West Seneca Chamber of Commerce

10/28/2023

Haunted happenings in West Seneca!

10/28/2023

STATEMENT REGARDING UPCOMING WEST SENECA ELECTION

As a 501c6 nonprofit business organization, the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce is allowed to advocate on behalf of our members and the business community on a multitude of issues. Governed by an 11-member volunteer board of directors — made up of both Republicans and Democrats — we try our best to remain neutral in political matters, elections in particular.

Unfortunately, one candidate for supervisor — Christopher Rusin — has decided to make us part of the election by announcing in a Facebook post that he would eliminate funding from the town to the Chamber if elected. The Chamber receives $20,000 annually from the town for economic development work. In addition to the many services we provide in return, we also pay the town rent to lease our current office space in the West Seneca Community Center & Library, where we have become the town’s unofficial information center.

Because his statement would have a negative impact on the services we provide to the community, we feel it is important to note that Mr. Rusin has never once visited, called or emailed the Chamber office to discuss our economic development efforts and the many services we provide on a daily basis to businesses, organizations, residents and visitors to our town.

The Chamber office is open five days a week and we frequently respond to emails and phone calls evenings and weekends. In other words, we are very much accessible, and we would like to invite Mr. Rusin and anyone else with an interest in the Chamber to visit our office to learn more about what we do.

Economic development is strong in West Seneca, but don’t take our word for it. Last November, Business First published an article ranking West Seneca #9 among all cities, towns and villages in Western New York in terms of economic development projects.

However, economic development is not easy work. Sometimes projects take longer than we would like, and sometimes the new arrivals may not be what everyone wants, but we can assure you that we are absolutely trying our best and the many successes we are now seeing throughout our town are because we have an outstanding relationship with the town’s current leadership group — elected and appointed officials, both Republicans and Democrats.

As a result, many long vacant buildings are seeing new life. Our industrial park and main business corridors are experiencing new growth and expansion. Several new restaurants are on the way. We have a new arts tourism destination known as The Charles Burchfield Gardenville District. And, new residential communities are being built because people want to live here.

Our office is typically open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, and our phone number is (716) 674-4900. I would encourage all interested parties to get to know us. Our door is always open.

— West Seneca Chamber of Commerce

10/27/2023

The Family Business Center at Niagara University will offer a free virtual breakfast forum from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, titled the Path Forward to Decarbonization & New York State’s Energy Transition. Guest speaker will be Donna L. DeCarolis, president of National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation. Pre-registration is required by clicking here:

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: The Path Forward to Decarbonization and New York State’s energy transition.. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

10/27/2023

Welcome to our newest Chamber member, New Look Refinishing/Glazing!

Thank you to this week's renewing Chamber members: Buffalo New York Claims Service Inc., EBC HR & Payroll Solutions, Gloria's Tupperware Treasures, Seneca Health Care Center LLC and Value Finders Inc.

For membership information, please call 674-4900 ... and let's grow the West Seneca and WNY business communities!

10/26/2023

SAVANNAH BANANAS UPDATE: Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate the overwhelming response we had to this post. Tickets to the Chamber will be limited. When we are able, we will do a random drawing of all responses and offer up to five tickets per request until we run out. Sorry for the confusion, but the response was far greater than we anticipated.

Our advice for ticket-seekers is to sign up for the Savannah Bananas lottery if you have not already done so.

Again, we apologize for the confusion and inconvenience, but we will do the best we can to put tickets into the hands of a few Bananas fans.

10/26/2023

Sharing for our newest Chamber member, New Look Refinishing/Glazing!

RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL

Old porcelain and fiberglass tubs, sinks, kitchen cabinets, countertops and tiles will look brand new again!

Refinishing/glazing can save you up to 80% of replacement costs.

WE NOW OFFER AFFORDABLE BATH ACCESSIBILITY WITH STEP-IN TUBS.

Costs so low - QUALITY so high - that everything can have a NEW LOOK

WE BEAT ALL COMPETITOR PRICING

No shortcuts! We work closely and hard for our customers to ensure they're satisfied with their "new look" for years to come!

Any questions please feel free to call

Thank you,
New Look
716-984-1645
Michael Grasso

Our company specializes in providing high-quality refinishing and glazing services for bathtubs, sinks, countertops, and floors in Buffalo, New York.

