Donovan Real Estate Services

Atlas Fitness is the latest of numerous leases we’ve negotiated at Elm Ridge Center as it returns to glory as an almost fully-leased shopping center.

Elm Ridge Center was a ghost town with only a few tenants when it was acquired by Wegman Companies in late 2020. According to Placer.ai, the center’s best month in 2019 was December with 162k shoppers. Today that would be a below average month for Elm Ridge Center, and December of 2022 saw close to 225k shoppers. To get this kind of revitalization took a complete effort: Aggressive leasing, relentless promotion, and a bevy of updates and repairs to entice businesses to lease and shoppers to visit. Parking lots don’t lie, and they show a thriving Elm Ridge Center.

Most importantly, the new tenant mix has raised the floor for Elm Ridge Center. Post-holiday traffic—traditionally the slowest time for retail—is up 60% since Wegmans Companies took over. This day-to-day consistency will make the center more appealing to new tenants and allow for stronger lease negotiations as current tenants look to renew.

Today’s restaurant suggestion is for Jines Restaurant, on the corner of Park & Berkeley. In business since 1971, it’s been a mainstay of the neighborhood for decades, serving good affordable meals to residents for almost 50 years. Currently on its third generation of ownership, Jine’s has worked hard to evolve as Park Ave has changed. Jine’s has expanded, added outdoor seating, beer on draft, and updated the interior design and décor. By keeping up with the trends and demands, Jine’s is as popular as ever. There are always long lines for breakfast on weekends, and the desirable outdoor seating allows you to enjoy the energy and nice weather during warmer months. And right now they have an online ordering system on their website to help streamline getting your food.

The menu at Jine’s has a lot of favorites. The Frittata Omelet is always delicious and will absolutely fill you up. As an Irishman, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Corned Beef Hash. As any good Greek-owned restaurant should, there are a few special dishes like avgolemono, gyros, or lemon & egg soup. For today though, I’m going for the Fish Fry. I like the Beer battered option best. While the beer (Coors Light) doesn’t add much, if any, taste, the carbonation of the beer adds body and lightness to the batter. Jine’s uses haddock, which has a mild sweet taste and some medium flakiness.

Today’s restaurant suggestion is for the best slice in Rochester. I’ve got three favorites.

The first is The Pizza Stop. They’ve been in business since the mid 80’s, serving slices for downtown workers for decades. Pizza Stop has the best NY-style pizza in town. It’s so good I’m not going out on a limb when I say that. The crust is thin and foldable with a little char, and the customer service is gruff at best. My favorite toppings are cheese, or cheese & pepperoni. They’re simple, but rich and flavorful at Pizza Stop. While you can certainly get your fix at the Pittsford or Greece locations, the State street location is the best. The oven has a certain je ne sais quoi to it, and that’s essential to making a great pizza.

Second up is Pontillo's Pizzeria Bushnell’s Basin location and only this location. Pontillo’s locations can vary as they’re not required to get ingredients from specific vendors or stick to recipes. The Bushnell’s Basin location is home to Rochester’s favorite slice, with a thin-to-medium crust and a slight char. I really like that the blue cheese is free (Ranch is for savages). I go with the pepperoni/hot peppers with a side of blue cheese.

Last but not least is Chester Cab Pizza. Located on Park Ave, they give you a monstrously oversized slice that can easily fill you up. There’s a thicker crust that’s harder to fold with a crunchier texture to it, with a thick layer of toppings and a decent char as well. It’s important to mention Chester Cab offers beer by the can or six pack as well.