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
Cortland - Riverside Plaza, NY 13
Auburn - NY 5 & US 20, Fingerlakes Mall

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.

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

deWitt - former Empire Vision/Doughertys/Firudo, NY 5
Syracuse (north side) - former Cantina Loredo or Margaritaville, Destiny USA
Auburn - former Tim Hortons or Dennys, NY 5
Fulton - former Nestlé site, NY 481
Oswego - * NY 104

Westvale - former Tops, NY 5

Camillus - former Firehouse Subs, W Genesee St 
Canastota - former Family Dollar, NY 5 & 13 and CR 25

Utica - former Parkway Pizza

Albany - former I Love NY Pizza, US 9

Philadelphia area - TBA (confirmed by corporate in 2025)

* 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!

Bus to Turning Stone

The Vegas of CNY!

For people who take the bus to Turning Stone Casino from Syracuse, a new company took over that run.  Rome-based Birnie Bus have done it for a long time, but unceremoniously stopped and a competitor, Hale Transportation in Clinton across Oneida County, have taken over.  Neither of their sites note any changes, yet the schedule is the same, picking up twice a day at Shop City, downtown Syracuse and Shop City (the casinos site has it now).  Birnies commuter service from Syracuse to Herkimer County, which uses back roads like the late Charles Kuralt, will continue to stop at the casino, but has always been separate from the casino bus with incentives.  Turning Stones site doesn't list bus partners like other places do, yet non-CNY companies like Wade Tours and Yankee Trails also travel to the facility, as well as private groups and local town councils'  parks and recreation departments (even within CNY), which cater largely to seniors, a huge component of the gaming industry.
I usually go during the festive season, but also when there's a show, but no one I like came this year.  It's also the only casino I go to not convenient by bus or on foot to local shops off campus, as small towns don't always seem like it.  You pay cash on the fly to get on the bus as opposed to other trips you plan in advance.  With pensioners being a big part of this, they don't have to travel out of town on their own.  If I had my own vehicle, I wonder if I would still do this anymore.