Volunteers of America

Burton, MI store.

Volunteers of America last operated in CNY over a decade ago in Auburn.  Rochester has the closest (and would run any in the state outside the tri-state), and Wilkes-Barre is the only one I went to since.  There are spots they could open:

North Syracuse - US 11, Northern Lights

Utica - former Rite Aid

Syracuse (west side) - S. Geddes St.*

Cortland - NY 13, Riverside Plaza

Auburn - NY 5*

Canastota - NY 5 & 13, former Family Dollar

Oswego - former Gordmans/Peebles, NY 104

*former Salvation Army

These can also be used for Amvets (also see later post) and Savers (also in Monroe County) or St Vincent de Paul (formerly in Onondaga County; one becoming a Rescue Mission Thrifty Shopper and the other two just other things).

7-Eleven

East Haven, CT store

7 Eleven recently acquired Speedway a year after they got Sunocos retail operations (just as Speedway did the same for Hess and a few years back and Express Mart not too long ago).  This will bring 7 Eleven to areas it has never been before or have few stores.  Sunoco A Plus have 7 Eleven products already, but still have the old guard on them (it took time for Sunoco to absorb Atlantic in 1993).  In some communities, there will be overlap, so some may be sold to other chains so they're not close together.  The Speedway in Camillus could become a Tops Express as a Tops is right there.  It could also be done at the Moyers Corners Sunoco with Speedway up NY 31, or across from Shop City in Syracuse.  After the Sunoco purchase, 7 Eleven had fewer stores in CNY than Stewarts Shops.  A former 7 Eleven/Wilson Farms on the north side a mile from Shop City is an indie cornershop now.

Until both chains are gone, North Syracuse, downtown segueing into the north side, and the west side are the only ones that are true 7 Elevens in the immediate area, with Auburn and Cortland in the region.

Mr Subb

East Greenbush location on US 4, 9 & 20

 Mr Subb (not to be confused with Canadas Mr Sub) are a sandwich chain exclusively in the Capital Region, which I know from visiting relatives in the area (who have since either moved away or passed on).  There are five locations they had in the past that I know of that are gone now (there may be even more, but I only know the area so well.  I'd also like to make a longer list of where to put new locations like I usually do with other chains, especially in Albany proper, so it's more convenient for those of us who lack personal vehicles, whether we live here or not, but that will take a bit more research, so do watch this space, given that I'm really just an outsider of the district with only a couple family connections left today):

Past locations:

Albany (New Scotland/Woodlawn) - New Scotland Ave (across from St Peters Hospital; now Subway)

Delmar - NY 140 & 443, Four Corners (later CinderEllas Subs, now Subway)

Albany (Delaware Area) - US 9W & NY 443 (closed in 2019)

Colonie - NY 5 & Wolf Rd, Colonie Center, food court (now Kanes Hot Dogs)

Guilderland - US 20, Crossgates Mall, food court (TBD; haven't been in yonks myself)

Waterford - NY 32, later Iceburgs (last one in Saratoga County to date; I last went in 2014)

Future locations:

Albany (Pine Hills) - US 20, former Bard & Baker Board Game Café

Albany (downtown) - 25 Erie Blvd, former Subway and/or Empire State Plaza, former McDonalds

Albany (State Offices) - 7 Harriman Campus off NY 85, former Subway

Albany (Arbour Hill) - US 9, former I Love NY Pizza, Loudon Plaza

Delmar - NY 443 & 140, former I Love NY Pizza, Four Corners

Saratoga Springs - NY 29, former Stewarts Shops

Despite having come to town all my life, one I could try to get to in future is Green Island off NY 32 in Watervliet since I can take the CDTA bus there if I'm in town on my own, although I haven't had time to go to any as often lately.  The other sub chains around there are in my area as well, just like Price Chopper and Stewarts (which are few-arts).  Mr Subb will never open west of Rotterdam, just as the North Country's Jreck Subs shall remain unseen east of Canastota at this end of NY 5. There is no Subb-situte. Who else would have tater tots baked in a convection oven or a NEBA roast beef sandwich that rivals Arbys? (I just get my ham).

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Reopen NY Phase 5

An AMC multiplex

There's no denying that we're all getting "corona-ed" out after a few months.  While this will all be over someday, not everything is back yet.  While much of Upstate has reached Phase 4 of NY Forward, malls, gyms, zoos and cinemas still aren't open right now.  That's why I think of them as a de facto Phase 5, even if Albany doesn't label it as such.  The Cuomo administration still have to confer with experts as to how to sort those businesses with social distancing and everything you hear about even if you're quarantined under a rock. When the 1918 pandemic occurred, it was likely theatres that had to close when Clara Bow and Charlie Chaplin ruled the big screen in the silent era.

No two so-called experts will have the same idea about what's next as it's still a learning curve.  All the while, small businesses and chains like JCPenney have suffered greatly with the economy.  Just know that the new normal is not the new forever.

