The new owner of indie grocery store the Village Fair, 119 W. Commercial St., East Rochester, was shooting for a July 15 opening.
When we stopped by July 30, the windows were papered over.
But the project to bring back the beloved community staple is still moving forward.
Joe Tumminelli, who owns the building and is leasing the store space to Yehya Ali, said Ali is now aiming for a Sept. 1 opening as he awaits a liquor license from New York state.
Village Fair history
The Village Fair was founded in 1960 by Paul Constantini.
Covering just 3,500 square feet and originally set up with four aisles, it evoked the mom-and-pop grocery stores of yesteryear.
After Constantini’s death in 2011, his family took over the business but in 2020 sold it to ER Convenience.
Two years later,
the store went dark after an electrical fire.
In March, with the fire damage repaired, ER Convenience sold 119 W. Commercial St. to Tumminelli’s J2 Properties Roc LLC, which got people talking about a Village Fair comeback.
Since Ali committed to restarting the store, the property has gotten a new roof, and the store’s vintage coolers have been refurbished, Tumminelli said. The building also contains six apartments that have gotten upgrades.
Planned store hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers the grocery business and consumer-focused grocery news, as well as retail development, openings and closings. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on X @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Village Fair reopening delayed in East Rochester
