Niagara Street continues to impress. A new sports bar has opened up called Sports City Pizza Pub. Mike Rizzo and his son, Michael Rizzo II, formerly owned a pizza joint in Kenmore, but when they started thinking about expanding, they realized that they needed to look around the city for a new location. After a long hard search, the father-son team zeroed in on Niagara Street. The building met all of their criteria – brick, on a corner, and parking.

Open for 12 years in the Village of Kenmore under ‘Bella Roma’ then later ‘Gr8 Pizza’, Sports City Pizza Pub encapsulates everything that was positive and effective in Kenmore, and expanded upon in the new location on the corner of Niagara St & West Delavan.

The Rizzo’s have done a bang up job of creating an industrial sports bar, with thirteen flatscreen TVs, a 24 tap system, plenty of bar space and seating, with room to expand with an outdoor patio element.

We stopped in last night to visit a friend of ours who was bartending. There was a small crowd socializing, eating wings and pizza, and watching various games on the TVs that are virtually everywhere. Aside from the predominantly industrial look, the actual bar has softer tones, with stone and wood. There is also an LED lighting system that transitions between a wide spectrum of colors.

The family designed a significant sized kitchen for the in-house food orders and pizza deliveries. Altogether, they spent two years building out this ideal location. Mike senior grew up on the West Side and says that he’s happy to get back to his roots. Son Michael is also excited to be a part of the Niagara Street revitalization. “It’s a great location to watch Bills and Sabres games, happy hour after work, and dinner for the family,” he says. “We’re currently offering sit down and take out service – soon to be offering a delivery option as well. Sports City Pizza Pub is a family owned business with family made quality. With the doors open, we are not finished working as an 1,000 sq’ ft outdoor patio that is expected to open in the spring of 2017, as well as more menu options to offer in the near future.”

Sports City Pizza Pub is another one of those most unexpected enterprises that has unexpectedly popped up overnight. It just goes to show that, when it comes to envisioning what’s next for the city, there are more and more players stepping up to the plate all the time. Sports City Pizza Pub is an excellent addition to the street, and to the neighborhood. Whether you’ve got your kids in tow for lunch or dinner, or you’re looking for a great sports bar with pizza and wings, these guys have you covered. It’s an exciting time for the city’s West Side, thanks to families like the Rizzo’s that are still considered pioneers when it comes to investing in a street that is in the midst of transitioning.

Sports City Pizza Pub | 1407 Niagara Street (corner of Niagara St & W. Delavan) | Buffalo NY | 716-871-8088 | Facebook | See menu

Hours: M-F: 3p-12a/ Sat, Sun: 12p-12a