BUFFALO, N.Y. — When Gigi's opens up again, it'll be about much more than just seating people and serving up soul food.
Darryl Harvin will be carrying on his mother's legacy and making sure the heart and soul of the original Gigi's can be felt in its new spot inside the Northland Workforce Training Center.
"It's going to be different from an aesthetic standpoint, but from a spirit standpoint, I think people are dying to get in here and relive Gigi's again and have that feeling of what it was," said Harvin.
His mother bought the restaurant in 1959 for just $300 and ran the place for more than 60 years. He said she was excited to see the restaurant get a second chance after fire destroyed the old East Ferry location in 2015.
Blondine died in January and never got to see the finished product.
Harvin said the new spot is like a "shiny new Cadillac" but said customers can expect many of the traditional recipes and may recognize some familiar faces — some servers and cooks are returning.
They're also adding some new menu items to go along with old favorites like smothered pork chops, sweet potato pie, and peach cobbler.
Harvin said look for gumbo, fried green tomatoes, and shrimp and grits on the menu. They'll also have grab-and-go items, rotisserie chickens, and offer catering.
Harvin said the old location became a cornerstone in the community — a place where people from all walks of life gathered for a good meal and where the employees knew most of the customers by name.
Harvin said despite the shiny new look, the old feel will remain because Blondine wouldn't have it any other way.
Gigi's will open February 25 at its new location at 683 Northland Avenue.