Throughout 2023, Western New York has seen an increase in retail and restaurant chains, attracting more national brands than it has lost.
Despite the tough economy, the Buffalo area has become a popular location for these chains, likely because of its affordability and location near the Canadian border.
Retail and Restaurant Chains arrive in Buffalo
Buffalo welcomed several new retail and restaurant chains, signifying a boost in the area's economic landscape. Ross Dress for Less opened in Cheektowaga, offering clothing, accessories, and housewares. Additionally, Ikea set up a pickup location in the same area, leading to speculation about a larger store in the future.
Primark, an international retailer, opened its first Buffalo-area store in the Walden Galleria mall, utilizing the space formerly occupied by Sears. The food sector also saw growth, with Nothing Bundt Cakes opening in Amherst and Pizza Hut re-entering the Buffalo market with multiple new locations.
Meanwhile, Boot Barn, focusing on western-style clothing, opened in Niagara Falls, enriching the local retail variety. For fast food, A&W Restaurants and Frozen D Lite, specializing in frozen treats, opened in Niagara Falls.
Sporting goods retailer, Dick's Sporting Goods opened a discount store at the Walden Galleria. Dave's Hot Chicken also started serving in the area, marking its first venture into Western New York.
Some national chains have been in Buffalo for years and are now opening more locations. A few national food restaurants came here for the first time this year. In the next 12 to 24 months, other well-known restaurants like Shake Shack and smaller ones will open here.
Towards the end of the year, Cinnabon plans to open at the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls, and Mochinut, known for its mochi doughnuts, is expanding to Cheektowaga. Buybuy Baby is also reopening an Amherst store catering to families' needs. These openings reflect the growing appeal of Western New York for diverse retail and dining chains.
Why is Buffalo a great place for Business
Like many other towns in the Rust Belt, the economy in Buffalo had been bad lately. However, Buffalo's economy is doing much better than many of these places and is not slowing down.
Numerous reasons make Buffalo an appealing place for businesses. Because of this, the area has been growing steadily, which is felt all over Western New York.
Downtown Buffalo has been recovering after being declared "dead." Downtown Buffalo's financial boom has helped it recover. In recent years, Buffalo-based M&T Bank has hired rapidly. Downtown Buffalo has several large banks.
Furthermore, the waterfront attracts millennials. Downtown expansion and rapid hotel construction are evident. Downtown Buffalo is growing again after receding. Developers are buying abandoned land and starting new construction projects at an unprecedented rate.
Downtown Buffalo completed numerous significant developments in 2017. Buffalo University expanded its Downtown Buffalo medical facility. Further apartments were built at many Downtown Buffalo locations.
Another notable factor is that Buffalo connects much of the US to Canada. The city is under two hours from Toronto. Buffalo has benefited from Canada's economic growth. Shoppers from Canada often stop in Buffalo to support local businesses.
Some of Buffalo's economy is unified with Canada's. Buffalo's trade with Canada has also helped the local economy. The Northeastern Trade Corridor centers around Buffalo's border crossings.
