Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Downtown Bazaar in Buffalo's Theatre District is getting a new name and idea.
Mark Supples, founder of the Old Pink and House of Charm, is taking over the building and turning it into the International House. He says it will keep the same basic concept but have a more welcoming atmosphere.
"We're going to make it a place where you can come before the theater, relax, grab a really good inexpensive bite to eat, a couple glasses of wine before your night out. Maybe stop there for a little bit. We'll be playing the unusual music that we've always played at, like the Pink Flamingo and Mothers," said Supples in an interview with WBEN. "It'll be a place you'll want to come and hang out and spend a little time. The vendors will be pumping out their great food as always."
Supples says there will be a lot of changes to the inside of the building, but he wants to keep some of the same vendors that were in there before.
"We'll open the bar, which is in the front part of the building. The four vendors that were there, one, Ethiopian one, she's from Myanmar Thai food, one South Sudanese and one Filipino. They're all going to stay, and then we're going to have a fifth vendor," Supples detailed. "We're going to have a dedicated ping pong room. There'll be three professional tables for rent by that half hour, we'll have a couple pool tables, a couple Dart boards, maybe even a pinball machine or two."
According to Supples, the building had a hard time trying to get a NY Liquor License in the past.
"I'm pretty positive I should be able to get one. I've had one for 41 years, so shouldn't be too much of a problem," he stated.
Once the agreement is finalized with the building's owner, Nick Sinatra, Supples will be able to start renovating the building almost immediately.
"We're gonna do really extensive work in the place to make it a much more comfortable place to hang out. I have one of the preeminent movie set and theater designers in Buffalo. David Butler is really going to design a really beautiful space in there, and I have a bunch of people that have volunteered to help me - craftsmen, entertainers and social media types. It's really going to be a ton of work, but I really feel confident about it."
If everything goes to plan, International House should be open by April 1st, 2025.