Another Rochester Restaurant Closes Its Doors

The local headlines have been buzzing lately with several area business who are closing their doors for good. Well, now, we can add one more.

While Michael's Restaurant, the Barnes and Noble Chateau, and Hanny's, all in downtown Rochester, have all either already shut their doors for good or are making plans to close, the Rochester Green Mill Restaurant, just off West Circle Drive, also closed permanently on New Year's Day.

KTTC.com has the full story of how the restaurant, which had been in business in northwest Rochester since 2006, abruptly closed on January 1st, without any advanced notice to employees, loyal patrons, or anyone else.

While I've not worked in the hospitality business (outside of working at McDonald's when I was in high school), I'm always curious why a restaurant and/or bar would just close without any advance notice. If you announced that the restaurant was closing, wouldn't you get more business from people wanting to head to your place one last time? When Michael's announced back in November that they were going to close at the end of the year, several stories have said how their phone rang off the hook with people seeking reservations for one last dinner there.

I realize that when a restaurant that's only been around for 8 years closes, it doesn't quite pack the same punch as when a local landmark like Michael's, which had been in business for 60 years, closes. And, don't get me started on what kind of predicament an abrupt closing like that puts your now-former employees in.

But I'd still be willing to bet that if the Green Mill announced they were closing several weeks ago, many of us would have plunked down a few shekels to head there one last time.