Jersey Mikes

Now I can get my own!

Jersey Mikes are another sub chain yet to grace CNY shores as it's too easy to go to rivals Subway (even Old Forge and Skaneateles have those).  I went by the Plains Township, PA one last year, but it was too out of the way.  Albany's the closest one I know right now (even though I usually go to local competitor Mr Subb when I'm in the Capital Region).  Here's where they need to be in CNY and beyond:

deWitt - NY 5 (Marshalls Plaza confirmed; now open)
Cortland - NY 13 (former Naples Italian Eatery [by I-81] and/or McDonalds [Cortlandville by NY 281])
Fulton - NY 481 (former Nestlé site)
Oswego - NY 104  or downtown
Rochester - NY 15 (former Jimmy Johns)
Henrietta - NY 252 (former Mighty Taco or Calios once that closes)
Auburn - NY 5 (former Tim Hortons)
Poughkeepsie - US 9 (former Quiznos)
Various - closing Subways that don't overlap with existing JMs

Halloween Express

Charlotte, NC location.  Enter if you dare!

Here's a new one.  However, due to its blatantly seasonal nature, Halloween Express are only open from late August until its very purpose, much like their competitor Spirit of Halloween, who are already in town every year.  There are a number of locations that may be available next year:

Clay - Great Northern Mall, NY 31 & 481; former Macys or Bon-Ton
deWitt - Shoppingtown Mall, NY 5; former Dicks or JCPenney
Westvale - Westvale Plaza, NY 5, former Tops
Chittenango - NY 5 & 13, former Kinney Pharmacy
Bridgeport -  NY 31, former Kinney or Great American
Canastota - NY 5 & 13, former Family Dollar
Auburn - former P&C
Fulton - NY 481, former kmart
Liverpool - Seneca Mall, CR 57; former kmart or Price Chopper
Cortland - Riverside Plaza, NY 13; former flea market
New Hartford - NY 5A, former Price Chopper
Colonie - NY 5, former Sears, Colonie Ctr or Barnes & Noble, Wolf Rd.
Henrietta - NY 252, former Tops
Canandaigua - NY 5 & US 20
Syracuse (north side) - Destiny USA, former Bon-Ton
Syracuse (west side) - Western Lights, former Herb Phillipsons/kmart
Syracuse (east side) - NY 5, former Empire Vision/spa?/Doughertys/Firudo
Syracuse (south side) - US 11, former P&C/Tops
Queens - former Caldor
Poughkeepsie - US 44 & NY 55, former ShopRite
Irondequoit - Medley Ctr
Williamsville - Eastern Hills Mall
Baldwinsville - former Family Dollar

Oswego - former Gordmans/Peebles, NY 104

Oneida - former Gordmans/Peebles, NY 365A

Back in my day, we had Switz's and Dougherty's, but that's for another post!

AutoNation

AutoNation Toyota.

AutoNation are a different animal from CarMax, yet also have no footprint yet in CNY (they're mostly in Florida).  They could go where other car dealers used to be that no one else has bothered with since:

Fulton - former Davidson/Fred Raynor/Reymore Ford, NY 3
Syracuse - former Lowery Bros Chrysler Plymouth Jeep Eagle, NY 5
Lakeland - former Vals Dodge, State Fair Blvd
Central Square - Burdick Ford, NY 49 (only if they ever decide to move to their sister dealerships at Drivers Village [née Penn Can Mall] in Cicero similar to how Davidson Ford moved to Liverpool; then Burdick Ford can go in the former Burlington or merge with the Lincoln Mercury Mazda division)
Phoenix - Former Sharon/Fox Chevrolet, CR 57 & 57A (moved to across from Davidson Ford)
Utica - former Paolozzi Mazda, former NY 49
Rome - former dealership, NY 233, 49, 69 and 365.

Tim Hortons

Calgary, ALB store at nights.

