BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — To love The Old Pink was to love the people, the music, the late nights, and the bar's celebrated steak sandwich.
"Just a legendary sandwich, just one of those things everyone talks about," Maxwell Korzaniewski of West Seneca told 7 News Anchor Jeff Russo.
The promise of that steak sandwich lured Korzaniewski and his hungry friends to The Old Pink at around 1 a.m. on Monday.
"It was pretty quiet in there, no one was getting food, no one else. We asked for three steak sandwiches and they obliged. I didn't think it would be the last time I would ever place that order," said Korzaniewski.
Korzaniewski says he was shocked to learn that only hours after he left the bar that The Old Pink had been destroyed by fire meaning his steak sandwich was one of the last ever to be served inside the Buffalo institution.
Crews demolished The Old Pink on Monday afternoon after the massive fire, 7 News spoke with the co-manager at The Old Pink. An Allentown property owner and others who shared their memories of the bar
"It's kind of like an end of an era," said Korzaniewski. "It's just kind of bittersweet. Kind of makes that one taste a little better last night."
"Everything about this place was special," said Steve Cichon, a Buffalo historian, standing outside of The Old Pink on Monday afternoon.
Cichon says he remembers The Old Pink as a place where everyone was welcome.
"It's a place where an entire segment of Buffalo culture became approachable to everyone," said Cichon. "This is a huge cultural institution and the loss of this place will be felt for a very long time."
Just down the street from The Old Pink, the owners of Nietzsche's opened their bar early for people to gather and share stories about what many consider a fallen friend.
"It's been such a center in the Allentown community for so many years. Everyone has been to the Pink, everyone loved that place," said Dana Scott, Owner of Nietzsche's. "I would say a large, if not a good percentage of all Buffalonians have memories of The Pink, of good times, and friends met there, late nights and good music."
A GoFundMe has been created to help raise money for the family business.
On Monday night, the community showed up to what's left of The Old Pink for a candlelight vigil.
