Have you ever wondered what’s behind the giant pink buffalo on StaffBuffalo’s building? Now you can find out! Visit us at 168 W Humboldt Parkway during the Parkside Community Associations Tour of Homes & Gardens on October 5th from 10:00am-4:00pm.

Read on to find out more about the building, its history and renovations, and the surrounding neighborhood of Parkside!

What we love!

No office location is going to be perfect, of course. Being at the corner of Main Street and Humboldt Parkway puts us at one of the busiest intersections in all of Buffalo. That means sirens, honking, squealing brakes, and even the occasional accident. Yet StaffBuffalo’s location has so many great things to offer. Hear from some of our Team Members about their favorites:

1. Access to Parkside and Delaware Park: Walking just one block away from Main Street lands us in one of Buffalo’s most beautiful neighborhoods and parks. We love to take advantage of all the outdoors has to offer.

"I love its proximity to Delaware Park and how quiet the neighborhood is, even though the road gets so loud! It’s nice to be able to take a quiet walk in the day to unwind,” says Anne Coughlin, one of StaffBuffalo’s Recruiters.

“I love working in such a beautiful, peaceful, walk-able neighborhood,” says Lisa Gagnon, StaffBuffalo’s Administrative Assistant.

“StaffBuffalo’s location is a gateway connecting other parts of Buffalo with North Buffalo. I love our proximity to the Elmwood Village where I live, Delaware Park, and Downtown,” says Lauren Lewis, StaffBuffalo Partner.

StaffBuffalo Recruiting Assistant Clare works from our third floor!

2. Sunlight: Buffalo isn’t generally known for its sunny days, but StaffBuffalo’s corner location soaks up all the sunshine we do get through the numerous windows.

“I love how bright the building is and how unique of a work environment it is. It definitely beats working in an office building with no windows!" - Anne

"I love all the sunlight that comes through the windows! It is so bright and airy, at all times during the day!” says Stephanie Hobbs, Senior Financial Recruiter.

3. Architectural Features: StaffBuffalo’s building was built in 1913, and some of the beautiful details are still around.

"I love how cozy [the building] is and that it is not like your typical office!” adds Maggie Shea, Managing Partner. “We have great architectural notes of etched glass, bay windows, wainscoting, high baseboards, and pocket doors! While not all of the original components of the building are still intact, the ones that are make the work setting very comfortable!"

“A couple of my favorite features on the house are the staircase and the stained glass window. We have been able to maintain the charm of the building while updating it and making it our own!" - Lauren

4. Unique Work Environment: StaffBuffalo is all about collaboration and creativity, and our space reflects that!

“The 3rd floor is my favorite place to escape and do work! The change of scenery breaks up the day and it is very peaceful and relaxing up there!" - Stephanie

“I appreciate how the building is laid out to give us many different places to work: small private rooms, a collaborative conference table, and even beanbag chairs!” - Lisa

“You can find many pops of teal and hot pink colors throughout the office, which makes us all smile, even on dreary days!” says Maggie Shea, StaffBuffalo’s Managing Partner.

Our place in history

Parkside Neighborhood

The Parkside Community Association’s website offers a comprehensive look at the history of the neighborhood. Most Buffalonians have heard of Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who planned a network of parks and parkways for the city during the 1860s. Perhaps fewer are aware that he intended Parkside to be Buffalo’s first suburb, a “buffer against the burgeoning industrial city,” inseparable from Delaware Park. Various architects completed Parkside with homes in styles ranging from late Victorian, to Tudor Revival, to Bungalow, and Prairie style. In 1987, the entire neighborhood was listed as an Architectural Landscape District on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today, there’s plenty to do in Parkside and Delaware Park. Check out the Buffalo Zoo and take a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Martin House. In the spring, you can see the cherry blossoms at the Japanese Gardens, and in the summer be sure to catch a play or two during Shakespeare in Delaware Park.

