Mike Shatzel is preparing to open Damaged Goods, a new bar taking shape inside the former Allen Burger Venture building on Allen Street in Buffalo. The back bar, pipes, and boxes left behind from that earlier tenant are already gone, cleared out to make room for a stripped-down watering hole built around cheap beer, well drinks, and a short sandwich menu.
An Ode to Two Fallen Allen Street Bars
Shatzel describes the project as an ode to the Old Pink, with a splash of Brick Bar, according to Buffalo Rising. Both of those Allen Street fixtures were lost to fire. The Old Pink burned down in June, with damage estimated at $1.25 million and the blaze eventually leading to the building's demolition, per WIVB. WKBW reported that crews demolished the iconic bar on a Monday afternoon after the fire destroyed it, leaving the Old Pink's owner grateful for the community support that followed.
Mulligan's Brick Bar, located at 229 Allen St. next to the former site of The Old Pink, suffered its own catastrophic fire, with damage estimated at $2.1 million, the same WIVB report noted. Despite drawing inspiration from both lost spots, Shatzel is careful not to overpromise a revival. He said the new space has too many windows and far less square footage than The Pink ever had, so Damaged Goods won't attempt to recreate it, the Buffalo Rising report states.
The Soundtrack and the Name
The bar's name comes from the classic Gang of Four song, and the music policy sounds like it takes the reference seriously: Damaged Goods plans to lean on punk, post-punk, and 1980s alternative sounds. Eric Van Rysdam, who spun vinyl at The Pink back in the late 1980s, is set to DJ twice a week at the new joint, bringing a direct thread back to Allen Street's earlier nightlife scene.
The decor will lean into that same era. Plans call for a recreation of the old Home of the Hits sign above the door, a nod to the record shop where Van Rysdam once worked, alongside posters of Iggy Pop, Buzzcocks, and Dead Kennedys. Shatzel is also seeking out old photos from The Pink and similar bars to round out the look.
Drinks, Sandwiches, and a Modest Sandwich Goal
On the drink side, visitors can expect a cheap canned beer, a draft from one of 12 taps, or a well drink. The food menu stays simple by design, with a couple of sandwiches on the board rather than a full kitchen operation. Shatzel is eyeing a prime rib sandwich inspired by a New York City restaurant, and a steak sandwich could show up as a special. He may add a bologna sandwich too, and has said that selling 40 sandwiches a day would make him happy.
Timeline Still Hinges on a Fire Inspection
Shatzel already holds a liquor license for Damaged Goods and has cleared every city sign-off except fire approval, with that inspection expected later in the week the report was published. If everything goes according to plan, the bar could be pouring as soon as the following weekend, though the fire approval remained the outstanding piece as of the report.
