A new billboard has been installed on top of the former Upstate Milk Co-Operative and Bison Chip Dip plant. The signage reads “Ein Prosit, ein Prosit!” (A Toast, a Toast!), which signals the arrival of Buffalo’s very own Hofbräuhaus, due to open in April of 2018. Work has begun on the transformation of the property. Once open, Hofbräuhaus Buffalo will feature a massive 400-person beer hall, a 100-person bar, stein lockers, a brewery, 200-person banquet rooms, and an outdoor beer garden with bar that accommodates 300 people (among other amenities).

The fully financed $4.5 million project is based on the original Munich Hofbräuhaus, which begat a series of US versions in Las Vegas, Columbus (OH), Pittsburgh, Newport (KY), St. Petersburg (FL), Cleveland, and Chicago. It was back in May of 2014, that Buffalo Rising Online (BRO) ran a post, stating that Buffalo was ready for a beer hall of this nature (see here). Shortly thereafter restaurateur and festival organizer Kevin Townsell reached out to BRO saying that he was putting a plan together to plant the Hofbräuhaus in Buffalo.

Originally, the legendary beer hall was slated to open at Canalside. Then, that plan was scrapped, which, as Townsell readily admits, was the best thing that ever could have happened. Townsell is convinced that the former Upstate Milk Co-Operative and Bison Chip Dip plant is perfect for this type of beer hall. The place is massive, and offers everything that is required to build out a Hofbräuhaus that rivals the best of them.

Now, it won’t be long before Buffalo is presented with a new spectacular German-themed restaurant and drinking venue that should become the premier tourist destination in Downtown Buffalo. It’s about time that German culture was given a boost this big. German culture in Buffalo seemed to fizzle out over the years, but now with Gaufest, and the arrival of Hofbräuhaus, German heritage is once again being celebrated in Buffalo, much as it once was.

The Cobblestone District couldn’t ask for a better addition. Now, it would be great to see if we can stitch the district back together, by infilling some of the sprawling parking lots that cause a disconnect between the various destinations.