It's been a couple years since Tim Hortons' US office decided to close shops in CNY except those inside Delta Sonic, leaving Rochester with the closest stand-alone locations to Syracuse (I sometimes go there or in the border community).  Only a few have become other things to date (will be indicated).

North Syracuse (Sweetheart Corners) - US 11 & W Taft Rd - now Café Kubal
Downtown Syracuse - now Original Grain
Syracuse (Nob Hill) - NY 173 (now Dunkin' Donuts)
Weedsport - NY 31 & 34
Fulton - NY 481 (now Arbys only)
Oswego - NY 481 & W Utica St (now Aspen Dental)
Syracuse (Thompson Road) - NY 635, now WellNow
East Syracuse - NY 290 (now Dunkin')
Oneida - NY 5 (now Arbys)
Syracuse (Skunk City) (now Dunkin')
Cicero (US 11) - briefly Mighty Taco
Auburn - NY 5
Cortland - NY 13 - now Visions FCU
Baldwinsville (Moyers Corners) - NY 31 & CR 57 (formerly Hardees and Dougs Fish Fry, now partially Cams Pizzeria, car wash coming soon)
Niagara Falls, ONT - Niagara Square in food court (mall converted to power centre; existing one up the road)
East Syracuse (between NY 298 and I-481) - Northern Blvd & E Taft Road (now Dunkin')
Liverpool - 7th North St & Buckley Rd. (now McDonalds)
Baldwinsville (TBD) - NY 31 & 370 or Downer St.

Blaze Pizza

Fremont, CA location (Krispy Kreme can wait!)

NBA superstar leBron James is spokestar and investor of LA-area pizza chain Blaze, but it's more the idea of another multinational chain not yet in these parts rather him than being on the Cuyahoga County team that warrants a post.  A local place that has quick brick oven fire-baked pizza will have to compete if Blaze comes to town.  I may next look into CPK at a later date.

Henrietta - NY 252, Southtown Plaza
deWitt - NY 5 (now open)
Canandaigua - US 20 & NY 5, former Ponderosa
Oswego - NY 481 & 104, former Eckerd/Fays/Rite Aid, Pizza Hut or Friendlys
New Hartford - NY 5 & 5A, Sangertown Square
Auburn - US 20 & NY 5, Fingerlakes Mall or former Dennys, NY 5
Rochester (Henrietta) - NY 252, former Mighty Taco
Cortland - NY 13, former Naples Pizza
Irondequoit - Skyview on the Ridge (formerly Medley Ctr)
Watertown - NY 3, former Titled Kilt

Lidl USA

Greater Manchester store

Lidl have finally arrived in the US, but only in the mid-Atlantic and NYC/tri-state area right now.  I posted on them five years ago, but decided to start from scratch instead of just updating an old article.  They will now have to compete with Aldi here in America as they do back in Europe (neither are in Canada yet, but similar chains exist there).  As usual, CNY will be the main focus as that's what I know best, but I know I can try elsewhere too:

Canandaigua - vacancy on US 20/NY 5 and 332
Fulton - former kmart on NY 481
Syracuse (south side) - former Tops/P&C/A&P on US 11

Rochester - NY 383 near Kennedy Tower
Bridgeport - former Victory/Great American on NY 31 and 298
Cicero - former Burlington Coat Factory near Drivers Village or Green Planet Grocery on NY 31

Troy - former Price Chopper on US 4

deWitt - former Bed, Bath & Beyond; Marshalls Homegoods Plaza, NY 5 (pending)

Colonie  - former Barnes & Noble
Irondequoit - Skyview on the Ridge (ex-Medley Ctr), NY 104
Liverpool - former Price Chopper on CR 57
East Syracuse - former CountryMax/Agway on NY 290
Henrietta - former Tops or other vacancy on NY 252
Poughkeepsie - former ShopRite on NY 55 and US 44, Arlington
North Syracuse - former Media Play, Staples or Michaels at Northern Lights on US 11 (below)
PA Capital Region - former Darrenkamps

