Apex Grill
Address
311 Williams Street Buffalo, NY 14203
Establishment Type(s)
Grill, Restaurant, Tavern
Physical Status
Demolished
Description
The building was situated at the corner of William and Walnut Street, facing north towards William Street. The westernmost main block, 311 William Street (formerly numbered 211), was three-stories. To the east, 313-315 William Street was separated from the building by a frame partition. To the rear, the one-story 108 Walnut Street opened to the east. The entire structure was brick. 311 William Street had a cast-iron facade, while the rest of the street-facing sides (north and east elevations) had a frame cornice.
Detailed History
By 1940, Edward Kern was operating the Apex Grill at 311 William Street. Operators changed over the years, from Benjamin and Samuel Kassirer in 1947 to Max Kriegler in 1954. A number of men worked at the establishment: Eugene Klien, bartender; William Lindner, manager; John Woodruff, porter. In January 1954, a burglar broke into the restaurant and snuck out through the adjoining delicatessen, operated by Ples F. Gren. The business was sold “due to redevelopment” in 1960. Currently, Towne Gardens (as part of the Ellicott District) owns the land 311 William Street used to be on. These apartments and housings were built in the 1990s during redevelopment campaigns lead by the City of Buffalo.