10/25/2023

Adult literary program continues on October 31 at Dog Ears Bookstore & Cafe! Please click here for details: http://dogearsbookstore.org/2023/10/25/adult-literary-program-continues-on-october-31-at-dog-ears-bookstore/

10/25/2023

Please see the update below on Metzger’s Pub from Business First. And in other restaurant news, Rachel’s Mediterranean Grill is on track after overcoming the final hurdle that was delaying construction, and new restaurants have been proposed for the corner of Center & Union and on Slade Avenue. Keep in mind that even the smallest projects can take several years to complete. And, we’re also hearing that there’s already a lot of interest in the Mooney’s location that closed last week. Stay tuned …

Metzger's Pub coming back to West Seneca under new owner

By Tracey Drury
Senior Reporter
Buffalo Business First

A longtime West Seneca pub that has been closed for several years is coming back under new owners.

Metzger’s Pub opened in 1955 at 4135 Seneca St. as an ice cream parlor called Metzger’s Village Oak. It later transitioned into a pub with members of the Metzger family.

Now Lance Wojda is bringing it back, working with his brother Kurt and another partner.

The team, which acquired the property at a county tax auction in October of 2022, began working on the 5,000-square-foot building this summer, putting on a new metal roof. Siding and windows are coming next. Repairs will also address damage from a 2021 fire in the building.

Wojda said they’ll likely get the apartments ready upstairs first to generate income and then work on opening the bar. That could include bringing back live music, which was long a draw at the pub.

They’ve got experience in that area: The brothers also operate Stroh’s Tavern on Lake Shore Road in Angola as well as Jokers Bar on Electric Avenue in Lackawanna, both of which offer live music weekly.

They haven't decided if they will stick with the Metzger’s name or change it.

“We plan on bringing it back to its old glory as well as we can,” Wojda said. “The building needs a lot of work.”

10/25/2023

West Seneca community groups plan holiday dinner, auctions to benefit local nonprofit organizations! Please click here for details:

West Seneca’s community service organizations will begin accepting bids at 9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 1, on 11 beautifully decorated Christmas trees and several pieces of artwork donated by members of […]

10/25/2023

WE know how great our Chamber businesses are, so let’s not keep it a secret!

Small Business Saturday (Nov. 25) is typically a time when the community actively seeks out small businesses to support in WNY. Over the years it has grown into a movement, specifically since so many local businesses were so adversely affected by the pandemic. With more and more shoppers being particularly mindful of where they are spending their money, let’s be sure to promote all of the incredible businesses we have, right here in our community!

We strongly encourage our Chamber members to offer a Small Business Saturday promotion of some sort to help us attract shoppers and diners who will be out and about on that day. Whether it’s a small savings incentive, giveaway or an open house, please forward us the information so that we can collectively promote our businesses through our marketing channels AT NO COST TO YOU! Who doesn’t love some free publicity?

Please take a moment and forward your details to [email protected] by Friday, Oct. 27, so that we can make this Small Business Saturday anything but small for our members!

10/24/2023

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY REMINDER

The West Seneca Chamber of Commerce will once again promote and coordinate an Eat, Shop & Play Local campaign on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 25. If your business or organization would like to run an open house, activity or sale on that day, please send us the details by Friday, Oct. 27, and we will include it in our free promotional campaign! (Example: Purchase a $50 gift card for $40 on Nov. 25, 20% off all purchases on Nov. 25, free coffee & donuts for all customers on Nov. 25, etc.) This promotional offer is for Chamber members only, please. Questions? Please contact the Chamber at 674-4900. Thank you!

Last year we had 10 participants, and we'd love to double that this year!

10/24/2023

10/24/2023

Check out our latest Spotlight on Development, with the spotlight on Worksport: https://westseneca.org/spotlight-on-development/

10/23/2023

Attention Savannah Bananas fans! The Chamber will be doing an outing at the Bananas game at Sahlen Field, home of the Buffalo Bisons, on Friday, July 5! Tickets will be $35 each and will be available through a direct link that we will provide in the near future. All tickets are general admission, but we will do our best to keep our group together.

We're trying to get a fairly accurate count of how many tickets we will need to reserve, so if you are interested in ordering tickets through our link, please comment below as to many tickets you think you would like for the July 5 game. Please try to let us know by this Wednesday, Oct. 25, so we can set them aside. Thank you!

10/23/2023

New newsletter from the Burchfield Nature & Art Center ...

10/20/2023

Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York webinar: Scam Awareness and Prevention, 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30. Learn about ScamTracker software, how to report scams, and view the most recent data from the 2022 Scam Report. Register here:

Join Katarina Schmieder and Bret Dewhurst of BBB of Upstate NY for an open discussion on common scams that are occurring locally and nationally.

