Greece Ridge mall welcomes 5 new businesses but loses a longtime restaurant

Marcia Greenwood, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
·2 min read

Since last month, The Mall at Greece Ridge has gained five new businesses and lost a longtime restaurant that had a significant place in the shopping center’s history.

Journeys Kidz, which sells footwear by Vans, Converse, UGG and other trendy brands for infants to preteens at 230 stores nationwide, is operating in a space between JCPenney and Macy’s, mall owner Wilmorite announced Jan. 13.

A Journeys store a few doors down sells footwear and accessories for teenagers.

The launch of Journeys Kidz at the mall follows four other openings:

  • Roc City Solez, which sells upcycled footwear and apparel by Classic Drip, near entrance No. 9 (where shoppers also can access Ulta Beauty and Aeropostale).

  • Restocked, which specializes in upcycled retro footwear, at the No. 6 entrance (near Roc N Dealz).

  • Hair salon Studio XVII, also at the No. 6 entrance.

  • Reality’s Edge Tattoo, at the No. 5 entrance (and opposite Sogo Sushi & Hibachi).

Journeys Kidz, a chain retailer specializing in trendy footwear for infants to preteenagers, has opened at The Mall at Greece Ridge.
Journeys Kidz, a chain retailer specializing in trendy footwear for infants to preteenagers, has opened at The Mall at Greece Ridge.

TGI Fridays closes

Meanwhile, TGI Fridays, the first structure built in 1992 as part of a $40 million project to link Long Ridge and Greece Towne malls and create 1.7 million-square-foot The Mall at Greece Ridge, has closed.

The restaurant, which was at the No. 8 entrance, shut down Dec. 20, according to a sign on the door. The company did not immediately respond to an email asking about the closing.

A Wilmorite spokesperson said a new restaurant is being sought for the 5,000-square-foot space.

Fridays entered the Rochester market in 1978 at 125 White Spruce Blvd. in Brighton, and that location remains open.

The first TGI Fridays opened in 1965 on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and is credited with inventing the singles bar. Growth and expansion led to its rebranding as a family dining establishment with an extensive menu of casual American cuisine.

Since 2008, nearly half of more than 600 Fridays restaurants nationwide have closed as a result of the Great Recession, the rise of fast-casual eateries (such as Panera Bread and Chipotle), and the coronavirus pandemic, Insider Business reported.

Movie theater to close

The mall is facing the loss of another tenant in the coming weeks. The 12-screen Regal Greece Ridge is on a list of theaters slated to close as part of its parent company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring.

In newly filed court papers, U.K-based Cineworld Group states that on Feb.15, it will end leases for 39 underperforming theaters nationwide, including Regal Greece Ridge, as part of a plan to save $22 million annually.

Wilmorite is not commenting, instead referring questions about the theater’s closing to Regal Cinemas, which is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and remains the second-largest movie theater chain in the United States behind AMC Theaters.

Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Greece Ridge mall welcomes 5 new businesses but loses TGI Fridays