We asked you to nominate a local business to receive a visit from the inaugural Buffalo Cash Mob and you’ve chosen in overwhelming numbers…the City Wine Merchant.
If this is the first article you’ve seen about the Buffalo Cash Mob, here’s a refresher.
Do you want to make a difference in your community? Do you like social media? Are you someone who digs doing cool stuff with cool people? Do you love supporting local small business? Well, welcome to the hastily formed #BuffCashMob!
This is a tough economy and many small businesses in Buffalo and WNY are looking for ways to increase cash flow. That’s where we, the organized social media denizens of Western New York, come in.
Rather than do the slacktivist thing, posting links to businesses we like and writing on their Facebook pages, let’s get out, en masse, and show them some straight up cash love. Buy their goods, pay for their services, patronize their establishments. And have a great fucking time doing it!
The goal will be to get 100 people to “flash mob” a local establishment to spend $10-$20 each on the goods and services offered. No discounts, no coupons, no special deals. Just spend $10 in their business.
You nominate the business and whichever garners the most votes, will receive a visit from the mob.
We received over 300 nominations for the first BuffCashMob visit, but City Wine Merchant received almost double the votes of any other retail establishment. So, clearly, there is some real love for this store at 715 Main Street (Click for map and directions) which has been open since 2009. As owner Eric Genau told Buffalo Rising when he first opened,
Years ago I lived at the corner of Chippewa and Main,” Eric told me. “And there was nothing happening down here. Now we have the Medical Campus and the lofts… there’s the Washington Market. I see young professionals, a hip artistic crowd and an entrepreneurial spirit… that wasn’t here five years ago. We’ve even raised the City of Buffalo flag on the building.
This is a quality, locally owned business that cares about its community and its product,
When you walk into the City Wine Merchant remember that you are not walking into a mega Walmart-sized wine warehouse. Rather, you are stepping into a wine boutique where every single label has been hand selected by the owner. Whether a bottle of wine is $8 or $80, Eric assures his customers that they are getting the best value when it comes to quality.
City Wine Merchant offers wines at all price points from $9 to $90 and offers a full line of glassware and wine accessories.
So, please join us in supporting an entrepreneur who took a risk and opened his business in the theater district. Support locally owned businesses operated by individuals who love their city and have a passion for the product they sell.
Join us between the hours of 4-7PM tomorrow and spend $10 or more at City Wine Merchant, tell them the #BuffCashMob sent you.
Follow @BuffCashMob on Twitter or Follow the #BuffCashMob hashtag for updates on what’s next or like us on Facebook.
Related articles
- #BuffCashMob: Nominations, Please (wnymedia.net)
- Announcing The #BuffCashMob (wnymedia.net)
- Before There Was #BuffCashMob (wnymedia.net)
The Buffalo Record 
I’ll be there.
Thanks for organizing this
This I can do! Excellent choice.
Hooray! Hooray!
Leo, when will you be there? Looks like they sell Arrowhead Sping wine, so I’ll be showing support for local businesses times two by picking up some of their Chardonay or maybe even a Reisling! I recommend others give Arrowhead Spring a try as well!
I’m looking forward to this and I’ll be speeding up I-90 to attend. Save me a bottle of Chianti.
Have to set up for the beerfest, can’t make it… but good call and I love the muni flag!
They definitely sell Arrowhead Spring, and my plan is the Reisling, which is pretty darned good. Might pick up a Spanish Tempranillo, too. The folks at City Wine seem to know what they’re talking about and can usually suggest a wine, too, never been steered wrong by them.
I agree, Tom, Arrowhead Springs’ wines are quickly becoming a sure bet with every purchase, and I like the idea of supporting a local winery.
I’ll be there sometime between 4:30 and 5:00.
4-7??? but but but that’s when Ron Paul will be in EA! What to do… what to do…
What a totally awesome concept! I love it. I will be there, and will help spread the word. This is so Citybration-ish!!
Great to see familiar faces and the opportunity to put faces to names. If you haven’t already, make sure you stop by, buy some wine, and them them Buffalo Cash Mob sent you!
Got there early — Grand Island represents. Semper Fi
Couple bottles there. Then to Record Theatre for Rodrigo y Gabriela live in Japan and a book on Lucrezia Borgia. Pizza to go with the wine. Starting off the weekend right.
Thank you all for nominating and supporting City Wine Merchant, and a big thank you to Chris Smith for putting this great idea out there. I will be among those supporting #buffcashmob going forward. Things like this make a difference in our community, and I can tell you first hand that it has a tremendous impact on a small business. I hope to see you in store again. Please let us know if we can ever help with any wine needs! -Eric Genau, Founder/President, City Wine Merchant
great idea and I was glad to partake, who’s next
So… this was a first effort, and I have to ask: how close to the 100 participants did you get? If that was Eric at the cash register, he indicated that they were well on track for meeting that goal in the first hour.
I’ve told several people of this effort (and web site) and the response has been pretty constant: it has piqued their intererest and they’re gonna check it out. If you met the 100 participant goal on the first effort, when word of mouth hasn’t had any time to make an impact, this might eventually turn every Friday into Black Friday for one local business.
OK, I meant that the first hour’s participation indicated that he was on track to meet the goal in all three hours.