Amy’s Place is Coming Back!

Amy’s Place, the University Heights institution that has fed generations of UB students, is reopening as a restaurant, after several years of serving as a music venue without a regular menu. Former Buffalo News food critic (and UB professor) Andrew Galarneau’s newsletter Four Bites reports that the husband-and-wife team of Jesse and Michaela Schmidbauer have purchased the restaurant from Greg Kempf, who has owned it since 1993. (He purchased it from original owner Amy Betros, who opened Amy’s Place as a Lebanese diner in 1981.

The Schmidbaurs also recently purchased Caffe Aroma on Elmwood — Michaela had worked there for 16 years. She pledges to bring back some of Amy Place’s original recipes, as well as some favorites from Aroma. (The Elmwood Aroma serves coffee and baked goods; the Bryant St. and Williamsville locations, under different ownership, are traditional Italian restaurants.) The new owners envision the revamped Amy’s as less of a diner and more of a cafe inspired by French brasseries. “It’s more of a bar, but they have a couple entrees of the day.”

Sitting a block down Main St. from South Campus, Amy’s Place has been a haven for UB students through it’s entire existence; a cheap, congenial spot for breakfast favorites and Middle Eastern comfort food. (And since J&J’s House of Breakfast closed down a few years ago, the Heights sorely needs a good breakfast spot) In recent years, the restaurant has also hosted hardcore shows under the name Area 54. The Schmidbauers say the new Amy’s will serve food from 7am-7pm, then continue to host events in the evening.

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