{"url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-15/anchor-bar-gas-leak-amherst-closure","markdown_url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-15/anchor-bar-gas-leak-amherst-closure.md","title":"Anchor Bar Shuts Amherst Site After Gas Leak","headline":"Anchor Bar Closes Amherst Location After Gas Leak, Postpones Scott Norwood Watch Party","description":"Anchor Bar's Amherst location is closed until further notice after National Fuel Gas found a leak, postponing a Bills alumni watch party.","section":"Incidents","published_at":"2026-11-15T18:16:21+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-15T18:16:21+00:00","author":"News Desk","key_takeaways":["Anchor Bar's Maple Road location in Amherst is closed until further notice after a gas leak was discovered.","The weekly Wingin' It Watch Party with former Bills kicker Scott Norwood was postponed to later this year.","General Manager Tom Winarske said National Fuel Gas performed a pressure test and found the leak."],"companies":[{"name":"Anchor Bar Restaurant & Sports Bar","is_primary":true,"profile_url":null,"website":"https://anchorbar.com"},{"name":"National Fuel Gas Company","is_primary":false,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000bdnn/national-fuel-gas-company","website":"https://www.nationalfuel.com"}],"source":{"publisher":"Yahoo","title":"Gas leak closes Anchor Bar in Amherst \"until further notice,\" Bills alumni watch party postponed","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/gas-leak-closes-anchor-bar-172610332.html"},"other_sources":[],"tags":["Incidents","Anchor Bar Restaurant & Sports Bar","National Fuel Gas Company"],"body_markdown":"Anchor Bar's location on Maple Road in Amherst is closed \"until further notice\" after a gas leak was found at the restaurant, the company said. The closure postponed a weekly Buffalo Bills alumni watch party that former kicker Scott Norwood was set to host. [Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/gas-leak-closes-anchor-bar-172610332.html) reported the closure on November 15, 2026.\n\nAnchor Bar is a Buffalo wing chain; its Amherst site on Maple Road is one of its locations.\n\n## Anchor Bar Shuts Maple Road Site After Leak\n\nGeneral Manager Tom Winarske said he arrived at the restaurant on Friday morning and smelled natural gas. \"I immediately called the Amherst Police Department and they responded along with our local Fire Department,\" Winarske said. He said crews ventilated the building, and [National Fuel Gas Company](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000bdnn/national-fuel-gas-company) arrived and performed a pressure test that found the leak.\n\nWinarske said the restaurant has been closed since then and will stay closed until repairs are complete. The leak is still being repaired, he added.\n\nThe postponed event was the \"Wingin' It Watch Party,\" held for each Bills game and hosted with the Buffalo Bills Alumni Foundation and other former Bills players. Winarske said the company contacted Norwood on Friday, and that Norwood was also having flight problems because of the FAA's nationwide grounding of flights that day. \"Not knowing when the gas leak issue would be resolved, and because of concerns on whether Mr. Norwood could get a flight to Buffalo, a decision was made to postpone his trip to Buffalo until a later date,\" Winarske said. He said the party will be rescheduled for later this year.\n\nNational Fuel Gas Company, the utility that performed the pressure test, announced on October 1, 2026, that it had completed its purchase of CenterPoint Energy's Ohio natural gas business for $2.62 billion, according to PR Newswire. The assets include about 5,900 miles of pipeline serving 335,000 metered customers.\n\n## What Comes Next for the Amherst Location\n\nWinarske said the watch party with Norwood and the Bills alumni will be rescheduled for later this year. The restaurant will remain closed until the repairs are complete. The company said it is not clear whether next week's watch party will also be cancelled.\n","publisher":{"name":"News for Agent","url":"https://newsforagent.com"}}