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Longtime grocer, beloved beer warehouse among businesses Rochester said goodbye to in 2024

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Longtime grocer, beloved beer warehouse among businesses Rochester said goodbye to in 2024

From a beloved beer warehouse to a longtime local furniture store.

The greater Rochester area said hello or goodbye to dozens of businesses in 2024.

Included in this roundup are nine notable business closings, and most are stores. Democrat and Chronicle food and drink writer Tracy Schuhmacher is covering restaurant closings in a separate story.

AJ’s Beer Warehouse

A locally owned destination for beer lovers, AJ’s Beer Warehouse closed in August after a successful 11-year run. The retail and wholesale business operated out of an 11,000-square-foot former factory at 175 Clay Road in Henrietta. Founded in 2013 by Alex and Julie Bielecki, the store was named for their oldest son, then 4 years old. In a Facebook post they wrote, “It is time for our AJ’s family to move onto the next chapter in life.”

The sign atop the shop’s façade, designed and created by one of Alex’s cousins, was in the shape of a beer bottle, complete with an AJ’s Beer Warehouse label, and appeared to be emptying its contents into the front windows.

Big Lots

Big Lots closed hundreds of U.S. stores in 2024, including some in the Rochester region. The deep discount chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. The closures were part of a sale agreement with a private equity firm.

Breen’s Market

Breen’s Market, a longtime family-owned grocery store in Wayne County, announced in August it was closing for good. Breen’s Market started in 1908 as a meat market. The full-service supermarket opened in 1983 in Williamson. In a Facebook post, the Breen family wrote that the time had come to close the business at 4090 Pearsall St. “and move onto our next chapter in life.” The other Breen’s Market was at 611 E. Main St. in Palmyra and closed in 2022 after 56 years.

D&L Groceries

D&L Groceries, which opened in Rochester’s 19th Ward in 1986, closed late in the year amid a major street reconstruction project that was deterring customers, said owner Deloris Hamilton, who came to Rochester from Jamaica in the 1970s with her husband, Linford Hamilton. The goal of the business at 1005 Genesee St., which they ran together until Linford’s death in 2022, was to offer hard-to-find Caribbean and African grocery items. The store became known for Deloris’ authentic Jamaican dinners. But because of the street construction, “I can’t pay the bills — I’m very hurt to close,” Deloris said.

Freihofer’s Bakery Outlet

Freihofer’s Bakery Outlet at 900 Jefferson Road, Henrietta — a destination for deeply discounted baked goods — closed in March. The store was located within the Genesee Valley Regional Market. In August, Freihofer’s parent company, bakery giant Bimbo Bakeries USA, also shut down two upstate New York bakery facilities, resulting in the loss of 131 jobs.

Jos. A. Bank

In February, classic men’s clothier Jos. A. Bank closed its store at 3240 Monroe Ave., Pittsford. Open since 2002, it was the retailer’s second location here. The first (also closed) was in the Tops plaza at 1900 S. Clinton Ave., Brighton. In 2020, Tailored Brands, the parent company of Jos. A. Bank and Men’s Wearhouse, filed for and then emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Business wear companies were devastated by the trend toward more casual wear during the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in millions of Americans working from home.

ROC Dome Pickleball Club

During 2023, Henrietta’s Dome Arena, for decades a multipurpose venue, was turned into a pickleball club with 12 tournament-quality courts. However, it only lasted about nine months. The ROC Dome Pickleball Club, 2695 East Henrietta Road, which opened in November 2023, closed abruptly in July. The space is now being used for youth lacrosse and soccer practices, said co-owner Dr. Seth Zeidman, a local neurosurgeon. Built in 1972, the 25,000-square-foot Dome once was home base for the Monroe County Fair.

Ruby-Gordon

On Jan. 30, two months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, longtime local furniture store Ruby-Gordon announced it was shutting its doors. Its last remaining location was at 3737 West Henrietta Road, Henrietta. Third-generation president and owner Aaron Ruby shared the news on his LinkedIn page. “Ruby-Gordon will soon be no more…. the business that shares my name, that my grandfather started and my father ran for 50 years, that I have dedicated my life to over the last 10 years… will close for good before year end. I am the last generation of my family’s business.” Ruby-Gordon’s Rochester roots dated back to 1936.

Walgreens

Big-box pharmacy chain Walgreens closed five locations in the Rochester area in November: at 101 Pattonwood Drive, Irondequoit; 3122 Monroe Ave., Pittsford; and 565 Monroe Ave., 1490 Lake Ave. and 792 W. Main St., all in Rochester. In July, Walgreens told USA TODAY the company was shrinking its footprint by closing underperforming locations. However, store closings date to 2019, and the first domino fell here in November 2022, when the retailer closed at 670 Thurston Road, Rochester, now a Family Dollar.

This story includes reporting by Justice Marbury and Victoria Freile.

Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments and has an interest in retail news. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.

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