Schenectady - former Grand Union/ALDI, NY 5 & 7
Westvale - former Tops/P&C on NY 5

Ithaca - former Hobby Lobby on NY 13/34/96

Lancaster, SC - former BI-LO on SC 9 Bypass
Boonville - former Great American on NY 12

West Nyack - former Grand Union/Stop & Shop or ShopRite, NY 59

West Babylon - former ShopRite, NY 109

Oswego - former Gordmans/Peebles, NY 104

Asheville, NC?/various Mid-Atlantic and South - former BI-LO (see later article)

Williamsville - former Best Buy, NY 78

Can't imagine it without some kind of visual aid.

Former Jreck Subs locations

Short-lived Eastern Ontario location.

Jreck Subs is a regional chain that may not go as far as Jersey Mikes or Schlotzskys (more on them another day) but they hold their own.  Like many places, they had to let some locations go:

Oswego - downtown, now DP Dough (current location on the west side on NY 104 close to SUNY Oswego)
Fulton - downtown, now Metro PCS (current location on NY 481)
Fulton - NY 3, now Hometown Mobile
North Syracuse - US 11, Pitcher Hill, later an Italian eatery, now vacant
Syracuse - SU Hill, now The Pita Pit
Cortland*
Pulaski*
Kingston, ONT* (pictured)
Liverpool - 7th North St. & Buckley co-branded with Arthur Treachers, now Subway
deWitt - NY 5 and Orrick Road, now Speedway
Utica*
Rochester*
Geneva*
Camillus***
Syracuse - Lodi, Butternut and Catherine Sts., north side***
Baldwinsville

*TBD
**former Tim Hortons
***TBD but new business in its place


They ought to open here:

Oneida - TBD
Syracuse - downtown, Armory Square, S Franklin and Walton Sts., former Starbucks
Elbridge - NY 5, former hardware store
Fayetteville - former Eastern Mountain Sports
Chittenango - former Byrne Dairy, NY 5 and 13
Manlius - NY 173, former Marks Pizzeria

kmart

Ohio Capital Region closing

Attention kmart shoppers: kmart along with their sister chain Sears have been in decline in recent years unable to compete with Walmart, Target, and amazon as other rivals like Caldor, Ames, Jamesway, Woolco and Hills have shut their doors.  kmart had several stores in CNY (Cortland, Liverpool and Mattydale remain for the time being) and beyond that lost their blue light:


deWitt - NY 5; now Dicks
Nedrow - US 11; later a flea market
Syracuse - Western Lights; later Herb Phillipsons
New Hartford - NY 5A; soon to be At Home Superstore
Greece - NY 104, same as above
Fulton - NY 481
Auburn - NY 5; now Vineyard Church et al
Liverpool - CR 57 (on the way out)
Oswego - NY 104 (TBA)
Syracuse - downtown; later CVS; now a beauty supply
Colonie - NY 5
Reynoldsburg, OH (pictured)
Geneva - NY 5/US 20 (it's a small town and I saw a vacancy that would make sense)
Kingston - NY 32 and US 9W
Ithaca - NY 13/34/96
Watertown - NY 3 and Pioneer Plaza
Herkimer - NY 5 and S Washington St

All vacant or unknown unless otherwise indicated.

E85 in CNY

E85 at a pump in Wescoville, PA (Lehigh ValleyAllentown/Bethlehem area)

