BUFFALO, N.Y. — What began with the purchase of an old building at 1432 Niagara Street five years ago culminated on Tuesday with the grand opening of the new West Side Bazaar.
Although there are many different types of businesses here, it's the freshly made, international cuisine to be found that remains the draw for most.
The first thing diners will notice is how much more space there is to sit down and eat, as opposed to the cramped quarters of the Bazaar's former home on Grant Street.
"I was a regular at the West Side Bazaar when it was on Grant Street, so to be able to see it this way is amazing," said Dana Marciniak as she looked around the new facility.
In fact, this place has two floors and five times the amount of space as the old one.
Still operating with approximately the same number of restaurants, the big difference is the spacious new kitchen.
When the Bazaar was on Grant Street, the cooking area was so confined that only half of the restaurants operated by immigrants and refugees from various parts of the world could prepare meals there, with the others having to bring fare in from off-site.
Now all eight of the restaurants have their own space within this more modern facility to cook their wares from around the world.
The only criticism we heard among customers who flocked in for lunch was the lack of available parking nearby, as spots along Niagara Street filled up quickly.