Peter Flanagan is doubling down on downtown Buffalo. The owner of Pete's Place, a lunch spot on Main Street, is renovating the former Vasilis location next door to open Sam's Benedict, a new restaurant run by his wife, Sam, that he plans to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner starting in January.
Flanagan said the expansion comes as his wife's online catering business has driven new customers to Pete's Place, filling it to capacity. According to WKBW, Flanagan said, “Her reach has pulled the people in, and now our business is at capacity.” He described the scope of the renovation bluntly: “The entire place is getting an overhaul, table chairs furniture, menu.”
The timing is notable given what's happening just outside his door. Main Street has been torn up for years as part of the Cars Sharing Main Street project, which is meant to let vehicles travel alongside Metro Rail trains for the first time since the corridor became a pedestrian mall decades ago. Flanagan isn't shy about his frustration with the ongoing work, calling the construction a nuisance and voicing concern about how long it has dragged on, the station's report notes.
A Street Still Under Siege
Flanagan's new venture arrives even as other businesses nearby have folded. A bubble tea cafe closed over the summer, and the Greek restaurant Vasilis — whose space Flanagan is now renovating — shut down as well, per the same account. Some small businesses along Main Street are struggling, the outlet reports, as construction continues to reshape access and foot traffic downtown.
The construction itself is extensive. The project's final phase covers a six-tenths-of-a-mile stretch between Mohawk Street and Exchange Street, rebuilding both the roadway and the Metro Rail trackbed, according to a construction industry report. Work on that final phase began in April 2026 and is expected to run through spring 2028, with crews staging the project in inbound and outbound phases so that one track and one side of the street stay open at a time.
Cost and funding figures for the project vary depending on the source. WKBW described it as a $54 million federally funded project, while Buffalo Rising put the price closer to nearly $60 million and said New York State transportation funds were being used. Separately, WIVB has reported that the total price tag for the broader Cars Sharing Main Street Project had reached almost $108 million. The improvements planned include additional landscaping, street furniture, new sidewalks, pedestrian-level lighting and trackbed repair, Buffalo Rising reports, and Metro Rail is currently single-tracking above-ground trains on the outbound tracks during this phase of the work.
Neighboring Businesses Feel the Squeeze
Flanagan isn't the only Main Street business owner navigating the disruption. Rick Bassett, who owns Salty Dog Barbershop, has dealt with blocked parking and customers struggling to reach his shop, per WKBW's earlier reporting on the corridor. Another business owner, Crystal Shearer, told the outlet she was unsure whether her business would survive the next two years of construction. The city has said it is trying to limit construction-related parking loss to about eight to 10 spots at a time.
Elsewhere along Main Street, Kaylena Marie's Artisan Bakery and Cafe has reported that sales fell by 50%, and as much as 60% some weeks, according to Audacy. Businesses on the west side of the street said access and visibility can change from day to day, with no guarantee of whether their storefronts will be partially or completely blocked off. Downtown restaurants more broadly have struggled with dwindling foot traffic, Marble + Rye owner Michael Dimmer told The Buffalo News earlier this year.
Betting on a Fix to an Old Mistake
Despite the headaches, Flanagan says he remains optimistic about downtown's future. “I have high hopes for downtown. It's been dead since they first did this in the '70s when they put the rail in. Hopefully this fixes that mistake,” he said, referring to the decades-old decision to convert Main Street into a pedestrian mall. He hopes his expansion can set an example for other businesses willing to bet on downtown Buffalo's comeback.
Once finished, the project is expected to let cars travel on Main Street from the Theater District to Canalside for the first time in decades, Buffalo Rising reports. For now, though, Flanagan is focused on getting Sam's Benedict ready to open in January, overhaul and all, as the construction outside continues into 2028.
