BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The owners of JAM Parkside were getting ready to celebrate the coffee shop’s first anniversary in March when the pandemic forced many businesses to shut down, so over the past few months, they've come up with a creative way to adapt.
"We were new and still trying to figure things out," said Steve Cichon.
The coffee shop never closed their doors.
"We've had enough trouble over the last year with the election, with COVID. To have all of that and to not be able to have good cup of coffee on top of it just makes it that much more difficult to deal with," Cichon said.
JAM Parkside became a solace to the community though out the pandemic.
"Just forget about it for a couple of sips. If we can provide that, we've really done something great," Cichon said.
They're preparing to adapt their outdoor seating to resemble Europe this year.
"We all know the typical look of a European cafe with 40 little tables out front with the two seats. There are people wrapped in their blankets drinking coffee. If that doesn't look like Buffalo, right? How do we not have that in Buffalo?" Cichon said.
The owners of JAM Parkside are bringing this tradition to Buffalo because it simply makes sense.
"We are Buffalonians. If we could go to a football game, we'd be at the football game with no shirt on. You see people shoveling their sidewalks in their shorts. This is just another version of that," Cichion.
