The food scene in Downtown Buffalo continues to heat up. This time it’s 50 Fountain Plaza that’s seeing some action, in the form of Flint! It is interesting to note that the location of this new food amenity is the same location of a historic general store called Flint & Kent Dry Goods, hence the name Flint.

Flint was once an economic hub in Downtown Buffalo. Now this 50 Fountain Plaza address is starting to live up to similar expectations, with a litany of new developments taking place, starting with Ciminelli Real Estate Corp. (purchased a majority stake in the building in 2018) – the company moved its headquarters from Amherst to Fountain Plaza. Other tenants in the building include Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman, Nixon Peabody, Sandhill Investment Management Firm, and Cannon Design has announced plans to move its headquarters to Fountain Plaza in early 2020.

All of this action bodes will for Flint, as its target market is downtown professionals. Flint plans on re-energizing the plaza, both inside and outside – it will be setting up courtyard seating alongside the reflecting pool. There will also be plenty of seating inside, with a service-style hot bar set up during lunch, as well as prepared foods in open air reach-in coolers.

The Flint team describes the food as “eclectic, but approachable”, with salads and sandwiches, fruit and yogurt, hummus, and a selection of beverages, including kombucha and sparkling water. Prepared foods range from Mapo Tofu and Tandoori-Style Cauliflower, to Braised Beef Shortrib, and BBQ Pork Shoulder. The meals will cater to those who might be in a rush, but don’t want to sacrifice eating a delicious meal made with seasonal ingredients.

Flint’s bakery aims to be the highest quality, yet most accessible bakery in Buffalo.

Flint will have a bakery that will serve up pastries, cakes, breads, and other sweet treats. Equipped with a 5-deck, stone hearth bread oven, bakers will have almost limitless potential when it comes to the daily creations. The baked goods will be accompanied by a thoughtful, full range coffee program serving up everything from on-the-go drip options to various espresso drinks, with highly-curated coffee beans and even milk from local farmers! Eventually, the coffee program will be elevated with retail bagged beans, and service of coffee products to nearby businesses.

Flint will also focus on composting and sustainable sourcing in both ingredients and disposables.

And don’t think that just because this is a premier café, there won’t be a cocktail bar. Flint plans on serving up classic cocktails, craft beers, and wines from small producers.

If all of this sounds too good to be true, then know that it is all being made possible thanks to a trio of local culinary enterprises that have come together to pull it off:

• Colleen Stillwell of Butter Block
• Justin Smith and Andrew Trautman of Remedy House
• Michael Dimmer and Christian Willmott of Marble + Rye

Once open, the owners of Flint are expecting the café/restaurant setting to be the perfect spot for weddings, showers, and other special occasions/private events.

The owners of Flint are also happy to announce that they will be creating a sustainable eating and drinking environment, by raising the bar for eco standards. “We will be operating a large composting program of food scraps, eggshells, and more for our local farmers. Recyclable and biodegradable food containers will also be utilized across the board. We’re making a conscious effort to ensure Flint’s impact leaves as small of a footprint on this planet as possible,” said the Flint team.

This sounds like the perfect drinking and dining environment for downtown Buffalo, especially because the team behind it is already well accustomed to rolling out superior food and drink programs in this city.

Flint is slated to open late 2019 after extensive aesthetic and functional renovations take place. Anticipated hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Flint’s address is 50 Fountain Plaza, Buffalo, NY 14202. Flint is currently booking events scheduled for 2020. Contact [email protected] to schedule an appointment, and receive information on securing a date.