The Diner, Evolved to the 21st century
Design imagines that fast food never happened
By MICHELLE KEARNS
News Business Reporter
10/20/2006
After two years of planning the Empire Grill, Nick Kotrides has finally opened his $1.5 million restaurant with his "hipster" approach to the classic American diner.
"It feels cathartic. It feels like "Ahhh, it's happening,' " he said. "No more answering the question, "When are you guys going to open up?' "
The menu has classic eggs benedict for $6.50 along with an $11 crab-asparagus version. A plain hamburger goes for $7.50, or add $1 for one with peanut butter and smoked bacon. For the right mood for such feasting, there are mod circular lights, booths upholstered in polka dots and sleek dark wood tables.
The Empire Grill, which opened for breakfast lunch and dinner this week, doesn't look anything like what inspired him: The classic American diners of the 1950s that were trimmed in stainless steel and plastic Formica counters.
As the son of a restaurateur who made a living serving simple diner-style fare in the small town of Wolcott, Kotrides has long wondered what modern diners would have evolved into if fast-food chains hadn't taken over the market. "This concept, I had in my head since 1994," he said.
His 9,000 square foot, two-story vision is on view 1435 Hertel Ave. in Buffalo, a space that held an office building before it burned down several years ago. A staff of 73 were on hand Thursday to make sure the opening went smoothly as people sat at one of the 200 seats and placed orders from the six page menu ranging from of rib eye steak to sesame shrimp salad. The menu was created by Dino DeBell, a chef who came to Buffalo after working in the Colorado ski town of Vail.
Tables on the second floor overlook the street scape. A conference room with plasma screens and the same Wi-Fi Internet availability that's throughout the building already has meeting bookings. The speaker sound system is in zones so music volume can be varied section by section.
The kitchen, with its chefs and chicken rotisserie, can be studied from the sidewalk through a window panel set within a tower designed to parallel the dimensions of the art deco North Park movie theater across the street. Floor-to-ceiling windows on the first floor serve as door panels that can open on warm days. "When we have great weather, we want to take advantage of it," Kotrides said.
A Buffalo State College alumnus, he started his career after college in 1989 by buying Faherty's bar on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. He got into the restaurant trade in 2002 when he opened Toro Tapas restaurant on the same block.
He planned his new place in part by studying the monthly marketing reports from Toro. Some 6,000 people have filled out comment cards over the years. About 70 percent have come in from the suburbs, many with out-of-town visitors in tow. Kotrides designed his big new place, with help from architect Catherine Faust, to be the same kind draw.
"With any industry you have to be cutting edge to stay ahead," he said. "Now we have another nice place in Buffalo."
e-mail: mkearns@buffnews.com
