By Elaundress Ballard and Christie Jok
BengalNews Reporters
Sweetness 7 Cafe and Boomerang’s Bar & Grill have found the key to running a successful business and the secret isn’t too far from reach.
The two businesses continue to thrive on the West Side largely due to their dedication of ordering products from local farmers and manufacturers in the Western New York area.
Prish Moran, owner of the Grant Street cafe, says she’s able to keep her prices at a fixed rate mainly due to cutting out the middle man and dealing directly with farmers and manufacturers.
Moran utilizes different farmers in the area depending on which farm is able to provide during a certain season and based on availability.
She prides herself on using almost all organic products for her cafe goods. But, according to Moran, organic farmers don’t have enough resources to provide one restaurant for all the produce and dairy products they need. Moran said she orders from 12 local organic farmers for her goods.
Moran said she also receives goods from an even closer provider in the area - Guercio & Sons Inc., located right across the street from the cafe. Sweetness 7 uses Guercio’s for fruits and vegetables especially in the summer when they are out of season, Moran said. Lorigo’s Meating Place also across the street, provides the cafe with paper products such as wraps and bags, Moran said.
Moran is satisfied with her local providers because it has allows her to keep prices consistent and avoid a “trickle down” due to using resources from farther away.
“The trickle down happens when people get their food from outside sources. I even have my coffee roasted locally. The kid even comes by on his bicycle when the weather is good from the roaster. It’s pretty awesome,” Moran said.
And despite the rising gas prices in Buffalo over recent weeks, Moran said her cafe prices will not be affected.
“Buying local is huge and there’s so much to be said about local organic farmers,” Moran said.
Tom O’Keefe, manager of Boomerang’s, discusses the impact of gas prices on the restaurant:
Boomerang’s Bar & Grill also takes full advantage of local providers. Tom O’Keefe, manager, said by using local providers for the restaurant’s fish, dairy and liquor products, the restaurant's menu items are able to remain at a consistent price range of $5 to $10, except for the 14 ounce strip-steak which is $14.
Schneider’ s Premium Sea Food located in Cheektowaga and Willowbrook Farms on Clinton Street in Buffalo are two of the main providers, O’Keefe said.
The restaurant receives orders of fresh seafood either every day or every other day depending on the need for more products, O’Keefe said.
Products from Willowbrook are often picked up by a Boomerang’s employee while Schneider’s will deliver to the restaurant, O’Keefe said. The delivery charge of $5 but if the order hits a minimum, it’s free of charge.
The farthest distributor to the restaurant is Yuengling in Pennsylvania, O’Keefe said.
Like Sweetness 7, Boomerang’s is not changing menu item prices due to rising gas prices.
“We may be affected by it, but we won’t raise our prices because we get people who drive in from Clarence, Williamsville, and Amherst. If they spend the money to drive here, we’re not going to tag on another charge for them. We’re not going to raise our prices for the gas prices going up,” O’Keefe said.
Local products may help keep Boomerang’s Bar & Grill thriving, but there are patrons from distant regions willing to make the trip to the restaurant.
Barbara Smith and husband Joe, residents of Fort Erie in Canada, have been coming to Boomerang’s for over six years.
“The food is excellent, the staff is fantastic and what can I say? The meals are great and the prices are very good,” Smith said. Edited by Alana Ransom
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