Star Buds Debuts First Western New York Location 

Not that his business dance card isn’t busy enough, but to veteran restaurateur Nick Pitillo, the chance to open a marijuana dispensary in Buffalo’s University District definitely stoked his entrepreneurial spirit.

Star Bud, located at 396 Kenmore Ave., is due to open this fall, taking over an empty building that was once a Mighty Taco location. It will be Buffalo’s first state-licensed dispensary in the University District.

“I view it as a pretty good opportunity,” Pitillo said. “In its way, it is very exciting and a challenge, but also a chance to get into what I consider a ‘ground floor” opportunity.
True, dispensaries are becoming more commonplace, but to Pitillo and his longtime business partner, Ed Gurbacki, it is another chance to show their belief and support of Buffalo and the region’s economic landscape.

“It’s a chance to build something from nothing,” Pitillo said. “Just to be a big part of Buffalo’s future is important.”

The pair are partners in downtown Buffalo’s Osteria 166 and Villiagio in Ellicottville, along with OCC Ventures LLC, an off-site catering business.
Gurbacki said Star Bud has its roots dating back to 2021, when New York State began accepting applications to open marijuana dispensaries.

“We wanted to do something and do it in Buffalo,” Gurbacki said. Once the state accepted their application, Pitillo and Gurbacki began scouting sites for their dispensary.

The Kenmore Avenue site was selected for a number of reasons, Gurbacki said.
Among the factors: A daily traffic count of 16,888 vehicles per day that pass by the site, and then there is the neighborhood—a mix of residents with disposable income and a high-profile location.

“The more we dug into it, the more the site made sense,” Gurbacki said. “It is almost a perfect commercial spot.” Pitillo said another key factor was the building had a ready-made drive-through window, courtesy of its former tenant, Mighty Taco.

“There was a lot of merit to having the drive-through window,” Pitillo said. “We found, in a good way, the perfect storm site."

Pitillo said Star Bud will employ at least 25 people on a full-time and part-time basis, with his sister, Kim, serving as general manager.
For his part, Pitillo is looking forward to adding the Star Bud dispensary to his growing portfolio of business ventures.

“It does refresh my energy,” Pitillo said. “It is almost a natural step, bringing the collaborative culture we created at Osteria and our hospitality experience into a new retail venture."