Wegmans to Mark 40 Years in Buffalo

Wegmans Food Markets will celebrate 40 years of service to the Buffalo, N,Y., market at 10 area stores on Saturday, Jan. 28 with live music, servings of anniversary cake and a $100 gift card raffled off each hour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The blizzard-themed event hearkens back to the historic Blizzard of ’77, which forced Wegmans to postpone the grand opening of its first store in the region, on Dick Road in Depew, and even stranded some employees at the location for several days. The anniversary event will take place 40 years to the day the blizzard struck. The Dick Road store eventually opened on Feb. 8. 1977, setting a new store grand-opening sales record.

“The Blizzard of ’77 was truly a massive storm that tested all Buffalo residents,” noted Michele Mehaffy, Buffalo consumer affairs manager for Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans. “But Buffalo residents are resilient, resourceful and caring. We owe a special debt of gratitude to all the people who’ve made the past 40 years such good ones for Wegmans – especially the customers who trust us to help them feed the people they love, and the employees who’ve worked in our stores. We’re glad to have this occasion to thank them.”

Representatives from Buffalo-area companies that make products carried by Wegmans will attend the events, including officials from Landies Candies, Perry’s Ice Cream, Louretta’s Chocolate Popcorn, Wardynski’s sausages, Costanzo’s rolls, Mayer Brothers’ cider, Yancey’s Fancy cheese and First Light Creamery goat cheese. Local brewers and apple growers will also be on hand, with Sun Orchards debuting a New York state apple called Pazazz.

Family-owned Wegmans operates 92 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts.