Spot Coffee

Rochester location on NY 96 over by NBC 10 WHEC (closed as of 2 March 2025)

 When I first discovered Spot Coffee in Monroe County last year (pictured), I assumed it was local. It's only recently that I learned it's a regional chain from Erie County sixty miles away from Rochester. They're even open as far east as Warren County! Since some of their competitors closed locations in between, Spot can find some new ones. (UPDATE: Spot in Rochester is now closed as of 2 March 2025, and has since become Eden Coffee and Co.).

Syracuse (east side) - former Red Lobster, NY 5

Various (Upstate NY only) - former Starbucks

Cicero - former Jimmy Johns, E Circle Dr & Horan Rd

North Syracuse - former Hofmann Hot Haus/Salt City Dogs, Northern Lights Plaza, US 11 & S Bay Rd

Canastota, former Family Dollar, NY 5 & 13 and CR 25

Fairmount - former Subway, W Genesee St

Syracuse (north side) - former Against All Odds, Destiny USA (food court already has Starbucks and is full up anyway)

Liverpool - former Catherines or Verizon Wireless; COR Plaza, NY 31

Auburn - former Tim Hortons, NY 5; Kubal Coffee, Genesee St, downtown; and/or Fingerlakes Mall, food court; NY 5 & US 20

Weedsport - former Tim Hortons, NY 31 & 34

New Hartford - Sangertown Square, NY 5 & 5A

Colonie - Colonie Center, NY 5 & Wolf Road

Camillus - former Firehouse Subs, W Genesee St (instead of Fairmount)

New Trailways counter at Regional Transportation Center in Syracuse

Adirondack Trailways bus in Ulster County, which is really near the Catskills.

 Trailways and Greyhound ended their partnership after 25 years time, and in New York State, the regional franchise in Hurley, just outside Kingston (I used to live not too far from there), will no longer pool with their competitor, so if your destination is only served by one of them, you can only book with that one or an app that has it.  At the Syracuse station, the split is made clear with a separate counter being built for Trailways where Dunkin' used to be (which indirectly moved around the corner to NY 370/Park St.).  This may confuse some people, as you'd be directed across the hall if one doesn't cover a certain route and time.  Having both companies available will make it easier for last-minute travellers, seniors, those with older or no mobile phones, the disabled, and those who live in well off-the-grid type communities (I sometimes see Amish families and occasionally Mennonites).  This could happen at Boehlert Union Station in Utica where there's a closed takeaway that could be converted, yet the Greyhound counter has been closed, leaving customers having to use the app or pay when they get to their stop if it's a bigger area (paying somehow, of course), and then in Rochester, there has been talk of merging bus operations with the Louise Slaughter Amtrak Station across the street as the Trailways station is old and small (even for there) and only meant to last so long.  You have to wait for Greyhound or Megabus downtown right now not far from where the station used to be at a mere stop as if it were a small town, which makes no sense in a larger city and when the elements take over.  Port Authority downstate must have something planned, while in Albany, CDTA have considered building a new hub for both theirs and intercity, which would include the two lines, along with Peter Pan and Yankee Trails.  Greyhound and FlixBus are now sister companies, yet have different management, and back in CNY, you get FlixBus a mile away from the station at Pilot, where you'd have to be dropped off by someone you know, a cab or rideshare.  I just wish I could get to Rochester and Ithaca in my time frame and price range having no access to a private vehicle going out of town (one can relate), and gas prices are making more people use buses and trains instead or car and planes.  However, bus and airline companies alike are having staffing issues at this time.  Just hope this works out for everybody.

UPDATE: Trailways' ticket counter moved down the hall to where the video games once were and they have formed a new alliance with Greyhound and FlixBus through a third party company in Jackson County, making it easier for riders, yet where to get the bus can keep changing, and worse, it can be out of doors, in a smaller building or the outskirts of town, even in larger areas, which is not good for vulnerable populations, yet Syracuse remains streets ahead of most cities with a one-stop shop for most bus lines (OurBus go to SU and the airport only) and Amtrak with a building to keep everyone safe, warm and dry that's not too hard to find or get to. As for what will go in the east end of the building, more as this develops, since I'll try to get on the road again despite changes in my own life.

Sears in CNY, Finger Lakes, North Country and Capital Region

Typical mall Sears in happier times. Forgot where exactly, however.

