Last fall, James Guarino, who owns University Heights New Orleans style restaurant Shango Bistro, realized the 20-year-old room needed a complete refresh to have any chance at surviving the worst economic climate for restaurants since the Great Depression.
This week, Shango Bistro, 3260 Main St., welcomes neighbors to check out its new look as it hosts a slate of celebrations. Tuesday is Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, with live zydeco music. Wednesday is $2 oysters, Thursday is bourbon tasting night, Friday features its catfish fish fry. Saturday is the anniversary celebration, with bubbly wine tastings.
Buttermilk fried chicken, fried shrimp po’boy, glazed pork belly with maque choux, crab hushpuppies, and other menu standards remain on Shango’s menu.
The restaurant, started 30 years ago as the Coffee Bean Cafe, began 2025 needing new paint, new tables, new lighting fixtures, and more. But Shango wasn’t making enough money to pay a contractor, Guarino said.
No one pays closer attention to the current condition of the restaurant industry than its dependents. For this restaurant crew, the choice was clear. If Shango failed, the prospects of finding another job that fit their life was so dismal they became volunteer construction workers.
For a month and a half, Guarino and three longtime employees spent nights and weekends after their restaurant closed at a second job: rehabbing Shango. They painted, installed new light fixtures, and everything else that needed updating.
Bar manager William Hardie was in Home Depot so often “they call me every couple days, if I don’t go in, to make sure I’m okay,” he cracked.
The result is a lighter, airier setting with allusions to classic French Quarter style. The redesign project was led by managing server Lauren Orndorff, who is also a student in Villa Maria College’s interior design program. Her photographs of New Orleans are part of the new art lining the walls.
Restaurant workers taking up tools to try to save a restaurant job they can live with is another symptom of the most treacherous times in the American restaurant industry since the Great Depression.
Costs of the main ingredients for restaurants – groceries and workers – are rising steadily, while each menu price increase turns off more customers.
Even worse, the drop in customers is real, and pervasive. Since the pandemic, Americans report spending an average of 51 minutes more at home each day, according to a 2024 study by scientists at UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies and Clemson University. Do the math and that’s over 100 billion hours that Americans are not going to restaurants.
Shango Bistro got to welcome customers for its 20th year because several things went right, Guarino said. Shango owns the building, so when revenue flatlined, emergency landlord negotiations were not necessary. Then its workers banded with Guarino to give Shango a fighting chance.
They did so partly because Guarino adopted a collaborative approach with his key employees as he was forced to cut staff. “We were at 19 people. Now we’re down to seven of us. So we closed that sixth day, which is why we stopped doing brunch. People don’t want to work that sixth day, so we had to make some business changes.”
After working two jobs for the last while, the Shango people are exhausted, but happy to show regulars the new hotness. Hopefully, their work will pay off. “We just need to get through this week,” said Guarino, referring to the 20th anniversary hubbub, “and we can breathe again.”
3260 Main St., shangobistro.net, 716-837-2326
Hours: 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday.
REVIEW: Before retiring from the Buffalo Fire Department, Rodney Wilkinson spent his firefighting career running into burning buildings. Then he decided to open a restaurant, which is only slightly less risky. The first one burned. On River Road, Tonawanda, in the former Suzy Q’s BBQ building, The Fire Spot serves topnotch soul food and all-day breakfasts like chicken and waffles. Wilkinson is a key ingredient in The Fire Spot experience, welcoming customers with genuine hospitality. (Later today, for patrons).
CLOSED: 12 Gates Brewing Company closes today after nine years of craft brewing at 80 Earheart Drive, Amherst.
“Please join us from noon to 6 p.m. and toast to the memories from the past 9+ years,” its owners said on Facebook.
“The kitchen will unfortunately be closed so feel free to bring in any food you might want to eat while you sip a pint and talk about all the memories. All draft beer will be $5/pint and beer to go will be 50% off including cases. Most merchandise that is left will be sold at 50% or more off. And don’t forget your gift cards because this is the last day you will get to use them!”
The Mensch returns: Devotees of the Reuben sandwich started visiting Barrel + Brine’s cleverly camouflaged sandwiches and fermentation station inside 155 Chandler St., during the pandemic. They wanted to meet The Mensch.
R.J. Marvin’s upgraded Reuben sandwich ($16.50) sports housemade corned beef, Barrel + Brine garlic dill sauerkraut, and housemade mustard, on rye. It’s back through March.
CRITIC’S PICK: In the basement of the terracotta-tile-clad Dun Building, K:Dara Noodle Bar offers satisfying Asian pastas in a variety of contexts in downtown Buffalo.
My favorite dish on Vathanathavone “2-2” Inthalasy’s menu is listed simply as “wheat noodles” ($16).
There’s braised chicken and pasta aplenty in the bowl, but what really gets me is the broth. Savory with sesame, alive with chile, its lip-sticking broth is stout enough to gel in the fridge.
Wheat noodles ($16), braised chicken, sesame, chile, broth so savory it congeals in the refrigerator. Get an order of bean sprout salad ($6.50) for vitamins and crunch, and warm yourself up from the inside.
K:Dara Noodle Bar, 110 Pearl St., kdara.net, 716-939-2002
Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday, 4:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday.
More reading from Michael Chelus:
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Mr. Galarneau wrote about the sit down pizza parlor with a built-in Tiki Bar you find at Hydraulic Hearth [Four Bites]
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Andrew also urged more to know of Salt Cuisine [Four Bites]
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Marble + Rye owner, Chef Michael Dimmer, was interviewed about the struggles downtown restaurants are facing [Buffalo News]
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Francesca told us we can find Pączki for Pączki Day Mazurek’s Bakery, Chrusciki Bakery and more [Buffalo News]
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