E85 (ethanol) fuel has been elusive for those with FlexFuel vehicles in CNY (mainly GM and Chrysler).  The last place to have it was Fastrac on NY 3 & 481 in Fulton until a few years ago when they switched to the opposite (Ethanol Free 91) for boats, older and luxury cars.  Most regular fuel in North America now has 10% ethanol but it's not the same.  Sunoco (shown here) turned part of the old Miller plant a couple miles away into an ethanol plant yet there isn't an E85 pump like you see here in Lehigh Valley near Syracuse.  Rochester has the closest ones if not somewhere on the way on the Thruway.  A Mobil in Albany on US 20 has it too.  A place in Homer in Cortland County may have as well but even in a small town, I can't find much to go on.  Tops and ShopRite (also in the Capital Region) should offer this.  Existing Speedways in the Midwest do and should add it when they open original stores (as opposed to ex-Hess ones).  I'll do a post on just that later.  E85 also tends to cost less than normal 87 octane.  It varies across the country.  It only makes sense to get it out of town if you're staying there a period or need to fill up or there's no point.  There's also E10 and E15 in some areas and states, but E85 is the one that I know.  Wood chips and ag waste is also used to make E-fuels.  You can't even get leaded gas in the US anymore (vintage cars now use lead substitute here).
The corn crop is limited here as it is with the difficult spring having an effect on the harvest.  Maize is more of a priority for food than motorcars yet there must be fields that are only used by Big Oil.

Travelodge

Bay Area location

This one will be a change of pace.  Travelodge are part of the Wyndham conglomerate, but currently have no locations in CNY like some of their sister chains do.  The only place I can think of for them now is the former Hampton Inn & Suites (owned by rivals Hilton) on 7th North Street in Liverpool as they moved around the corner to Buckley and Elwood Davis Roads where another competitor Ramada Inn used to be.  It's a bit of a challenge as to where else they could open coming up with ideas like I can for other things.  I do see closed and abandoned motels, but they're usually in spots that don't get the same kind of traffic anymore as these low-rent roadside inns have declined in the past few generations since the motorways were built, and we all know the adage of location, location, location.  The spot I know of is just that as it's right near the major crossroads of I-81 and I-90 (NYS Thruway) as well as close to the airport, Destiny USA, SU, downtown and the city.  It'd be good to have another place for people to stay, especially during peak periods such as major holidays and special events as they can fill up as just as much as they can in major areas like downstate and San Antonio, TX for that matter.  I've only seen it in Gananoque, ONT myself if not Farmington, NY but maybe somewhere else.
Travelodge however were in Syracuse in the past at 920 James Street (NY 290 at US 11) between downtown and Eastwood.  The building no longer exists having been demolished decades ago yet a competitor down the street remains to this day for those seeking something affordable near downtown.  Seeing a couple vintage postcards of other past locations had reminded me, so maybe now Travelodge can come full circle in CNY.  Little Falls in Herkimer County is the closest one at this time (small town).
UPDATE: The franchise owners of the Hampton will bring its sister brand Tru by Hilton to the old site (another one Tapestry will be at Hotel Skyler on SU Hill).  Maybe a Travelodge could be built across Buckley Road from the Hampton instead where indie motel United Inn was demolished several years ago.  Carnegie who run Maplewood Inn around the block (a former Days Inn) and bought out Pier 57 on Ct Rt 57 in Bayberry could convert Maplewood into a Travelodge.  I just know it has to be a part of town where there is the traffic and demand are enough to accommodate someone new to the area looking for a place for the night at short notice either on the fly or close to a peak period.  Even Northern Lights on US 11 in North Syracuse, which has little going on these days, could be torn down, except for where business still exists, of course, to build Travelodge since it's right near the airport and Thruway.  Could require certain zoning if I'm not mistaken.
UPDATE II: The former leMoyne Manor on Old Liverpool Road in Galeville would also work.

UPDATE III: The former Comfort Inn on Buckley Road in Liverpool (pictured) would make more sense as they moved around the corner to the old Clarion on 7th North Street.

UPDATE IV: There's also a vacancy right at the airport.

Fantasy location in Liverpool.

South Beach Tanning

As fake as a fake tan!