Ruth's Chris Steak House

West Coast location

While we get slowly get out of the biggest global crisis of our lifetimes, it's possible the restaurant industry can come back, even as Dennys, Steak 'n' Shake and Friendlys close locations.  Some could become Ruth's Chris Steak House.  I've only seen them in Wilkes-Barre, PA and Niagara Falls, ONT at the casinos, but found it too much to have heavy food on the road, especially when it's hot out.  Here are spots I know that they could open:

New Hartford - former Zebbs, NY 5A & 69
Syracuse - Destiny USA, former Cantina Loredo

Syracuse  - former Firudo or Red Lobster, NY 5
Liverpool - former Price Chopper, CR 57
Cortland - Riverside Plaza, NY 13
Auburn - NY 5 & US 20, Fingerlakes Mall

deWitt - former Stones/Ruby Tuesdays, NY 5 (instead of old Firudo or Red Lobster)

Syracuse (Fairmount) - former Big Boy/IHOP/Good Buddys Pub, West Genesee St

COVID-19

Working to replenish as they all are at this shakey time.

With coronavirus the elephant in the room, all aspects of life are affected.  While stores try to restock shelves, we are in for the long haul.  As I usually make suggestion lists, it may be out of the question right now to even consider new locations as the economy faces an almost peerless challenge.

Gordman's

Fargo, ND location at nights

I recently discovered Gordmans in the former Peebles on NY 365A in Oneida (Peebles was a sister chain that Gordmans absorbed  They're also in Oswego on NY 104).  I had posted about Peebles in the past, but now I can just start fresh:

Liverpool - former Chase-Pitkin/Value City Furniture/American Signature, NY 31 & 481 or former Price Chopper or Herb Phillipsons, CR 57
deWitt - former Dicks or JCPenney, Shoppingtown, NY 5
Camillus - former Bon-Ton
Syracuse - former Bon-Ton or JCPenney, Destiny USA
Auburn - former P&C
Fulton - former kmart, NY 481 & CR 57
Mattydale - former kmart, US 11
North Syracuse - former Media Play, Michaels or Staples, US 11 and South Bay Road (instead of Mattydale), Northern Lights
Cicero - former Burlington or Trampoline Park, Circle Drive and Frontage Road
Cortland - Riverside Plaza, NY 13
Colonie - former Barnes & Noble, Wolf Rd or former Sears, NY 5
New Hartford - former Herb Phillipsons or Planet Fitness
Westvale - former Herb Phillipsons, Western Lights
Nedrow - former kmart/flea market, US 11 and Southland Dr
Geneva - former Tops, NY 5 & US 20
Henrietta - former Macys, NY 15A or former Tops, NY 252

Sunrise Records

Toronto location

I only went to Sunrise Records in Kingston, ONT, but it is similar to FYE, which they are buying.  Here's where they could dawn:

Clay - NY 31 & 481*
Auburn - NY 5 & US 20*
Henrietta - NY 15A & 252*
Cortland - NY 13

*past FYE location

Possibly as a result of Sunrises purchase of FYE from Albany-based Trans World Entertainment, fye.com and sister site SecondSpin.com will not buy anymore CDs or DVDs.  You may still be able to in person, although in some areas, it wasn't allowed, such as the Washington, DC location at Amtrak flagship Union Station.  I'll just go to other places to sell them or donate them if they are worth twopence.  Also might be as people stream music and films, as even BluRay is cheap now.

Marco's Pizza

Somewhere in the Midwest perhaps.

Marco's Pizza I heard of from national TV, but is yet another chain unseen in these parts.  Here's a slice of where to build:

Cortland - former Naples Italian Eatery, NY 13
deWitt - NY 5
North Syracuse - former Pies Guys, US 11
Syracuse (north side) - former Cantina Loredo, Destiny USA
Auburn - former Tim Hortons or Dennys, NY 5
Fulton - former Nestlé site, NY 481
Oswego - * NY 104

Westvale - former Kirbys, NY 5

Fairmount - former Pies Guys, NY 297 (if not Westvale)
Canastota - former Family Dollar, NY 5 & 13 and CR 25

Utica - former Parkway Pizza

Albany - former I Love NY Pizza, US 9

* former Pizza Hut

Discount Tire

Shenandoah, TX location

Despite being the leader in tyres, Discount Tire is new to me, as I just heard of it from a commercial the other week.  It would have to use the name Americas Tire like on the west coast north of San Diego County (because of other Discount Tires in the Bay Area and LA, given the generic nature of the name, yet in the Cincinnati-Covington area, this Discount Tire compete with Tire Discounters!) to avoid confusion with Mavis Discount Tire in CNY.  Here's where they could go:

Liverpool - NY 31, former Dunn Tire (see Update) or CR 57, former AutoZone
Mattydale - US 11, former Valvoline
Fulton - NY 3, former Fred Raynor Ford
Phoenix - CR 57, former Sharon Chevrolet
Syracuse (West side) - NY 5, former Lowery Bros Chrysler Jeep

UPDATE: In October 2023, Discount Tire acquired Erie County-based Dunn Tire, according to CBS 4 WIVB Buffalo and sister station Newschannel 9 WSYR (studio just up the street from the East Syracuse/deWitt location I've been to). The name will remain, likely because of the aforementioned name conflict and perhaps its legacy in WNY.  It's a "Dunn" deal!