Locally-owned restaurants and bars are the backbone of the Western New York community. Buffalo is the City of Good Neighbors and the people here love supporting the locally-owned restaurants; more than most regions in the country.

2020 and 2021 were incredibly difficult on the restaurant community here. Buffalo saw quite a few great bars and eateries close down for good, due to the closure of business for an extended period of time -- then add in the difficulty of finding help at these places.

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That's the story of one longtime restaurant in South Buffalo, which suddenly said 'goodbye' to its loyal customers this week.

Apollo Family Restaurant announced that their Hopkins Street location in South Buffalo has been sold and its last day of business was this past weekend.

They cited the pandemic and its hardships as the driving force to the eventual selling and closure. They thanked the customers and current and past employees that have been serving them for the last 38 years at their original location.

Their South Park Avenue location in Lackawanna (near South Buffalo and Blasdell) is still open for business.

A restaurant that has been around since the mid-80s closing for good is awful news. South Buffalo bars and restaurants are a way of life for those who live in the city limits and south of the downtown area. From Hopkins Street to Seneca and McKinley to Abbott and Bailey, South Buffalo is a heck of a place for drinks and food.

Apollo Family Restaurant on Hopkins will me missed.

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