BillsPride12 Posted October 8, 2020 Posted October 8, 2020 I haven't seen any talk of this anywhere but I saw on Twitter recently the owner/founder of the Big Tree Inn passed away. I didn't know him personally but I did get a chance to shoot the ***** with him for awhile when I was in there one night. Great guy, I was sad to hear about this news. The Big Tree is a staple in Buffalo Bills history. Does anybody know what happened and if there are plans for the bar to continue to operate or is this pretty much the end of the Big Tree?
yall Posted October 8, 2020 Posted October 8, 2020 5 minutes ago, BillsPride12 said: I haven't seen any talk of this anywhere but I saw on Twitter recently the owner/founder of the Big Tree Inn passed away. I didn't know him personally but I did get a chance to shoot the ***** with him for awhile when I was in there one night. Great guy, I was sad to hear about this news. The Big Tree is a staple in Buffalo Bills history. Does anybody know what happened and if there are plans for the bar to continue to operate or is this pretty much the end of the Big Tree? I believe its under new ownership. Was friends with the previous owner. Fantastic person, one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet. 3 1 2
Seasons1992 Posted October 8, 2020 Posted October 8, 2020 That's where I met Pinto Kenny the night before the GB 2014 game. Bud heavy bottles, raging headache the next day. Lovely man, lovely place, hope to get back soon. 1 2
dwight in philly Posted October 8, 2020 Posted October 8, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, BillsPride12 said: I haven't seen any talk of this anywhere but I saw on Twitter recently the owner/founder of the Big Tree Inn passed away. I didn't know him personally but I did get a chance to shoot the ***** with him for awhile when I was in there one night. Great guy, I was sad to hear about this news. The Big Tree is a staple in Buffalo Bills history. Does anybody know what happened and if there are plans for the bar to continue to operate or is this pretty much the end of the Big Tree? Back in the day, (73 -74) it was the only bar really in the vicinity of the stadium.. tailgating was nothing back then like it is now, my buddies and me would go in there , place was overwhelmed with people. , just a small bar , with a back room.. it really evolved , to say the least sorry to hear of the passing of the owner , cant remember his name maybe rudy? could be wrong Edited October 8, 2020 by dwight in philly 3
msw2112 Posted October 8, 2020 Posted October 8, 2020 I grew up in the Northtowns, so the only time I was near Big Tree was on gameday, and we always ate and drank at tailgates, so I have never been there. Given the proximity to the stadium, the history with the Bills and the reports of great wings, I have always wanted to get there. May its former owner RIP. 1
Augie Posted October 8, 2020 Posted October 8, 2020 13 minutes ago, msw2112 said: I grew up in the Northtowns, so the only time I was near Big Tree was on gameday, and we always ate and drank at tailgates, so I have never been there. Given the proximity to the stadium, the history with the Bills and the reports of great wings, I have always wanted to get there. May its former owner RIP. Yeah, I lived nowhere near the place and left WNY for college when I was 17 (I had to stick with the places close to home where age was almost irrelevant!). Being the iconic institution that it is, I made a point of going for lunch back when I was there for a home opener last year or the year before. Game day would be too crazy so I went on Friday when my flight landed. It’s something I just had to do once! RIP 3 2
blarsen Posted October 8, 2020 Posted October 8, 2020 I believe it was sold a year or two ago- I'm sure it will still be kickin' once Covid dies down. Great place esp. in Super Bowl years... Andre mentioned it in his Hall of Fame speech! Danny was a great guy; very sad... (Btw, best wings around...) 1
BillsPride12 Posted October 9, 2020 Author Posted October 9, 2020 2 hours ago, dwight in philly said: Back in the day, (73 -74) it was the only bar really in the vicinity of the stadium.. tailgating was nothing back then like it is now, my buddies and me would go in there , place was overwhelmed with people. , just a small bar , with a back room.. it really evolved , to say the least sorry to hear of the passing of the owner , cant remember his name maybe rudy? could be wrong Danny. So it sounds like he sold the bar a year or two ago...does anybody know what happened to him? Sounds like he might have been fighting an illness for awhile. Sad news regardless
The Dean Posted October 9, 2020 Posted October 9, 2020 So sorry to hear the former BT owner passed away. Great bar. I wish I had spent more time there. Hopefully I'll get to visit one day.
SinceThe70s Posted October 9, 2020 Posted October 9, 2020 I've only been to three Bills home games, but I do have a Big Tree story from the first trip. 1998, a co-worker that I'd had beers with a few times asks me if I want to go with his friends (who I'd never met) to a Bills game. Hell yeah! As it turns out my b-day was on Friday and my close friends had me out way too late. I got less than 3 hours sleep when they picked me up. The hangover hit about halfway to Buffalo. Regardless, we hit a club that night and the game the next day (13-10 over the Pats). After the game we went to another bar (yup, The Big Tree). Little did I know some of the Bills would be showing up. Cool as hell. What I remember most was squeezing past Bruce in the packed bar. Wall of a man, holy crap. Funny thing is none of the guys I was with were hard core Bills fans, one guy was marginal. Good times. 3 2
BADOLBILZ Posted October 9, 2020 Posted October 9, 2020 I'm told the hardest hit Peyton Manning ever took was falling down the stairs at the Big Tree. Definitely an "if those walls could talk" kinda' place back in the 90's. 2 4 2
NoHuddleKelly12 Posted October 9, 2020 Posted October 9, 2020 It’s on my must do bucket list, have never been but my old college roomie hailing from Amherst through whose acquaintance I claim partial Buffalo citizenship (shoveled an honorary sliver of driveway snow on a visit so that counts I think) already agreed to buy the first round when the Bills host the AFCCG next. Covid needs to take a hike before then, is all I can say. 2
aceman_16 Posted October 9, 2020 Posted October 9, 2020 Had my first beer at a Buffalo game there...good times. 4
I'm Spartacus Posted October 9, 2020 Posted October 9, 2020 Was there after one of the 90's Bills games. My buddies and I formed a ring around Thurman, so he and a buddy could drink a few beers in peace. He was thankful an bought us a round. Great place!
dwight in philly Posted October 9, 2020 Posted October 9, 2020 18 hours ago, BillsPride12 said: Danny. So it sounds like he sold the bar a year or two ago...does anybody know what happened to him? Sounds like he might have been fighting an illness for awhile. Sad news regardless i think he must have purchased it from the people who owned that were there at first.. in 73..
machine gun kelly Posted October 9, 2020 Posted October 9, 2020 I’m so sorry. Danny was friends with my brother. When I came home from FL, after college he would make me stop there on the way to our cousins out in East Aurora. I’ve been there 100’s of times and love the culture. The real MGK invited my sister and I for wings there once after we went to a signing at Wegmans. She was a VP so when we got off the plane she put us at the top of the line for a signature. I didn’t care about that, but was nice to get my boys a pic with Kelly tough. We didn’t do the wings thing as we had a huge family party for us, but the offer was nice. He was very gracious. The Big Tree is part of our family as I grew up a few miles from there and it was a great culture. Yes, it was a pub, but it was a place you could even bring you’re family and they wouldn’t allow bad language back then. 1 1 1
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