Owner of The Old Pink grateful for support after fire destroys iconic bar

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Longtime owner of The Old Pink, Molly Brinkworth, said she was in shock after learning her iconic bar was destroyed by fire Monday.

7 News spoke with Brinkworth Wednesday for the first time since the fire, near the site where The Old Pink was located.

“What could you do? It’s like a death. You can’t go back,” Brinkworth said.

When asked what’s next, Brinkworth said, “I still haven’t decided. We have a lot to deal with.”

She owned The Old Pink for 33 years, but before that it was owned by her family.

“My dad and uncle bought it in 1969 and brought the steak sandwich,” Brinkworth said.

She said her family was inspired after enjoying a great steak sandwich at a bar in New York and her uncle and father said they would bring it to Buffalo.

The secret of this famous sandwich?

“It’s Guinness beer, onions, peppers and a grill that’s been cooking for 33 years,” Brinkworth said.

This steak sandwich was one of the many things that made The Old Pink so popular.

The bar meant a lot to the community, its employees and its customers.

“At the end of the day, they’re my customers, they’ve made my bar a family and we’ve become this crazy subculture,” Brinkworth said. “I’m so lucky to be able to sit on my barstool and meet people from all over the world.”

Although the structure is gone, the community it brought together remains and they gathered at Mulligan’s Brick Bar on Allen Street. Brinkworth looked at all the people inside the bar and said, “Look at all the people who are here to support us. »

She wants everyone to know that she is grateful for this support to help her get through this difficult time.

“For 33 years, we’ve been saying at the end of the night, ‘Hey guys…the bars are closed! It’s time to go home,'” Brinkworth said.

Brick Bar is doing its part and expanding its hours to fill a void in the neighborhood left by The Pink. You can read more about this story here.

She wanted to repeat it once again surrounded by her friends and family. The crowd gathering at the Old Pink shouted, “Last Call!” »

Brinkworth said: “Thank you for letting me say this for the last time.”

A GoFundMe has been created to help raise money to help Brinkworth and the staff.