Now here's a post that George Hamilton can relate to! The closure of Zoom Tan and Total Tan in deWitt due to a merger opens the idea of a rival chain South Beach Tanning coming to CNY.  The franchise in Webster just outside Rochester is the closest one right now.  Good to try something new as far as a business possibility:


Oswego - former Tanning Bed, NY 104 (even though Planet Fitness in the same plaza have beds)
deWitt (Erie Blvd E) - former Total Tan, Marshalls Plaza, NY 5
Fayetteville - former Electric Beach tanning salon, NY 5 & 92 (Lyndon Corners)
deWitt (Nottingham Rd) - former Zoom Tan
Liverpool - former Verizon Wireless, NY 31
Auburn - Fingerlakes Mall, NY 5 & US 20
New Hartford - Sangertown Square, NY 5 & 5A
Cortland - Riverside Plaza, NY 13
Syracuse - Destiny USA
North Syracuse - Northern Lights, US 11
Albany - Colonie Centre, NY 5

Mobil

Typical location

After winning a gift card for Mobil in a competition, it dawned on me that they have fewer locations than in the past.  Exxon (formerly Esso; name used outside the US today) had a few in CNY as well prior to their reunion with Mobil as descendants of Standard Oil Company.

North Syracuse, US 11 & Bear Rd, now abandoned
Liverpool (Bayberry) - CR 57 and John Glenn Blvd*
Liverpool - Henry Clay Blvd and Buckley Road*
Liverpool (Galeville) - 7th North St and Buckley Rd*
Liverpool (village) - CR 57, now Conoco
Liverpool (Sugarwood Corners) - Buckley and Bear Rds; later Valero; now Gulf.
Clay - NY 31 & 481*
Syracuse (Eastwood) - Grant Blvd and Teall Ave, now Citgo
Fairmount (Exxon) - NY 5, now closed
Onondaga (Exxon) - NY 175, now Circle K
Syracuse (east side) - NY 5 and Teall Ave, now PriceRite
Syracuse (west side) - Delaware and Grand Aves, now indie
Syracuse (north side) - US 11, now Valero
Syracuse (south side) - S Salina St, now indie (one at NY 173 & US 11 still open)
deWitt - NY 5, now Speedway
Upstate NY (various) - I-90*
Fulton - NY 481 and CR 57, Babcock Oil Co., now Gulf
Manlius - NY 92, now closed
Syracuse (Carrier Circle) - now Speedway

*now Sunoco

The Old Spaghetti Factory

Toronto location.

A distant relative in Maricopa County in the Arizona Capital Region had mentioned The Old Spaghetti Factory, which I confused with another chain in my area called Spaghetti Warehouse.  As Italian food is in my tomato sauce blood, I thought this is the next post.  Too easy to go to their competitor The Olive Garden around here.  Only so many Italian chains not counting pizza or even calzones.

Syracuse (east side) - NY 5; former Red Lobster
Syracuse (north side) - former Cantina Loredo, Destiny USA
Watertown - former Tilted Kilt, NY 3
Cortland - Riverside Plaza, NY 13
Fulton - former Nestlé site, NY 481
Baldwinsville, former Rite Aid, Downer St
Auburn - former Walgreens or Fingerlakes Mall, NY 5 & US 20 or former Dennys, NY 5
Rochester, Marketplace Mall, NY 15 & 252
Irondequoit - former Keenans, off NY 104 or Skyview on the Ridge (ex-Medley Ctr)
Liverpool - former Price Chopper, CR 57
East Syracuse - former Carmellas Café, Bridge St (if not first two)
New Hartford - Sangertown Square, NY 5 & 5A or former Dennys
Canandaigua - former Ponderosa, NY 5/US 20
Ithaca - former Joes Italian Restaurant

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

Arby's former CNY locations

Former Liverpool location

Arby's are unique for having roast beef instead of burgers.  I go once a month.  However, like their two competitors there are a number of closed locations:

Clay - Great Northern Mall, NY 31 & 481
Liverpool - CR 57 (above; local franchise office down the road)
Oswego - NY 104

Syracuse - Destiny USA
deWitt - Shoppingtown, NY 5
Hyde Park, US 9 (I haven't been this way much in recent years)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area: Scranton, Kingston, Pine Grove, Lycoming Mall, Wyoming Valley Mall and Schuykill Mall (according to ABC 16 WNEP)

