On the Road: Power City Eatery in Niagara Falls

Power City Eatery was started to fulfill a need in the community for good, scratch-made food that residents can rely on and tourists can be delighted by.

It's been almost two years since two Niagara University graduates and their third business partner opened the eatery, serving vegan scratch-made bagels, breads and pastries. It's a New York style deli, serving breakfast, lunch, wholesome sides, house made chips, pastries and handcrafted coffee. 

Joseph Hotchkiss, Kyle Bajor and Michael Lewis run the joint together. "We're so grateful to the community for all of their support, because they're why we opened in the first place," says co-owner Hotchkiss. He and Bajor wrote the business plan for Power City Eatery in a planning class at Niagara University. They created it with the intention of actually using it. The City of Niagara Falls then linked Lewis into the partnership, making it a trio.

The bagels and breads at Power City Eatery are created vegan so that more customers have options. "If we can make as good of a product, or maybe even better, that just so happens to be vegan, why not?" says baker Ryan Wickhhart. He's in every morning at 3 a.m. to start the process on dozens of loaves of bread and hundreds of bagels.

Power City Eatery is more than just a place to grab a bite or a cup of coffee. They also host several events, focused on supporting other local businesses and bringing the community together. They host trivia nights and even STEM with Santa, where kids can learn with St. Nick instead of just giving him their Christmas list.

Even though Hotchkiss isn't a Niagara Falls native, he makes sure each of the Eatery's employees is a beaming advocate for the city, so residents and tourists alike can celebrate all the area has to offer.

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