On the International House website, Supples and Taylor state,” The Buffalo nightlife virtuosos who invented the Pink Flamingo, then made Mother’s the place to go after midnight for a decade have one last spot to offer their hometown: International Place and Bar Flamant Rose (that’s pink flamingo in French).

“The veteran restaurant operators wanted to see what Zelalem Gemmeda, Akec Aguer, Elizabeth Sher, Lloyd Ligao, and Yeslin Greason could do at 617 Main Street, so they took over the lease and invested more than $500,000 in original art and sculpture, new stoves, high-powered WiFi, custom-built seating, real plates, and downtown Buffalo’s only public ping-pong tables (and bumper pool). They also lowered the restaurants’ rent.”

Of course, the bar is adorned with pink flamingo inspired accoutrement, replete with snazzy pink bar stools. Along with traditional table seating, a number of custom booths have been built out by craftsman Brian Wilcox. And the designer that pulled it all together is David Butler. Butler, who typically works on theatrical sets, did his best to create a vibrant-yet-relaxed setting for downtown travelers looking to get out of Dodge for an hour or two.

“When i first talked to Mark Supples, I wanted to help create a space that would soften the cave-like aspect of the space and take you to another place,” said Butler, of David Butler Designs. “The hanging lanterns were a big part of that. With the seating area I wanted to make use of some unusual spaces that were never really utilized. I as tried to create a new kind of seating area that would be great for connecting with others. The rest of the mural work we did is about travel with a little lounge and cheeky homage to old movies – when a toy plane would fly over a map, with a dotted line. Amy T. Kempf and Timo Walikis were my main artist collaborators, with other creatives matching color palettes so it all goes together. This is an exciting experiment for me. I can’t wait to see how it’s utilized. I hope it’s fun!”

As downtown Buffalo continues to reinvent itself, this piece of the culinary puzzle should not be overlooked. To have such a bountiful selection of food at one’s beck and call is truly impressive. Whether it’s a layover for a vegetarian Ethiopian injera platter or a puddle jump for a smoothie, this international culinary oasis is your ticket to pink paradise.

Get connected: internationalhousebuffalo.com