Burger King former CNY locations

Eastside location

Burger King may be in the same boat as far as writing about them but they too have several former locations in CNY I can recall.  They entered the area in 1975 when Carrols turned most of their locations into BK franchises and remain the leader from their modest sized headquarters on James Street.  A chain in northern Europe spun off of Carrols.  These ex-BKs in CNY were theirs:

Syracuse (downtown) - Galleries, opened in 1988; food court shuttered about two decades later, became offices and were absorbed by recent Library expansion
Syracuse (west side) - Burnet Park (now Rosamund Gifford) Zoo, now indie Jungle Café
deWitt (Erie Blvd E.) - NY 5, around where Econo Lodge is now
deWitt (Shoppingtown) - now vacant
Liverpool - CR 57, later Heartland Subs, now Rio Grandé
Baldwinsville - NY 31 & 370, also vacant
Syracuse (SU Hill) - not quite sure but I have a hunch

North Syracuse - Elwood Davis and Buckley Roads and 7th North St

Syracuse (south side) - S Salina St (just south of downtown)
Syracuse (Thompson Road) - new store replaced old one
Fairmount - same as across town above

McDonald's former CNY locations

Old Erie Blvd E & Seeley Rd location

McDonald's may seem far too easy to write about being in many nations, but there are just enough former locations in and around Syracuse committed to memory to warrant a post:

SU Hill - S Crouse Ave; one is a sushi bar about to be torn down, another was later Brueggers and is now Orange Crate Brewing Company
Almond St - now Upstate Medical Offices
Downtown - now a Chinese takeaway
Clay - Great Northern Mall, possibly where Taco Bell or Subway are in the food court now; current location just half a mile up NY 31 in Liverpool
Cicero - E Circle Dr, now vacant as new one opened around the corner on US 11
Liverpool - Old Liverpool Rd before village, now Village Burger
Fayetteville? (NY 5) - Fayetteville Mall in food court; current one next to Tops on former Sears site
deWitt - original location replaced by current store in '70s and has been renovated since that time
Manlius - NY 92 and/or 173?  A new one was proposed in recent years but fell through as Burger King are there now
South Ave. (NY 175) - now a church
S Geddes St. - also a church
Camillus - Camillus Mall? (stand alone one now across W Genesee St)
Cortland (Cortlandville) - NY 13, demolished when new one was built two doors down

Iceland and India both lost all of theirs so I can't complain!

7 Eleven and Sunoco

Hartford County location

7-Eleven and Sunoco announced a merger, so this could shake things up.  In CNY, the few 7-Elevens with petrol have rival Gulf (which was absent from Syracuse for over two decades).  We discussed 7-Eleven in an earlier post on new location ideas, but now A-Plus (which was originally with Atlantic; who spun off of Rockefellers Standard Oil conglomerate, the original Big Oil) could take the new name (took a while for another competitor Speedway to absorb Hess, so give it a year or so).  7-11 bought Wilson Farms which used to be owned by Tops.  Participating Sunocos in Price Choppers market area have discounts customers can earn (also covered in a previous article).  Some Sunocos have indie C-stores in them such as the Westvale (Delles), Fulton (Clancys), Oswego (Xpress Mart), Bridgeport (SunTrac), or Lyncourt (Ohri Gas Land) locations or regional chains like ExpressMart (deWitt flagship), Stewarts Shops (Albany County), Runway (Camillus) and Nice-'n-Easy (East Syracuse).  Also these existing C-stores are usually smaller than an average 7-Eleven.  Sunoco bought Atlantic in 1993.  Few older locations are still in business in CNY now such as in van Buren and Onondaga Hill if I'm not mistaken.
Due to the nature of the system, adding pumps to non-gas stores would take a lot of work and red tape.  The Eastwood 7-Eleven is right next door to yet another nemesis and Standard Oil spinoff, Mobil.  A new Sunoco/7-Eleven could be built in an area with less competition.  Just as long as I can use my FuelAdvantage every once in a while with another rise just made.

