We will miss Ruby-Gordon and more

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 beverage writer Tracy Schuhmacher is covering the restaurant closings in a separate story.

AJ’s Beer Store

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’s time for our AJ family to move on to the next chapter of life.”

The sign atop the storefront, 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.

Very Big

Big Lots is closing hundreds of U.S. stores in 2024, including several in the Rochester area. The deep discount chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. The closings 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 that it was closing for good. Breen’s Market began 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 to move on to our next chapter in life.” Breen’s other market was at 611 E. Main St. in Palmyra and closed in 2022 after 56 years.

D&L Grocery

D&L Groceries, which opened at Rochester’s 19th^th Ward in 1986, closed at the end of the year amid a major road reconstruction project that was putting off customers, said owner Deloris Hamilton, who came to Rochester from Jamaica in the 1970s with her husband, Linford Hamilton. The purpose 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 groceries. The store became known for Deloris’ authentic Jamaican dinners. But because of road construction, “I can’t pay the bills — I’m too hurt to close,” Deloris said.

Freihofer’s oven point

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

Jos. A. Bank

In February, classic men’s tailoring 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 at Tops Square at 1900 S. Clinton Ave., Brighton. In 2020, Tailored Brands, the parent company of Jo. A. Bank and Men’s Wearhouse, filed for and then exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Business clothing companies were devastated by the trend toward more casual clothing 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 multi-purpose venue, was transformed into a 12-court, tournament-quality pickleball club. 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 was once the home base for the Monroe County Fair.

Ruby-Gordon

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

Walgreens

Big-box drugstore chain Walgreens closed five Rochester-area locations 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 that the company was shrinking its footprint by closing underperforming locations. However, the store closings date back to 2019, and the first domino fell here in November 2022, when the retailer closed at 670 Thurston Road, Rochester, now a Family Dollar.