Star Buds Buffalo is the first New York location of the Star Buds name, at 396 Kenmore Avenue, just west of Englewood Avenue. Kenmore Avenue runs along the line between the City of Buffalo and the Town of Tonawanda. It's a CAURD dispensary (license OCM-CAURD-24-000204), and despite the national brand on the sign, it's locally owned by two well-known Buffalo restaurateurs. Its most unusual feature is a drive-up window for picking up online orders.
A national name with local owners
WGRZ reported that the Buffalo store is owned by Nick Pitillo and Ed Gurbacki, who also own Osteria 166 in downtown Buffalo and Villaggio in Ellicottville. The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) license is held by OCC WNY Ventures, doing business as Star Buds, with Edward Gurbacki listed as the contact. The license was issued September 13, 2024, and Star Buds made its first sales on October 18, 2024, according to OCM data.
Star Buds operates dispensaries in Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, according to WGRZ. In Buffalo, the CAURD license is held locally, and the owners haven't publicly detailed how the brand arrangement with Star Buds works. The store's page on shop.starbuds.us is its official menu.
Drive-up pickup on Kenmore Avenue
According to WGRZ, the 1,600-square-foot store has a drive-up window where established customers can collect orders placed online. Leafly lists drive-thru pickup among the store's services. Drive-up pickup is still uncommon among New York dispensaries, and it helps on a busy road where curbside parking can be limited. Atly, which aggregates Google reviews, rated the drive-thru as one of the store's most-mentioned features. WGRZ reported the store employs about 25 people.
Menu, payment, and hours
Leafly's menu listing has shown nearly 600 products across flower, pre-rolls, vapes and cartridges, concentrates, edibles, topicals, and accessories. Brands it lists include Grassroots Cannabis, Jaunty, and Florist Farms. Star Buds' marketing mentions a Cannabis Cup-winning sativa. We couldn't confirm whether that strain is sold in New York, where every product on the shelf has to be grown and processed in the state. If you're choosing between vape types, our New York vape guide explains how live resin carts differ from distillate.
Star Buds runs a points-based Higher Rewards loyalty program, and Leafly mentions an email club for deals and event notices. Leafly also lists a veteran discount and an ADA-accessible storefront. Ask about the veteran discount at the counter, and bring proof of service.
A catalog of nearly 600 products is large for a 1,600-square-foot store, and it puts Star Buds closer to a big suburban store than a small boutique in terms of choice. It suits shoppers who want to compare several vape, edible, and pre-roll brands in one stop. Shoppers who prefer a short, curated list of craft flower may find Buffalo's smaller CAURD shops more to their taste.
Payment is cash or debit, per Leafly. Some aggregated Google feedback mentions an ATM with a fee, so bring cash or use debit. Hours differ by source:
- OCM filing: Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Leafly and opening coverage: Sunday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Hours often change after a store's first year, so confirm on the official menu page or call (716) 829-7235, the number on its Google listing. If you're new to buying, our guide to how much cannabis you can legally buy and carry in New York explains the 3-ounce flower and 24-gram concentrate limits.
How the drive-up window works
WGRZ described the window as available to established customers who order online, so plan on going inside for your first purchase and setting up your account. After that, the routine is: order on the Star Buds menu, wait for the ready notice, pull up to the window, and show valid 21+ photo ID. New York requires ID checks on every sale, including drive-up orders. Anyone making a purchase must be 21 or older.
The window is most useful in bad weather, for people with limited mobility, and on busy Friday and Saturday evenings. State law also bars consuming cannabis inside a car, parked or moving. Keep your purchase sealed and out of reach while you drive.
The restaurant-owner angle and early reviews
Pitillo and Gurbacki's background is in hospitality, and reviews of the store reflect that. Aggregated feedback describes a clean, organized room and knowledgeable staff, and Leafly quotes the shop's emphasis on service "that educates you on what products are right for your wants and needs." For shoppers, that background mostly shows up as consistent service. The store's Higher Rewards points program and email club are the main ways it rewards repeat customers.
There are a few reasons to shop elsewhere. If you want delivery, Star Buds' Buffalo listing doesn't advertise it, and stores like Dream Daze in Depew do. If you want a small-batch flower specialist, a micro-grower-focused shop may suit you better. And if you're new to the state's rules, remember that the drive-up window still requires an account and an ID check. It's faster than going inside, but it isn't anonymous.
Leafly has only a couple of reviews, both five stars. They praise the service, the products, and the atmosphere. Atly's summary of Google reviews describes a clean, organized store with knowledgeable staff, competitive prices, and a loyalty program that sets it apart. That's a positive pattern, but it's based on limited data, so read recent Google reviews before you go.
Neighbors in the 14223 ZIP code
The Kenmore Avenue and Tonawanda border area has several licensed stores. OCM records list WeedNDeed at 900 Niagara Falls Boulevard (opened February 2024), The Kokoro Way at 2454 Elmwood Avenue in the Village of Kenmore (opened September 2024), and Mary Jane's – A Legacy 2 Legal Dispensary on Sheridan Drive. Star Buds stands out among them for drive-up pickup and a national loyalty program run by restaurant-industry owners.
Closer to the city, Premier Earth on Hertel Avenue (open since December 2023) and Buffalo Cannabis Outlet on Harlem Road are also within a short drive. If you're planning a stop, compare their live menus against Star Buds before choosing, especially for a specific brand. For the rest of the metro, see our Buffalo shop rankings.
Who it suits
Star Buds suits North Buffalo, Kenmore, and Tonawanda drivers who want to order ahead and pick up without leaving the car, shoppers who already belong to Star Buds' loyalty program, and anyone who wants a large, conventional menu from locally owned CAURD operators. Check High Today's deals page for current Star Buds promotions, and the dispensary directory for other Erie and Niagara county stores.