US Bank

Omaha, NE location

Here are US Bank for a change.  When First Niagara and KeyBanks swapped and closed locations this past year, they left enough for another chain or local credit union to take over.  While my local FCU could get some (that's for another day), others may either be too close to existing locations or just not in their market area (they are only in Onondaga County).  US Bank meanwhile seem to be chiefly in the Midwest being from Hennepin County in the Minnesota Capital Region going towards the west coast.  Might be time they open east of the Mississippi.  I'd have to find a chain that operate in my area and Florida if I move there for the winter next year as my relatives who do that in the mid-Atlantic have to bank online so they don't have to try and set up with something there as few chains are really national.

deWitt - NY 5, Shoppingtown (former Key Bank)

Henrietta - NY 252 (former KeyBank)

Baldwinsville (Moyers Corners) - NY 31 and Ct Rt 57

Liverpool - Ct Rt 57, Shops at Seneca Mall (if Moyers Corners not chosen) or former CVS/pharmacy

Rochester (Collegetown) - NY 15, former CVS/pharmacy

Rochester (downtown) - Cumberland, N Clinton and Joseph Sts off Inner Loop (bus station after it merges operations with railway station across the street)

Bridgeport - NY 31, former Kinney Pharmacy

Auburn - Genesee St (former Walgreens)

Cicero - Circle Drive (former McDonalds)

Clarence - NY 5, former bank TBD

Syracuse (Shop City) - former BSBank/First Niagara Bank.

Gas discounts

Even across the seaway from HQ isn't this high!

Many chains around the country have offered gas discounts for several years now.  Some have their own brand like Tops shown here, while others partner with a third party, as some of Tops' former sister chains use Shell (which left Syracuse decades ago) if not have their own (like Martins).  Price Chopper was one of the first in Upstate NY to have a program in collaboration with participating Sunocos.  Valero had one each at Strupplers and Village Market IGA in Oswego County until both became Tops in the past couple years.  In the Hudson Valley where Tops have grown south of former Grand Unions they acquired, they bought some of their ex-sister chains stores after they merged with another from Europe because of overlap and FTC regulations, and there shoppers save on gift cards to be used at area Shell, Irving (I don't even see these in their native Canada when I go, and doing the math with metric measurements, it costs much more), BP (left Syracuse along with their sisters Arco and Amoco) and Gulf (recently back in CNY) stations.  Tops in my neck of the woods and Price Chopper in theirs let customers who don't drive use points to save on bus passes so they don't go to waste if they don't have access to someone elses vehicle, but it only makes sense if you live there.  Someone in Hannafords ad said that the discounts barely make a dent (they don't even believe in a card).  ShopRite have it in a different way and I've seen it as they recently returned to Albany County (never knew they were there in the past as I heard of them from downstate and went down the river later).  Various other chains and indies nationwide will have a promotion somewhere.  Tops let you earn more points with manufacturers' coupons while Price Choppers kiosks will provide a store one to use when you spend a certain amount.  With the latter I try to get at least 20¢ off a gallon.  At Speedway it takes a few months just to even get to 10¢ off but I keep at it until I reach it.  Back at Tops, at the end of an earning cycle, there's a two-week hiatus, and you have to use the remaining 100s of points or they will be wiped at the start of the next period.  Back at the starting gate.
Prices fluctuate between events overseas and the economy.  Another rise is inevitable, but at least there's a way to keep the price down a little.  On the west coast, they could use this even more.

