and Rec Room are working with the City of Buffalo Small Business Social Distancing Initiative on an innovative plan to combine a safe, socially distant dining experience for Bills Fans as they cheer on their team during the playoffs.
Mayor Brown stated, “We recognize that Bills Fans have been waiting years for this moment and are looking for safe ways to watch the Bills during their playoff run. I’m pleased that, in partnership with the City’s Small Business Social Distancing Initiative and participating Chippewa restaurants, we came up with “Playoffs on Patios”, offering Bills fans a safe and enhanced game-day dining experience that also offers continued support to help our local businesses as we continue to get through the COVID-19 pandemic together.”
This Saturday, January 9th, Chippewa Street will be closed to vehicular traffic starting at 9am - 8pm from Franklin Street to the Buffalo TapHouse as crews set up additional dining tables and chairs alongside two 15’ LED Video Walls for patrons to enjoy great food and Buffalo Bills football. Given the current ‘orange’ restrictions by New York State, “Playoffs On Patios” enables these local Buffalo Businesses to expand their outdoor dining footprints to accommodate the overwhelming support from patrons who are looking for places to eat where they can also enjoy watching the football game.
Tables and chairs will be set up socially distanced outside on Chippewa Street in the open air giving patrons a unique Buffalo dining experience. Each table of 4 has a minimum spend of $200 and includes a food package consisting of Pizza, Chicken Fingers, Sliders and Mozzarella Sticks. Drinks and additional food can be ordered a la carte. There will also be live game sound and a halftime show featuring a live drummer & DJ. Patrons are strongly encouraged to dress warm, in layers, as if they were going to the stadium for the game. Masks required. To reserve your table please email Reservations@RecRoomBuffalo.com or text 716.
This latest development is part of Reopen Buffalo, the Brown Administration’s ongoing effort to support City businesses during the COVID-19 emergency. This new measure complements other efforts in the Small Business Social Distancing Initiative, including the Chippewa Open Streets program. Launched in July, the innovative program closed Chippewa Street between Delaware Avenue and Franklin Street to allow restaurants to safely expand outdoor dining service while in compliance with Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s New York Forward guidelines. Since then, restaurants in other City neighborhoods and business corridors have expanded outdoor dining services as a way to accommodate patrons.
The City of Buffalo also offers additional resources to local small businesses through Reopen Buffalo, a one-stop destination which provides business owners with a variety of resources regarding: Business Health and Safely Guidelines, Bid Opportunities, Minority and Women-owned Business Services, New York Forward information and a guide on how to start a small business in the City of Buffalo. If a business is interested in being added to this resource, they can register through a link on the webpage or call 3-1-1.