168 West Humboldt

According to Steven Cichon of the Buffalo Stories blog, 168 West Humboldt Parkway, StaffBuffalo’s home, was first listed for sale as a new building in 1913. It was used as a medical office for a physician and then a dentist, before being purchased by Canisius College in 1967 as meeting space for alumni and clubs. From 1989-2017, the building was owned by Sisters of Charity Hospital, located directly across the street.

Maggie Shea founded StaffBuffalo in 2015, and began by working out of the dining room in her home, also in the Parkside neighborhood. As the business grew, so did the need for more space. Maggie began asking around about unused/available buildings, and was directed by a neighbor to 168 W Humboldt. Maggie reached out to the head of the Sister's Hospital Foundation, which still owned the building at the time, although they had already moved out.

"They gave me a tour and I immediately saw the potential and had to have it," says Maggie.

First, though, she needed to petition the zoning board to get a variance to approve operating StaffBuffalo in a residential area, which took a few months. During that time, Maggie and the StaffBuffalo team went around asking for support to move StaffBuffalo into its new home. Her Parkside neighbors were overwhelmingly supportive – it was a great start to moving in! After a year of working with Sister’s Hospital Foundation and the Board of Directors, the sale was approved, allowing StaffBuffalo to move in and start renovating.

Makeover Time!

We removed thousands of feet of phone, fax, and internet wires from the outdated systems, and updated the plumbing, draining, and electrical systems to fulfill our modern needs.
We updated the look of the building by removing old window treatments and adding bright colors and white trim to brighten up the space.
First Floor: We renovated a room with extensive water damage to create two beautiful interview rooms, and turned two offices with gorgeous bay windows into conference rooms, which fits 8 people each.
Second Floor: We renovated the granite shower on the second floor, so that staff members can fully utilize the nearby park and clean up.
Third Floor: We turned the existing apartment into a staff space, including a fully renovated kitchen, bathroom, and employee lounge.
On the outside: We power-washed the siding, and added a hot pink StaffBuffalo to the Humboldt side of the building which was custom made by a local craftsman.

What’s Next?

“We would love to continue to return the building back to its charm,” says Maggie. That includes:

Ripping up the carpeting and refinishing the wood flooring.
Taking down a wall in the entryway in order to open to the foyer up to the fireplace and mantel, as well as getting an insert for the fireplace to make it cozier in the wintertime.
Adding more funky, modern furniture, and decorating the walls with artwork of Buffalo and unique pieces from local artists.

“Matchmaking” people and places

For StaffBuffalo, recruiting is like matchmaking.

We connect awesome candidates with exciting companies by having conversations with both parties to discover their career and hiring wants and needs. Our small, tight-knit team is a perfect match not only for our building, but for the Buffalo community as a whole. We help companies keep great people in Buffalo, while attracting talent from elsewhere in the U.S.!

The building layout fits our industry’s needs: Recruiting means lots of phone calls, requiring small, private spaces. But it also means team meetings and interviews with potential clients and candidates. The opportunity to renovate - designating small interview rooms on the first floor, along with conference rooms and collaborative workspaces - makes the StaffBuffalo building a unique fit for the needs of a staffing firm.

StaffBuffalo encourages a company culture of volunteerism and engagement within the community. That ideal is reflected in our building's location in a residential neighborhood, as well as our connection to and sponsorship of the Parkside Community Association. We’re always looking for ways to give back to our community, working with organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House and Child and Family Services!

Our emphasis is on quality over quantity, whether it’s the size of our team or the resumes we send to our clients. We have the opportunity to adjust the space to the unique needs of us as individuals, from a full kitchen to ideas for furniture additions. We can all sit in the same room to talk, learn, and share lunch together.

“We are leaning heavily on our staff to help us create their ideal work environment, so that the ambiance and furniture makes them happy!” says Maggie.

Beautiful architecture, sunshine through the windows, and a unique work environment, minutes away from Delaware Park? Yep, that makes us happy!

A Virtual Tour Of Staffbuffalo