BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — On Grant Street in Buffalo the family-owned shop, Guercio's and Sons, has been serving the community since 1961. Manager Vinny Guercio said right now business is struggling.
"We haven't really fully recovered from the pandemic and then the back-to-back storms — it's been horrendous," Guercio said.
It's a similar story for many businesses in the City of Buffalo which is why University District Council Member Rasheed Wyatt wants to do something about it.
"There are businesses closing as we speak that were affected by the pandemic where's our sense of urgency for them," Wyatt said.
After Buffalo's Common Council voted not to give Braymiller Market more than $500,000, Mayor Byron Brown put in another request for council members to reconsider the forgivable loan at Tuesday's council meeting. But, Wyatt has a resolution that would instead reallocate the money to go toward other struggling businesses like Guercio's.
"At the end of the day, we need to get those resources made available so that we can do something because there's one number, $560,000, for Braymiller. What about everybody else," Wyatt said.
Council president Darius Pridgen said if council members voted on Brown's request on Tuesday it would've failed.
"Majority of council members feel that there needs to be some either changes to that item or there needs to be more money, significantly more money for other small businesses in this city," Pridgen said.
Wyatt's resolution and Brown's request will now head to the finance committee for more discussion.
We are happy that the council has agreed to reconsider assistance for Braymiller Market, and has sent the item to committee to review the additional information that was provided.
Wyatt said he is urging small businesses in the city to come to Tuesday's committee meeting at 10 a.m. if they need any assistance.
"We're trying to help these folks in our community that again feel like they've been left behind," Wyatt said.
Geurcio said receiving any kind of funding would help the business tremendously.
"The owners aren't taking a paycheck right now. There's a few times they put their own money back into the business to keep it going," he said.
Guercio hopes this resolution could help a family business that doesn't want to shut its doors.
"Anything would help at this point to keep this area thriving," he said.