 Sears once ruled the retail landscape, but had also taken a downturn thanks to Walmart and amazon in that order. They had several locations in CNY and beyond that are all but gone. Few if any are left. Vacant unless otherwise indicated. The last three are the Capital Region since I grew up going there, and Grandma, may she rest in peace brought us there, and had the catalogue, as well along with the other place. I could throw in the rest of the state, but I don't want to get carried away, so I'll stick to these now.

Syracuse (south side) - US 11; closed in 1974; will become semiconductor workforce training hub through ON-RAMP state programme in the wake of neighbour JMA and Micron opening in Clay

Fayetteville - NY 5, Fayetteville Mall; 1974-95; replaced by P&C at Towne Center; now Tops

deWitt - NY 5, Shoppingtown Mall; 1995-2018; previously Deys; don't ask!

Cicero - Penn Can Mall (now Drivers Village); closed by 1988; later Steinbach and Burlington; now vacant

Clay - NY 31, Great Northern Mall, closed after thirty years; now Sky Zone Trampoline Park

Fairmount - Fairmount Fair, closed 1987; replaced by numerous retailers since such as Marshalls Homegoods and Old Navy

Auburn - NY 5 & US 20, Fingerlakes Mall

New Hartford - NY 5 & 5A, Sangertown Square, now Boscovs

Henrietta - NY 252, Marketplace Mall; now URMC office

Cortland (1) - NY 13, Riverside Plaza, Sears Hometown Outlet

Cortland (2) - NY 281; Cortlandville Mall

Cortland (3) - Downtown; US 11 and NY 41 & 222

Syracuse (north side) - Destiny USA, Sears Outlet (spun off from Sears proper); various

Westvale - NY 5, Westvale Plaza, Sears Hardware; now Thrifty Shopper

Liverpool - CR 57, Sears Hardware; now American Red Cross

Watertown (1) - NY 3, Salmon Run Mall

Watertown (2) - NY 12?, Downtown

Ithaca (Lansing) - NY 34, The Shops at Ithaca Mall, now Cayuga Health (along with former Bon-Ton)

Camillus - Camillus Mall, 1987-2001; now Lowes

Colonie - NY 5, Colonie Center; now Whole Foods (amazon-owned) and Floor & Décor

Albany - NY 32?, Downtown

Wilton - NY 50, Wilton Mall; now Saratoga Hospital office

Family Dollar in Eastwood

Not quite done yet.

 It has been confirmed that Family Dollar will move from Shop City to 3120 James St in Syracuse in what had been Loblaws, Peters IGA, Foodland, Carls Drugs, Fays, Eckerd and Rite Aid.  Nothing special really, with a bunch of them in the area. It could be that now that it's sister to Dollar Tree, it shouldn't be in the same plaza as Family Dollar, which has been looking to get out of strip malls and into their own buildings by buying vacancies of other chains, as has their competitor Dollar General have done in other parts of the region.  Family Dollar has renovated the building inside and out and even did landscaping.  Some may feel these stores are too easy to open, especially in food deserts, as low income residents rely on these places more than ever.  It will be more convenient for those without cars, including seniors and disabled, and in the elements.  Even Jordan got one a couple years ago in the former Big M/Tops, as it can be just as necessary in the rural community.  Back in town, at least somebody got in there since it's hard to get someone to buy or lease a commercial property, in the city or suburbs, anymore.

Once there's another empty spot in Shop City, we must decide what can go in there, but even the one on Old Liverpool Road is still available after Family Dollar moved across the street to that former Rite Aid and Eckerd, which was a successor to Fays, which had held Thrifty Shopper until that moved to CR 57.

kmart in CNY

Former Philadelphia County store, 2010

 Attention kmart Shoppers! There are only enough kmart stores left in the country to count on one hand (closest one now is in the Tri-State). Here are where they were in this area. Now vacant unless indicated.

Syracuse (downtown) - S.Salina & E. Jefferson Sts..; originally Kresge, later CVS and a beauty supply

Syracuse - Western Lights; later Herb Phillipsons; now Valu Home Center

Fulton - NY 481, River Glen Plaza

Auburn - NY 5, now Vineyard Church

deWitt - NY 5, now Dicks at Erie Canal Centre

Liverpool - CR 57, Seneca Mall; now U-Haul

Cortland - NY 13, Cortland Crossing, Munsons Corners, Cortlandville; now Marshalls

Syracuse/Nedrow - US 11 and Southland Dr., Green Hills Plaza; later a flea market; previously Grants

Geneva - NY 5 & US 20; TBD

New Hartford - NY 5A, now At Home

Mattydale - US 11

Herkimer - NY 5 & S Washington St.

