Blondine Harvin bought Gigi’s restaurant in Buffalo when she was just 22. Determined and disciplined, she saved and borrowed to buy the restaurant in 1960.
Harvin wasn’t driven by entrepreneurial empire building ambitions or infused with culinary passion.
“I just didn’t want to work for anybody,” she said. “I wanted to be my own boss. So when I heard Gigi’s was up for sale, I bought it. But I really didn’t know what I was getting into. I knew nothing about owning a restaurant, and didn’t think about the consequences. I was just young and foolish.”
But 51 years later, Harvin’s youthful exuberance has matured into hard-earned business savvy. Gigi’s has not only outlived other businesses in the once-bustling East Side commercial district, but it stands as a model for inner-city enterprises.