Woolworths

Former Bakersfield, CA store, which may be an indie shop now from the looks of it (recent photo)

    Since Family Dollar, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Dollarama (Canada), Five Below, even Ben Franklin in some small towns, as well as indie variety stores like 99¢ City are alive and well, then there's almost no reason why trailblazers Woolworths are not in this country anymore, as it's been for these past two decades. Many say Walmart and the like are to blame. Foot Locker are the legal successor to the original chain. Existing and defunct chains in the Commonwealth and México (spun off like the UK had in 1982) are not related (the Canadian chains were replaced by The Bargain! Shop [some stores like Ft Erie and Gananoque, ONT closed] and Walmart [Woolco absorbed in 1994]) respectively. Foot Locker could own the revived chain or at least licence the name to a new company if it came down to that. Here's where Woolworths 2.0 "wool'd" be today:

Manlius - former Kinney Pharmacy, NY 92
Elbridge - former Family Dollar, NY 5
Auburn - former Family Dollar, NY 5
Canastota - former Family Dollar, NY 5 & 13 and CR 25
Watertown - Paddock Arcade, NY 3 (not far from where early store was as it's a small town)
New Hartford - former Tuesday Morning, former NY 5/8/12 (chose downtown proper for post location)
Fulton - TBD (former kmart on NY 481 is too big)
Oswego - former Dollar Tree, NY 104
Cicero - former Green Planet Grocery, NY 31
North Syracuse - Northern Lights Plaza; former Media Play, US 11
Cortland - next to Grand Union, NY 281
deWitt - Shoppingtown Mall (former site unavailable but many others are), NY 5
Rotterdam - Viaport, NY 337
Junius Ponds - Finger Lakes Premium Outlets, NY 318
Bridgeport, former Kinney Drugs, NY 31
Liverpool -  former Verizon Wireless, NY 31
Syracuse - former Bon Ton, Destiny USA (although Five Below are already in newer section)

Known former CNY, WNY and Capital Region locations:

Syracuse - downtown (later Rite Aid; now DGX, but other parts are vacant)

Albany (uptown) - Westgate Plaza, NY 5; closed by 1993

Albany (downtown) - NY 32 (most likely)
Colonie - Northway Mall, NY 5, probably where Target is now
deWitt - Shoppingtown, NY 5 (plaza and mall)

Victor - Eastview Mall, NY 96
Utica - downtown (first failed store located there; newer store opened when chain grew later)
Fulton - now Dollar General; final CNY location; NY 481

Former chemist division The Rx Place had stores in Carousel Center (now Destiny USA down cellar where Burlington is now and was later CompUSA), deWitt on NY 5 (where Marshalls HomeGoods are today and onetime Pathmark Super Drug) and Poughkeepsie on US 9 at South Hills Mall (later PharmHouse and PharMor, which acquired Rx Place from Woolworths in the mid-'90s).

CarMax

Colonie location on NY 5 near Albany

Seeing a commercial for CarMax with MadTV and Ithaca College alum Andrew Daly, and going by the Henrietta location gave me the idea for the next post. I might even buy a car from them when I get the money. As usual, we always get things last around here (shock, horror).

Toppers Pizza

Milwaukee County location

Toppers Pizza are mainly in the Midwest, but should work their way to the Northeast:

Manlius - former Kinney Drugs, NY 92
Baldwinsville/Weedsport/Auburn - former Tim Hortons
Utica - former Nicky Doodles or Parkway Pizza
Ithaca - former Starbucks
Westvale - former Kirbys, NY 5

Fairmount - former Pies Guys, NY 297 (instead of Westvale)
Cicero - former Buffalo Wild Wings, US 11; Jimmy Johns; or former Marks Pizzeria, NY 31
Liverpool - former Marks Pizzeria, CR 57
Rochester - former Calios, NY 252 (Henrietta)
Watertown - former Tilted Kilt, NY 3
East Syracuse - former Carmellas (Bridge St.)
Cortland - former Naples Italian Eatery, Riverside Plaza, NY 13
Auburn - former Family Dollar, Dennys, or Tim Hortons, NY 5
North Syracuse - former Salt City Dogs, Northern Lights or former Pies Guys (village), US 11
Oswego - former Pizza Hut, NY 104
Canandaigua - former Ponderosa, NY 5 & US 20
Albany - former D.P. Dough, Western Ave. and Quail St. or I Love NY Pizza, US 9