Popular restaurant chain, arts and crafts supply giant to open locations in Greece
Two chains — one national and one local — plan to open locations next year in Greece.
Arts and crafts supply giant Hobby Lobby and hamburger restaurant Tom Wahl’s will occupy buildings vacated by two other businesses in recent months: Ashley HomeStore off Fetzner Road in the Ridgecrest Commons plaza and Carmine’s Family Restaurant on Maiden Lane near Mt. Read Boulevard.
The town announced the plans in a Facebook post, noting that both new tenants want to expand the existing Greece spaces.
Hobby Lobby is looking to add 12,000 square feet to the old Ashley store, which would put it at 70,000, Greece Supervisor Bill Reilich said.
Tom Wahl’s plans to add 1,800 square feet to the former Carmine's, which would bring it to around 5,000, said company president Jon Gonzalez.
Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, Hobby Lobby has 900 stores in the United States and Canada. Three of those are in Webster (Hobby Lobby's first New York state location, which opened in September 2008) Henrietta (September 2020) and Victor (April 2021).
Reilich said the Greece store could open by mid-2022.
Tom Wahl’s operates restaurants Brighton, Perinton (Bushnell's Basin), Fairport, Canandaigua, Newark and Avon. The Avon location was the first and opened in 1955 as an ice cream and root beer stand. The current food menu includes hand-pressed burgers, sandwiches, Garbage Plate versions called Junker Plates and fish fries.
The hope is for the Greece Tom Wahl's to be up and running by spring 2022, Gonzalez said.
Despite supply-chain and other issues created by the coronavirus pandemic, "We think that’s reasonable," he said. "Could there be delays with this or that? It’s possible. But we think the map we have will work."
He said the company has been looking for a stand-alone spot in Greece for a while. "We like Greece and really have nothing west of the city," he said, although there used to be a Tom Wahl's at The Mall at Greece Ridge food court.
The Carmine's building was particularly appealing because it has a drive-thru, Gonzalez said.
Only one other Tom Wahl's has a drive-thru, the Fairport restaurant, originally home to a McDonald's.
"It’s gone over really well there," he said. "And with COVID, that's pretty big to have. It's a key piece of the puzzle."
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: Hobby Lobby, Tom Wahl's to open locations in Greece NY
