Spring May Be Here but There are Still a Few Final Weeks to Dine in a Roc Holiday Village Greenhouse
Select City of Rochester Restaurants Offering Temporary Outdoor Dining Through the End of May
Rochester, NY—Spring may be here but the Roc Holiday Village winter greenhouses may still be enjoyed in their final weeks at select City of Rochester restaurants. More than 20 greenhouses have been in place since February 5 offering a temporary outdoor dining option during the coronavirus pandemic through May.
The Greenhouse project is managed by Roc Holiday Village and is part of the City of Rochester's Jumpstarting ROC reopening plan. The initiative allows a greenhouse to be in place on private property, a sidewalk or a portion of the street for up to four months.
The following Greenhouses are set up through May 31:
Brass Lounge (363 East Ave)
Carroll’s Bar (1768 E Main St)
Charlotte Tavern (2 River St) – keeping one greenhouse permanently
Ludwigs Cafe (25 Gibbs St)
Panzari’s Italian Bistro (321 Exchange Blvd)
Riot Room (352 East Ave)
Branca Midtown, Condado, Dorado, Hose 22 Firehouse Grill, Jines, Kandis's Restaurant, Magnolia's Deli & Cafe, ROAM Cafe, Tap and Mallet, Temple Bar & Grill, The Distillery, The Gate House, The Hideaway and The Revelry greenhouse installations were removed on or before May 1 to accommodate the restaurants' seasonal outdoor seating.
The restaurants were chosen via a live online lottery held on January 15. Each restaurant will operate its Winter Greenhouse for up to four months in its own unique and creative way, with help and guidance from the Roc Holiday Village team.
The Winter Greenhouses provided restaurants an opportunity to extend their business space outside and remain compliant with State coronavirus guidelines. The City waived outdoor dining permit fees during the pandemic and developed a streamlined permitting process to facilitate a fast and safe opening.
The City asked the Roc Holiday Village, organizers of the successful and popular holiday festival at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, to manage the program due to its demonstrated ability to transform outdoor shelters into welcoming, festive hospitality spaces. Roc Holiday Village will facilitate the application process, lottery, installation and provide event- planning guidance to help restaurants maximize the benefit of the structures.
Program sponsors include ESL Federal Credit Union, Rochester Area Community Foundation, Rochester Regional Health, Anthony Butera Team at Keller Williams, 13WHAM, CW, Fox Rochester, and iHeartMedia.
To learn more about the specifications of the greenhouses visit rocholidayvillage.com/greenhouses or jumpstartingroc.com.
About the Greenhouses
Each greenhouse measures 8-feet high and 8-feet wide and is made with aluminum framing and clear crystal polycarbonate built to withstand snow and wind.
Restaurants are responsible for heat, electricity, furnishing and outfitting the greenhouses.
Capacity will be from four to ten people pending restrictions and in accordance with public health and safety guidelines.
Note to editors: Download the Roc Holiday Village Winter Greenhouses logo at rocholidayvillage.com/news.
About Roc Holiday Village:
The City of Rochester Roc Holiday Village is Rochester, New York’s premier annual holiday festival bringing magic downtown for people of all ages. Roc Holiday Village was launched in 2018 and is owned and produced by Rochester natives Jenna Manetta-Knauf, owner of Bella Events Group; Kelli Marsh, owner of Kelli Marsh Photography; and Sean McCarthy, owner of McCarthy Tents & Events. In its second year in 2019, Roc Holiday Village presented 14 days of enchanting festivities and drew more than 125,000 people of all ages to the heart of downtown Rochester at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial Park for skating, shopping, live music, visits with Santa, crafts, pop-up restaurants and bar, private igloo tents, and more.
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