Camillus - Camillus Plaza/Mall, closed by late '90s; now Lowes

Ithaca - NY 13, 34 & 96; now Five Below and Trader Joes

Grand Union vs Tops: The honeymoon's over?

Rome store on NY 46 & 49

 All eleven Grand Union stores are now open.  Only four were Grand Union before, switching to Tops more than once before going back.  However, not everyone is embracing the change, complaining about the prices and selection, although this is nothing new, although recent events come into play as well. To younger people, the chain is new to them, being too young or even not yet born when it was last in business locally or at all except for the few coming full circle again, or for those of use who are older, it can be a reminder of the old guard, or come to find it's a different animal.  If my grandma lived to see this, she'd probably be surprised as it was no longer in the immediate area two decades ago in the Capital Region where she lived when she was still alive, and she had to go to Price Chopper or Hannaford instead.  Back in CNY today, some people say they'll drive to the nearest Tops if that's an option.  Some miss the gas points and some even have gift cards to finish.  Because Washington, Albany, and Montpelier (for Rutland, VT) made this happen, it's almost ironic that both Price Chopper and Tops are still both convenient in Onondaga County, while spaced out enough in up to a dozen other counties.  Tops and Grand Union also belong to UFCW Local One, so those employees also need to be considered since it's hard to keep them around right now. We may wonder if it was a good idea last year to even merge.  It always comes with a price, if you look at other companies when they join forces.

In Cortland, one problem was that both Grand Union and P&C have Best Yet, being on opposite sides of a small college town.  When I went, I could find just a few things unavailable at the two indies back home that usually carry the trailblazing private label.  The former stores had more varieties of ice cream (not practical on the road without your own car and an insulated bag, plus air-con in the warmer months to boot) and my fizzy water (that was more doable for me), while one of the later has no Best Yet Ice Cream and the other has a few as these are small local places battling David and Goliath Syndrome.

Grand Union uses Red Dot Savings with phone numbers, having had cards in the past, which not everyone wants to deal with.  They have points to add up and redeem in their own way, and I'm already close to halfway, even for someone who may only go once in a great while (people would do the same for Wegmans if they don't have one nearby, but that's a story for another day).  I last went in Hamilton, another one-horse uni town, but Price Chopper opened there later and Grand Union couldn't compete.

The supermarket industry is low-profit as it is and I hope this wasn't a mistake where history doesn't repeat itself (like it may have elsewhere).  It'd be nice if there were more.  Maybe near me where there's a food desert or two, although the one that truly is may be up the road from one of the local places Grand Union competed with until maybe the early '80s (going thirty miles away now doesn't count).  Many who don't get out of town much if ever or go to certain area may even realise that the chain is alive and well (P&C too in some form).  It's just not the Grand Union we grew up with.

Ocean State Job Lot

Former A&P location

 Ocean State Job Lot is another chain first introduced to me in the Capital Region. I may have gone to the one off NY 7 in Schenectady. They went into the former Grand Unions in Valatie and Ballston Spa. Maybe it could work its way west up the Thruway corridor to CNY if not WNY.

Utica - former Rite Aid/Eckerd/Fays, Genesee St (near Munson and St Lukes) and/or NY 5; former Chicago Markets/Great American* (Deerfield/North Utica)

Canastota - former Family Dollar, NY 5 & 13 and CR 25

Westvale - former P&C/Tops, NY 5

Cortland - former flea market, Riverside Plaza, NY 13

Syracuse/Nedrow - former kmart/flea market/Grants, US 11 & Southland Dr

New Hartford - former Tuesday Morning, New Hartford Shopping Center

Fulton - former kmart, River Glen Plaza, NY 481

Williamsville - former Best Buy, NY 78

Henrietta - former At Home or *, NY 252

Mattydale - US 11; former Tops/P&C*

Oswego - NY 104; former Fays?/*

Auburn - NY 5; former kmart*

Liverpool - CR 57; The Shops at Seneca Mall; former Price Chopper* (confirmed)

Cortlandville - NY 281; TBD* (instead of other side of town)

Oneida - NY 5 & 46; Glenwood Shopping Center; former Price Chopper* (instead of Canastota)

Rochester area - TBD*

Buffalo - S Ogden St; South Ogden Plaza*

Elmira - Lake St*

Watertown - NY 3*

*former Big Lots as of 2025 (OCJL will take over several locations in the Northeast)