Offers Creative Outdoor Dining Options During the Pandemic

Rochester, NY—February 5, 2021—The City of Rochester and Roc Holiday Village are excited to announce that Winter Greenhouses have now been set up at City restaurants. The restaurants were selected to receive a free greenhouse to offer temporary outdoor dining options during the coronavirus pandemic through May.
The Winter Greenhouse project is managed by Roc Holiday Village and is part of the City of Rochester’s Jumpstarting ROC reopening plan.
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 selected City of Rochester restaurants:
  • Branca Midtown (280 E Broad St.)
  • Brass Lounge (363 East Ave.)
  • Carroll’s Bar (1768 East Main St.)
  • Charlotte Tavern (2 River St.)
  • Condado Bar and Grill (2260 Clifford Ave.)
  • Dorado (690 Park Ave.)
  • Dragonfly Tavern (725 Park Ave.)
  • Hose 22 Firehouse Grill (56 Stutson St.)
  • Jines Restaurant (658 Park Ave.)
  • Kandis’s (701 Lake Ave.)
  • Ludwigs Cafe (Gibbs St.)
  • Magnolia’s Deli & Cafe (366 Park Ave.)
  • Main Place Tavern (1899 E Main St.)
  • Panzari’s Italian Bistro (321 Exchange Blvd.)
  • Riot Room (350 East Ave.)
  • Roam Cafe (260 Park Ave.)
  • Swan Dive (289 Alexander St.)
  • Tap and Mallet (381 Gregory St.)
  • Temple Bar & Grill (109 East Ave.)
  • The Distillery (1142 Mt Hope Ave.)
  • The Gate House (Village Gate)
  • The Hideaway (197 Park Ave.)
  • The Revelry (1290 University Ave.)
  • Veneto’s Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta (318 East Ave.)
“I want to congratulate this diverse assortment of restaurants and thank them for joining our creative partnership with Roc Holiday Village and our sponsors to Jump Start the Roc,” said Mayor Warren. “Rochester’s dining scene is a critical part of our economy, so I’m happy to see so many people working to help these small business owners navigate the challenges of this pandemic. Programs like this are setting the stage for a full and equitable recovery and advance our goals to create more jobs, safer and more affordable neighborhoods, and better educational opportunities,” said Mayor Warren.
“Our team at Roc Holiday Village is excited to start working hand-in-hand with our friends in the restaurant industry to help them come up with unique and creative ways to use their new greenhouse space,” said Jenna Manetta-Knauf, co-founder and producer of Roc Holiday Village, along with Kelli Marsh and Sean McCarthy. “Knowing that State coronavirus guidelines could change at any given time, we will also work with the restaurants to ensure that they have alternate plans with their spaces in addition to sit-down dining.”
The greenhouses are distributed around the City, ensuring each of the quadrants is represented.
The 25 greenhouses, owned by Roc Holiday Village, were constructed at the McCarthy Tents and Events warehouse in Henrietta and installed at each restaurant this week.
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, providing restaurants an opportunity to extend their business space outside and remain compliant with State coronavirus guidelines.
The City is waiving outdoor dining permit fees during the pandemic and has developed a streamlined permitting process to facilitate a fast and safe opening.
The City is partnering with Roc Holiday Village, the successful popular holiday festival at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, to manage the program due to their demonstrated ability to transform outdoor shelters into welcoming, festive hospitality spaces. Roc Holiday Village facilitated the application process and lottery and will oversee the installation and provide event- planning guidance to help restaurants maximize the benefit of the structures.
The Winter Greenhouses initiative is supported by ESL Federal Credit Union, Rochester Area Community Foundation, Rochester Regional Health, Anthony Butera Team at Keller Williams, 13WHAM, CW, Fox Rochester, and iHeartMedia.
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 two 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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