HAMBURG, N.Y. — A new bakery in the McKinley Mall is bringing a taste of Europe to Hamburg and highlights why the mall may see a resurgence.
Catering by Marjorie is a European-style bakery, featuring handmade cookies, soups, and sandwiches from across Eastern Europe. Instead of the usual chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin, owner Marjorie Wagner has cookies such as Lithuanian Apple, German Black Forest, Hungarian Lemon Poppy Seed, and Romanian Rum Raisin.
“Once she starts baking in here the whole food court smells so good,” said Michelle Lash, who owns a nearby pet accessory store.
Wagner has been around baking since she was young, with her parents owning two bakeries in Elma and North Java that closed 25 years ago. She looks to use the inspiration she gained from her Hungarian freedom-fighting father and German-Mohawk Native American mother to bring those flavors to Hamburg with her own twist.
“I just want to honor them,” she said. “These are different recipes that you can’t find anywhere else.”
But Wagner’s journey has not been a piece of cake. After a 2016 car crash and the COVID-19 pandemic, this is her third try, hoping her business will rise like her cookies in the oven.
She restarted at the Hamburg Farmer’s Market and pop-ups at McKinley Mall. After people told her to open a location in McKinley’s food court, she never dreamed of it happening so quickly.
“An opportunity dropped in my lap, and I had to act fast, so I closed my eyes and took a leap of faith,” Wagner said.
She is grateful for the support of the other vendors in the mall, as they hope McKinley can see a possible resurgence.
“I feel so blessed and it's encouraging that everyone here has been so supportive,” she said.
Hamburg Town Supervisor Randy Hoak also sees the possible resurgence happening at the mall. Despite some of the closed storefronts, he is excited about the potential of new vendors and stores revitalizing the area.
“There’s definitely been an uptick in the presence of local retailers here in the mall,” Hoak said.
It is not just local vendors. Hoak said there is interest in investing in the area, especially with the opening of the new Highmark Stadium coming soon.
“We really have to get creative in far of using these spaces that were built 30, 40, and 50 years ago,” he said. “The Town of Hamburg is seeing some interest from the bigger cities that look at our lower cost of living, the lower cost of real estate, the great infrastructure and they're investing in a lot of these properties.”
Michelle Lash who owns Sew Fluffy Kitties in McKinley Mall is already seeing the change.
“There's definitely some growth going on, we love seeing new businesses come in, new visitors, it helps get the word out that there's new things coming in,” she said. “It's exciting.”
Catering by Marjorie’s official grand opening is on Aug. 13 starting at 1 p.m.