Apr. 2, 2003 - The menu is not the only item at a new restaurant that comes with prices. 

Off the Wall, a cafe opening this spring on Elmwood Avenue, gets its name from the fact that everything is for sale -- even the tables, chairs and art work on the walls. 

Owners Cherie and Brandon Chase got the idea after visiting a coffee shop that sold furniture and music in New York City, where they used to live. 

"I gave it a little bit of a Buffalo twist," said Brandon Chase, an Amherst native. 

Off the Wall is opening in May or June at 534 Elmwood Ave., the location of the former Blue Moon Cafe, which closed in September 2001. The exact opening date will depend on getting a liquor license from the state to sell beer and wine. Off the Wall will also feature soups, salads, sandwiches, specialty sodas and coffees. 

Bill and Donna Kissinger, the parents of Cherie Chase and partners in Pool Mart, bought the property in August at auction. 

Off the Wall features post-modern furniture that Brandon Chase bought at estate sales. Couches will sell for hundreds of dollars as will table and chair sets. There are also futuristic items from the 1950s and 1960s such as a red plastic hanging ashtray and a lamp that doubles as a hanging fish tank. 

In addition to a cafe-seating area, there will be a kids friendly room with toys, puzzles and child-sized vintage chairs. Late at night, Off the Wall will feature live music and DJs. At the very back of the store is a room where the Chases will display local artwork and hold private parties. 

As customers buy the furniture or decor, Off the Wall will replace it with new offerings it has in storage or has lined up with various vendors. 

"The room will constantly evolve with new things," said Brandon Chase. 

Brandon and Cherie Chase left Brooklyn last year because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and a robbery at their apartment. "We were in Manhattan and it was a very scary experience," he said. "We've always loved Buffalo and decided it was the right time to move back." 

And instead of paying $2,000 a month in rent, the couple was able to buy a home on Days Park in the Allentown section of the city with a mortgage payment that was a fraction of their New York City rent. 

Although the everything-is-for-sale concept may be a first in the Buffalo area, other restaurants have displayed and sold the artwork on their walls. 

Just Pasta has allowed artists to display and sell artwork since it opened about 20 years ago at 307 Bryant St., near Ashland Avenue. Showcasing local artists increases restaurant traffic, but Just Pasta does not get any commission when the artist sells the work on its walls, said owner Ron Morga. 

"It changes the whole look of the restaurant and adds to the atmosphere," Morga said. "People look forward to seeing what's new." 

But Off the Wall may be the only place where the wait staff will have to clarify if patrons want their dinner or dinner table to go. 

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(c) 2003, The Buffalo News, N.Y. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.