Companies are rethinking ways to get people back into the office, and the old cafeteria just isn't going to cut it. Located in the old Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield building near the Niagara section of the Thruway, Ember Kitchen is a chef-driven concept that includes freshly made sushi, wood-fired pizzas, poke, and boba tea Downtown.
But there's more: Once the weather breaks, it will launch a classic happy hour, with drink specials and chafing dishes of free food.
That's the vision of owner JJ Richert. He knows a thing or two about attracting people with food and drinks, having been an executive chef at Soho Burger Bar and Frankie Primo's +39.
Okay, let's start with sushi that's made fresh every day.
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"My sushi person gets here at 6 a.m. to start rinsing and cooking rice," JJ says on my recent tour of Ember Kitchen. "We have committed to that process. Purchasing sushi from a vendor just doesn't have the same vibe, you know? The rice is just weird."
Fresh sushi is just the start. The Tiger's Blood boba tea I tried was a cool mix of coconut water and cherry juice, with jellies on the bottom. I was also offered a Rockin' Tuna Roll that was hearty and spicy, but deeply flavored, as you might expect from an experienced chef.
JJ says pizza and sushi are great, but he's also looking to offer the latest flavors you've seen on your newsfeed. Spicy Northern Thai food? Peri peri chicken? Those are possibilities.
"I've been a chef-owner for over two decades, and I pay attention to trends," he explains. "I don't like doing the same thing every day. We're always trying to make different stuff, and I always encourage my guys. Like I'll say, 'Hey, what do we want to do today?'"
It's time to bring back a real happy hour
As the seasons shift, Richert plans to extend that creativity past the afternoon punch-out. Under beverage director Jack Reid, craft beers will flow out of taps on mobile bars on the outdoor patio. There will be wine slushies and grab-and-go cocktails with plastic tops that resemble your lunchtime boba tea.
Also, there's talk of free food.
"It's time to bring the chafing dishes back," JJ says, "and maybe a little bit of that free food for happy hour; bring back the Swedish meatballs!"
It's a strategic play in a location that has a direct view of the congested 190 during rush hour.
"You could sit in traffic, or you could have a drink, watch traffic die down, and then make your move," JJ says.
You gotta admit: Ember Kitchen is probably making you rethink the post-COVID routine of working in your PJs on the couch and heating a can of Progresso soup for lunch. JJ says the goal is to welcome people back to the workplace with good old-fashioned hospitality.
"We're trying to run this as hospitality-driven," he says. "That's why we were calling it Ember Kitchen because it's not a cafeteria, you know? It's a kitchen proper, with cooking going on."