10/20/2023

Thank you to this week's renewing Chamber members: Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York, Boy Scouts of America, Buffalo First Wealth Management, Carmen's Catering, Coppola and JEM Insurance Agency, Great Lakes Pizza Company, Seneca Greenhouse and Tom's Precision Heat Plus!

For membership information, please call 674-4900 ... and let's grow the West Seneca and WNY business communities!

10/19/2023

Want to learn a little more about the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce and see what takes place behind the scenes? Join us at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, in the West Seneca Community Center & Library for our annual open board meeting! Our board meetings usually last about one hour. If you'd like to be a guest at our November meeting, please call the Chamber at 674-4900 to RSVP. Thank you!

10/19/2023

West Seneca's business community continues to grow! Today we celebrated the expansion of Western New York Federal Credit Union with a ribbon-cutting event. Congratulations!

10/19/2023

Today's the day! Bring your appetite and support our friends from the West Seneca Lions Club!

10/18/2023

The West Seneca Chamber of Commerce will once again promote and coordinate an Eat, Shop & Play Local campaign on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 25. If your business or organization would like to run an open house, activity or sale on that day, please send us the details by Friday, Oct. 27, and we will include it in our free promotional campaign! (Example: Purchase a $50 gift card for $40 on Nov. 25, 20% off all purchases on Nov. 25, free coffee & donuts for all customers on Nov. 25, etc.) This promotional offer is for Chamber members only, please. Questions? Please contact the Chamber at 674-4900. Thank you!

Last year we had 10 participants, and we'd love to double that this year!

10/18/2023

Tickets are on sale now! On November 4, the West Seneca Christian School Parents Group will be hosting a basket auction to raise funds for the school and the senior class will be joining them in order to fundraise for their senior trip. The seniors will be serving an Italian dinner that includes fresh salad, homemade lasagna, rolls and homemade desserts. The auction begins at 5 p.m. and dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. To claim your meal ticket in advance for a discounted price, please contact the school secretary at [email protected]. We can't wait to see you there!

10/18/2023

Happy National Chamber of Commerce Day! We celebrated with a fun and casual networking event this morning at The Ridge West Seneca. Thank you to all of our attendees, and to The Ridge for hosting us.

10/17/2023

In addition to being active on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, we also send out a weekly e-newsletter update every Friday to our members. If you are not receiving our weekly update and would like to, please call 674-4900 or email us at [email protected]. Thank you!

10/17/2023

Reminders:

• All Chamber members eligible to vote in our annual Board of Directors election should have received their ballot in the mail. If you did, please complete and return it to the Chamber by Nov. 2. If you did not receive your ballot, please contact us at 674-4900.

• We are accepting Community Award nominations through Nov. 6. Nominations are being accepted for Citizen of the Year, Educator of the Year, Business of the Year, Community Service Organization of the Year and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. For details, please visit westseneca.org or stop by the Chamber office.

Thank you!

10/17/2023

A message from our friends in West Seneca Youth and Recreation:

November 2023 program registration opened at 1:00 PM and we had over 80 registrations in the first 20 minutes. Thank you WestSeneca. We are excited about everyone’s enthusiasm month after month for our programs!

If you have not signed up yet, DO NOT WORRY, there is still space available.

Programs include but are not limited to: Evening Athletes, Gatorball Games, Middle School Open Court, Teen Open Court, Parents Night Out, Seasonal Craft Saturdays, Teen Volunteer Program, Toddler Gym, and more!

As a reminder, as always, PROGRAMS ARE FREE for West Seneca residents!

For more information or to sign up for a program please visit: https://westsenecany.myrec.com/info/default.aspx

You can check out our monthly calendar here: https://westsenecany.myrec.com/info/calendar/default.aspx?FacilityID=14713&AreaID=0

We are hiring and would love to offer more program/event opportunities. If you are interested in a part-time position within the department, please check out our NOW HIRING page found here: https://westsenecany.myrec.com/info/news/details.aspx?NewsID=4530

View news article details.

10/16/2023

Check out our latest Featured Property, 30-40 North America Drive:

Featured Property 30-40 North America Drive Office Space for Lease West Seneca Commercial Center is a “shovel ready” 13 acre multi-tenant development Parklike setting with plentiful parking 25′ x 33′ bays with 20′ hi-bay ceiling Recessed and/or grade level loading docks Broadband & FIOS av...

10/14/2023

What a great time tonight at the community Halloween event at Vigilant Fire Company and in the Community Center & Library, where nearly 1,800 showed up to enjoy the festivities!

