A new vision for Washington Market
Khoury family making changes to cafe/grocery
By Sharon Linstedt
Updated: 05/12/08 6:42 AM
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- Amy Khoury grinds coffee beans in the new cafe at the Washington Market. Khoury’s family recently took over the downtown market.
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A West Seneca family is out to put its mark on a popular downtown food source.
Mona and Victor Khoury, the new owners of Washington Market, have spent long hours over the last month to make the cafe/grocery their own.
“We were looking for a bigger space and when I walked in here to check it out, I knew we could do something really special,” Victor Khoury said.
The Washington Market, 461 Ellicott St., debuted in January 2005 in the former Wehle Electric building. It became an instant hit with the growing crop of downtown residents seeking food and groceries close to home. It has also proven popular with the downtown lunch crowd.
Auto dealer Billy Fucillo, chief investor in the business, put it up for sale late last year, and the Khourys answered the call.
“We’re not downtown people, but we’re very excited to be here and the neighborhood has been very supportive,” Victor Khoury said.
In an unusual move, the new owners kicked off their operation with a survey of customers, residents and surrounding businesses to find out what they needed from the market. The requests were taken seriously, leading to a slate of new products and services.
Among big changes is expanded hours. The market will open its doors at 7 a. m. starting later this month, with a 7 p. m. closing time. The new owners will also start serving breakfast. The early morning menu will include pancakes, egg items and other breakfast fare. Customers will also find an upgrade in the market’s meat and deli offerings, focusing on better cuts and higher-quality fresh products.
“We needed to know what the neighborhood wanted, so we asked them,” said the Khourys’ daughter, Amy, a full-time market employee.
Customer feedback has also resulted in a number of physical changes to the market space since the Khourys took over the business last month. Produce and bakery departments have been moved to the back of the market, opening up the front for increased seating and better customer flow for its cafe.
“In the past, the Washington Market was positioned as an upscale, specialty market,” Amy Khoury said. “We still have lots of gourmet items and upscale brands, but we want to be everybody’s market. Our prices are comparable to the big supermarkets, like Wegmans and Tops.”
Rocco Termini, developer of Ellicott Commons, the residential/ commercial complex which houses the market, as well as the adjacent Ellicott Lofts, said it’s critical to offer services to his tenants.
“You need the synergy of residents and services to make it a real neighborhood. I’m happy to have the Khourys come in and be really serious about serving the residents,” Termini said.
The developer recently signed two other key tenants to the Ellicott Street complex, Sea Bar, a sushi restaurant, and Fix Salon.
While new to downtown, the Khourys are no strangers to the food business. Mona Khoury began baking banana bread for a relative’s market nearly 20 years ago, a home-based business that expanded to include baked goods for nine Wilson Farms stores and over a dozen independent food sellers.
After his 35-year career in the electronics industry was ended by “downsizing,” Victor Khoury joined the food business, and the family opened Mona’s Cafe on Langer Road in West Seneca. The small eatery offered a chance to experiment in the restaurant business, while providing a larger, more efficient baking venue.
Mona Khoury’s fresh-based bakery items, including “Mona’s Famous Carrot Cake,” have already made an appearance, along with her brownies and banana bread. Plans call for the in-house bakery to turn out muffins, croissants, doughnuts and other sweets.
In addition to Amy, three other Khoury children — Christina, Michael and Lisa — are all working at the market. The new owners also retained the market’s existing staff and have added a breakfast chef.
