Misuta Chow’s, Buffalo’s only Japanese-American restaurant and arcade, is set to close on Sept. 7. The space offered UB students a culturally unique mix of food, aesthetic and energy. While the place was most well known for its iconic Hello Kitty staircase — a pink and glittery spot for photos, the restaurant also perfectly combined classic American, local favorites and Tokyo-inspired cuisines. The support from UB students helped sustain co-owners Johny Chow and Christi Allen for the last seven years.
When the Spring 2022 UB Arts Collaborator season featured one of Chow’s own art pieces in the Center for the Arts (CFA), students became an audience to one of the creative mindsets behind the restaurant. As the CFA art piece and restaurant have a similar ambiance, UB students were connected to Misuta Chow’s vision.
Before knowing his vision was relatable to students, Chow expected the customer demographic to be closer to his own age and was surprised to see younger faces throughout the years. “They don't even know some of the movies I've seen or some of the music I've listened to because they're so young and just in a whole different world, but they still love to come here,” Chow said.
Throughout their seven years, Misuta Chow’s owners weathered major setbacks from the pandemic.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a type of bankruptcy that allows a business to reorganize their finances under court protection. To gain stability, they obtained a grocery license, set up a small shop downstairs and operated like a neighborhood grocery store selling hygiene products and pet food.
For Chow and Allen, wedding photos, birthdays and other special events held at the restaurant left the most lasting impressions. Before the final days, even after hours, they continued doing photo shoots with patrons.
"To hear the impact that this place has made on so many people's lives is really touching," Allen said.
Considering their restaurant’s final moments and how to advise young entrepreneurs, Chow and Allen encouraged students to follow their dreams, but to be smart, and know the beauty in failure.
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