10/13/2023

Thank you to this week's renewing Chamber members: Carpets Unlimited Inc., Scott's of West Seneca and Tony Martin Awards!

For membership information, please call 674-4900 ... and let's grow the West Seneca and WNY business communities!

10/13/2023

West Seneca's Walkway of Freedom just keeps getting better! Two soldiers were added yesterday in memory of all deceased members of the Harvey D. Morin Post.

10/12/2023

One of our now favorite annual events is the Christmas Tree Auction, which raises funds for local nonprofit organizations. To date, 8 of our 10 trees have been “adopted” for our 2023 auction in December, but we still have 2 trees waiting to be adopted by a local business, organization or individual. We supply the tree; all you have to do is come up with a creative theme and decorate it! Then all the trees, displayed in the WS Community Center & Library, are auctioned off to the highest bidders.

If you would like to adopt one of our remaining two trees, please contact the Chamber at 674-4900. Thank you!

10/12/2023

Come out and support the West Seneca Kiwanis at this fun event!

10/11/2023

Want to learn more about recent and upcoming commercial developments in West Seneca? Visit the new Spotlight on Development feature on our website:

The Ridge West Seneca The Ridge opened in December of 2022, in the formerly vacant building that had been Funk Lawn Care. To learn more about the restaurant and brewery […]

10/11/2023

On Tuesday we welcomed another new business to West Seneca with a ribbon-cutting event! Clarity Group of NY, Inc., a Medicare planning center, has settled into their new office space at 404 Center Road!

10/10/2023

REMINDER: Join Us for Networking at The Ridge WS!

The West Seneca Chamber of Commerce will hold one of its popular one-minute networking events from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, at The Ridge West Seneca, 555 Orchard Park Road. This free event, on National Chamber of Commerce Day, is open to both Chamber members and nonmembers, and reservations are required.

“These casual networking events are very popular with our members, and hosting it on National Chamber of Commerce Day — at one of our member locations — should make it extra special,” said Joe Kirchmyer, executive director of the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce. “We truly appreciate every opportunity that we have to connect with our members and potential new members.”

In addition to having a one-minute spotlight to give a quick update on their business or organization, participants are encouraged to bring business cards and/or promotional items to share with other guests. All participants will also be treated to a brief behind-the-scenes tour of The Ridge. Light refreshments will be offered. Doors will open at 8:45 a.m.

For more information or to RSVP for the Oct. 18 networking event at The Ridge, please contact the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce at 674-4900 or [email protected].

10/09/2023

Chamber to sponsor ConnectLife blood drive on November 7! Please click here for details: https://westseneca.org/chamber-of-commerce-to-sponsor-connectlife-blood-drive-on-november-7/

10/09/2023

A message from Senator Patrick Gallivan:

Dear Neighbor,

The American Red Cross is experiencing a shortage in blood donations, here and across the country. That's why I am asking you to consider participating in a blood drive I am sponsoring later this month in West Seneca.

Here are the details:

When: Tuesday, October 17 from 1 to 6 p.m.
Where: Union Fire Company, 1845 Union Road
Schedule an appointment by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-Red Cross. Use sponsor code: WESTSENECANY.

Hands-only CPR classes are also available at 1 and 1:45 p.m. To learn more about the classes, call the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767 or email [email protected]

It takes all of us to make sure our community has the resources needed in an emergency. Thank you for your consideration of this important event. If you can't make this blood drive, the Red Cross offers many other opportunities throughout the year.

10/09/2023

Ultimate holiday shopping experience awaits at 38th annual Christmas in the Country Artisan Market! Please click here for details:

A grand Western New York tradition like no other, the Christmas in the Country Artisan Market celebrates its 38th season when it returns to the Hamburg Fairgrounds Nov. 2-5. Patrons will discover m…

10/06/2023

If you're a baseball fan, you probably heard that the Savannah Bananas are coming to Sahlen Field for a three-game series, July 5-7, 2024! If the Chamber could get group tickets and do our annual West Seneca Day at a Bananas game this season, who would be interested? Tickets will likely be in the $35 to $40 range. Please let us know. Thanks!

10/06/2023

Thank you to this week's renewing Chamber members: Auricchio Insurance Agency, Black Hat Chimney & Fireplace Inc., Bryant & Stratton College, Firemen's Memorial Exhibit Center, M&T Bank Slade Avenue, M&T Bank Southgate Plaza, NorthPoint Free Will Baptist Church, Spectrum Health & Human Services, and WNY Federal Credit Union!

For membership information, please call 674-4900 ... and let's grow the West Seneca and WNY business communities!