Residents react to Braymiller Market closing

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- After opening three years ago, the owners of Braymiller Market said they will close their doors this month.

Those three years were filled with financial issues and controversy over a taxpayer bailout.

At a press conference Friday, acting mayor Chris Scanlon put the blame on the Covid-19 pandemic. He said there are 30,000 fewer workers coming downtown on a daily basis. As a result, he said the store has not been able to gain enough traction to stay open.

"It's a victim of circumstances," said Scanlon. "The pandemic hit, terrible timing for (owner) Mr. (Stuart) Green, Braymiller Market, and for the City of Buffalo."

Residents say disappointed is an understatement. Customers who usually shop at Braymiller will now have to travel either by car or by foot to a different store. The next closest grocery store is nearly a mile and a half away.

Some said living in the city has become a challenge with businesses closing their doors.

"I'm pretty upset honestly, living down here there isn't much," said Buffalo resident Anthony Stile. "This is pretty much it. I'm here almost every day and now I have to walk to Tops, which I think is 20 minutes away."

In July of 2023, the market received more than $500,000 of Covid relief funds from the Buffalo Common Council. Taxpayers say they're tired of investing into the city when necessities are stripped away in the blink of an eye.

"We live in the neighborhood. We're committed to the neighborhood. I've been here 30 years," said Buffalo resident Marsha Jackson. "I'm really upset that now they're going to take all that away and we've got to look all over again for where we want to shop. I feel like that's not fair."

Scanlon said he is committed to making sure fresh produce is available for downtown residents. But he said it's a much bigger task than just finding another grocer.

"We have to work on the downtown core as well and getting people back down here, and repair the situations that led to the closure," said Scanlon. "You can't just turn the key and open a grocery store again."

Some people are unhappy with how downtown has evolved the last few years. They say it's making them question if they want to stay in the area.

"I see this place closing and I don't actually know if I'll stay in Downtown Buffalo," said Stile. "There's no grocery stores and nothing worth really staying down here for. What's the point?"

Opening Braymiller Market was a significant part of former Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown's economic agenda for downtown. WIVB News 4 reached out to Brown for reaction on the closing, and he had no comment.

Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. See more of her work here.