International House rebooting Downtown Bazaar for April launch

Same restauranteurs, new operator with plans for turning 617 Main St. into 'third space'

Downtown Bazaar will close Dec. 21, but the next act for 617 Main St. is already lined up, and its restaurants are staying put for its new season.

International House featuring Le Bar Flamant Rose will open in April, if all goes as planned.

Zelalem Gemmeda’s Abyssinia Ethiopian Cuisine, Akec Aguer’s South-Sudanese-centered Nile River Restaurant, Elizabeth Sher’s Burmese-Thai Pattaya Street Food, and Lloyd Ligao’s Pinoy Boi Filipino cuisine have agreed to work with Mark Supples, who’s taking over the lease.

“The independent business owners that are going to be working with me, not for me, on this project, are four families that make incredible food, made with love,” Supples said. “We're going to try our hardest to get more people to learn about their work, and become customers.”

Supples, whose restaurateur resume includes the Pink Flamingo, Mother’s, and House of Charm, decided to reboot the food hall to his specifications, after working out the lease takeover with landlord Nick Sinatra.

This winter, 617 Main St. will be “transformed to become what they call the ‘third space,’ a place where people want to come hang out, get a bite to eat, maybe a cup of coffee, a soda, a good glass of wine, a cocktail, a cold beer, in a nice, relaxing, exciting atmosphere,” Supples said.

“I'm going to be working with one of the premier movie set designers in Western New York to transform the space into a more welcoming, homey place with international flair. What that means exactly, we're not sure. But when you walk in, you're gonna say, ‘Wow, look at this.’ ”

“It will be a world of difference compared to what exists now. Which, to be honest, is a rather cold, uninviting space, with no bar, no games, uncomfortable seating, poor lighting, and no music. What will stay consistent is that the food will be phenomenal.”

Supples will run the bar, Le Bar Flamant Rose, which is “pink flamingo” in French. A fifth spot in International House will feature an as-yet-undisclosed operation.

“We're hopefully going to get right to work the day after New Year’s, and hope to be open April 1,” Supples said. “That would depend on the approval of the Liquor Authority, which shouldn't be a problem, as I have had a liquor license for 41 years.”

If the restaurants of International House find their audiences at 617 Main St., Supples said, he plans to help them become owners without moving, by turning the lease over to a restaurateur collective.

“It's certainly not going to be easy,” Supples said. “In fact, it's going to be incredibly difficult. But if they can set up a collective where they are all owners, equal owners, of the business, they can have their brick and mortar right where they are.”

“I hope it happens sooner rather than later, because I'm 65 years old, and I may only have a couple good years left,” Supples said. “So ultimately, my goal is for this to be successful. I get my money back. Then I give the business to the owners.”

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