Raff and Friends, a nearly 20-year-old toy store at Eastern Hills Mall, has reopened in a new location as the mall readies the property to be overhauled for a town center project. It has signed a contract to remain at the mall for three years. Raff and Friends is located just inside the Duff’s entrance at the mall.
A handful of stores remain in corridors near an exterior entrance, including Jainlee, Integrity Candle and a state Department of Motor Vehicles office. At 6,100 square feet, the new location — inside a former bank — is about half the size of the previous one. “There is no Play Land.
I had to downsize,” said owner Kim Nelson. “It’s sad, and there’s nothing I can do about it, but I have the store, plus and I have a lot coming in.” Playmobile toys have their own room, as do puzzles, Breyer Horses and science merchandise.
There are two art sections, as well as sections devoted to dolls, plush, trains and Calico Critters. “It’s a little bit more compact, but it’s more organized,” Nelson said. The store carries toys and games for everyone from babies to seniors with dementia.
“We try to care for the entire person,” Nelson said. In January, the Eastern Hills Mall cleared out most stores without exterior entrances in preparation for demolition that will make way for a town center project — a walkable mix of residential, retail, restaurant, green space and hotel uses. Raff and Friends had been closed for three and a half months while the new space was built out.
Now, customers are finding their way back to the store. “I was usually destination traffic anyway,” Nelson said. “I love seeing the faces I have seen for years coming back, and a few new faces.
” BFLO Café and Lounge opens The BFLO Store has opened a cafe and lounge at its flagship store at the Transitown Plaza in Clarence. BFLO Cafe and Lounge is located in the former Wonder Coffeehouse space inside the store. It will be operated and managed by owner Nathan Mroz’s sister, Joanna Mroz.
The cafe will start with a simple menu of coffee and baked goods, and eventually have charcuterie boards, wings, beef on weck and more. The company is also designing a rooftop bar and restaurant for the site. The BFLO store just launched an apparel collaboration with Labatt Blue and a new Tailgate Collection, with retro-looking, tailgating themed trucker hats, T-shirts and beer koozies.
Progress on Hotel Lenhart sale Hotel Lenhart owners Barbara and John Johnston had sought to cancel the sale of the hotel on Bemus Point in Chautauqua County to Jill and William Curry II, filing a complaint in Chautauqua County Supreme Court for a declaratory judgment voiding a $3.5 million contract signed in July 2022 to sell the Lenhart Hotel to the pair. The Currys also filed a complaint seeking to uphold the deal.
Judge Grace Hanlon has sided with the Currys, saying the Currys aren’t required by the contract to apply for a mortgage until after they received zoning and building permits, which haven’t been received yet. “We will again be requesting a closing date,” William Curry II said in an email. “It is our hope that the sellers will honor the contract and move forward with the sale.
” The hotel has been closed since 2022. Nail salon opens in Hamburg Cure Nail Parlor, a women-owned and operated nail salon, has opened at 5110 Camp Road in Hamburg. Developed in partnership with Kavcon Development and Lamparelli Construction, it provides luxury natural nail services, hair tinsel and waxing with a heightened focus on hygiene.
Cure also features a party room that guests can book to accommodate large groups for special occasions. Teamsters ratify contract with Wegmans Workers in Wegmans’ warehouse, transportation, and skilled trades departments have ratified a contract with the supermarket chain by a three-to-one margin. The collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local 118 has a seven year term and covers nearly 900 workers.
According to the contract, workers will see wage increases of 27% over the agreement’s lifetime. Warehouse staff wages will reach $40 per hour, while drivers will see up to $200,000 per year. Workers also secured a comprehensive health care package and overtime guarantees, as well as enhancements to seniority, scheduling and paid time off.
They also will not be able to be forced to come in on days off. “Through this groundbreaking, landmark contract, we have shown the strength and unity of the Teamsters Union in advocating for our members’ rights and fair compensation,” said Ty Van Pelt, Local 118 business agent and lead negotiator. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!.
