Rochester, N.Y. - What does it take for a business to survive in downtown Rochester? How about patience, loyalty, and a city government that will address their problems.
Two of the city's longest-running lunch spots nearly closed five years ago, just as dozens of other businesses closed around them. Jim Staffieri launched The Pizza Stop 25 years ago, and John Vito opened O'Bagelo's 20 years ago.
It is much quieter in 2011 than it was for Vito in 1991.
"Twenty years ago, when I did my initial research, which was to stand on the corner and count the people going by, I think I stopped counting one afternoon at 600 people walking by the front of the store," Vito explained. "And now you might see 20 people walking by the store."
But on this warm spring day, just down the street, foot traffic starts to pick up. Staffieri recently thought about shutting it down and moving to the suburbs. Now, he's glad he stuck it out.
"It's been a struggle, but we've managed to do it," Staffieri said over the din of the lunch crowd. "We have very, very loyal customers. Some people come here three or four days a week."
Now both men have made a decision. Vito is keeping his State Street location, and he's gone one step further. He recently expanded to a new location in a more popular city neighborhood. Baked & Carved is located inside Salinger's on East Avenue. After dabbling in suburban franchises, Staffieri will concentrate his business not on the suburbs, but on expanding next door. The Pizza Stop will soon acquire more space on State Street.
"That's definitely a signal to our customers that we're here to stay," he said.
"That's wonderful," Bob Smith, a longtime customer, responded. "We've thought about you leaving. That's traumatizing!"
The city of Rochester is listening to the concerns of small business owners like Vito and Staffieri. Several years ago they were furious to find the city aggressively targeting anyone who was even three minutes expired on their parking. Staffieri said that's changed.
"They have not been hassling or bothering our customers," he said. "Some people park in the wrong spots, they'll get a ticket, but lately they've been pretty good. I really can't complain."
"They have to do their job," Vito said during a break from serving hot roast beef at Baked & Carved. "The city can occasionally get into a tough spot. But they will absolutely listen if we need to talk to them. And the new mayor has a background that helps him understand our concerns."
For both men, patience has begun to pay off. But as they both know, an increase in foot traffic could vanish in a month or a year. Regardless, they have made a commitment to Rochester.
"You never want to leave the city, because this is where I spend all my time and this is where I've developed everything," Vito explained. "But you still worry about economics, and you say, 'Where is the business going to be generated in this community?'"
For now, he's confident enough to offer an answer. Five years ago, he might not have said Rochester. Today, John Vito and Jim Staffieri are confident enough to make sure Rochester keeps two of its longest-running lunch spots.
