7 Long-Closed Rochester Businesses We Wish Would Come Back

Remember this awesome pizza place with the old-fashioned player piano? Sometimes a banjo player would even join in for a performance! It was located on the southwest corner of the 19th St. interchange on Highway 52 before the highway was reconstructed. Shakey's was a very popular spot after JM football games on Friday nights. It was owned by former Rochester mayor Chuck Canfield and his family.

Benny's was located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Sixth Street and First Avenue Southwest, next to the current VFW club. Benny's was hugely popular through the 1960s and 1970s, and into the early 1980s. During its heyday, people cruising Broadway would make it a regular stop. It had the best French fries around and the teenage boys loved the waitresses on roller skates.

Remember when everybody bought records, tapes and/or CDs to listen to their favorite music? Face the Music was a classic 1970s record store that remained open through the 1990s. It was originally located on the east side of south Broadway, but later moved to Crossroads Shopping Center and expanded its offering of comic books, trading cards and other collectables.

This old-fashioned roller rink was located on the east frontage road along Highway 52 south of 37th Street, and later housed a bingo parlor. In the 1970s, it was THE place to go for the junior high crowd, and the kids could spin round and round to the blaring sounds of disco and rock music.

There were actually two different Long John Silver's locations in Rochester back in the day. The first was located on the west side of North Broadway, near where a McDonald's currently sits, but on the other side of the street. The other was located at the current site of the Walgreen's store near Barlow Plaza. People still crave their fish and other fast food seafood.

The original location for Waldo's was in the Northbrook Shopping Center. It opened in the mid-1970s and quickly became a popular hangout and family eating spot. It was also on the cruising route and close to the now long-gone Cinema 21 movie theater. Waldo's later opened another location in northwest Rochester and one in Apache Mall, which was the last one to close.

This popular craft store was located in the Miracle Mile Shopping Center. Our resident expert believes it opened sometime in the 1980s and stayed open well into the 2000s.