Canandaigua's Fall Dining Shuffle: What Closed, What's on Pause and What's Pending on South Main

Before KiX on Main served its last dinner, Xan Bacon quoted a 1990s rock song. With a nod to Semisonic's "Closing Time," he told the Daily Messenger that "every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." That last service was Saturday, Oct. 3. Eight days later, early on Sunday, Oct. 11, a three-alarm fire forced Latitude 43, the newest rooftop restaurant downtown, to close indefinitely.

So downtown Canandaigua lost two full-service dining rooms in little more than a week. The dining projects meant to follow are clustered in one stretch, from the corner of South Main and Saltonstall down to Lakeshore Drive across from Kershaw Park, and the dates attached to them start in 2027.

Eight Days in October

KiX on Main opened in 2021 in the space that once held the Pickering Pub and, more recently, Gleason's Food & Drinks. Xan and Kimberly Bacon sold it this fall. In August, the Democrat and Chronicle reported that the Bacons had found a potential buyer and expected the sale in early October. Bacon chose not to name the buyer. By the start of October, the Daily Messenger reported that a buyer was secured, and Bacon said more details about the future of "this iconic spot" would come soon. That means one of downtown's best-known storefronts has changed hands while its next use is still unannounced.

Latitude 43 went the other way, opening in August at 5 Beeman St. in the space that used to house Nick's Chophouse and its Skydeck. The rooftop experience came with it, and the ribbon-cutting was set for 5 p.m. on Oct. 8. Three days after that, the fire started early Sunday morning in the four-story building, which has commercial space on the ground floor and apartments above. According to 13WHAM, the restaurant took extensive smoke and water damage, residents of neighboring apartments were displaced, and no one was hurt. Owner Julie Bagley told the station she hopes to rebuild.

That brought a summer opening and a long-running favorite off the table within days of each other. And Latitude 43 sits at South Main and Beeman, in the same south-of-downtown stretch where the next projects are planned.

What the Bacons Kept, and Where It Sits

Bacon ended his time running a full-service restaurant, but he and Kimberly stayed in business by the water. They still own Kershaw Koffee & Snacks and Fire on the Lake, the brick oven pizza spot across from Kershaw Park.

Those two businesses sit along Lakeshore Drive, at the end of a run of food spots on South Main. The Lake House on Canandaigua is at 770 S. Main St., New York Kitchen is at 800 S. Main St., and Rheinblick German Restaurant is at 224 S. Main St. The new dining projects below land in that same corridor, between the south end of downtown and the lake.

The Corner That's Still on Paper

The former Tom's Mobil site at South Main and Saltonstall streets has been a "someday" for years. A plan for it was approved in 2023 with a $6 million price tag, but that approval came before the developer could buy a neighboring house. Developer Fred Rainaldi Jr. is now back before the city with a revised version.

His application, #26-263, covers 267 South Main Street plus 11 and 19 Saltonstall Street. The city asks for four kinds of review:

1. A minor subdivision to combine the three properties
2. A special use permit
3. Site plan review
4. Architectural review

The application was tabled on Sept. 9 and put on the Planning Commission's Oct. 14 agenda. The plan calls for tearing down the former Beverage Center drive-thru on Saltonstall and a house the developer owns behind it. The city's Zoning Board of Appeals also has to weigh in on parking. Some commissioners raised concerns about drainage and how close the project sits to neighbors' homes.

The reported size depends on which document you read. The Daily Messenger's Sept. 16 report describes a two-story building, cut down from three, with just over 21,000 square feet of retail space and offices upstairs. The commission's Oct. 14 agenda lists "a 12,000 SF, three-story structure." The final approved plans will settle it.

The tenant list is what matters most to anyone hungry. In Rainaldi's words, the goal is "to basically extend the downtown center business district," and "the tenant makeup is designed to support and celebrate a strong four-season patronage." Here is what has been described so far:

Rainaldi didn't want to name the sandwich shop or the restaurant at this stage of approvals, and the Daily Messenger noted that could change depending on how the Planning Commission vote goes.

A Bagel Shop With a 2027 Target

Canandaigua Bagel Co. is the only tenant with names behind it. RochesterFirst reported in June that owner Colin Floom also runs Montgomery Court, a café off Park Avenue in Rochester, and that his wife is from Canandaigua. He and co-owner J.T. Stahl plan to serve locally made NYC-style bagels and local coffee, and they described the shop as filling a gap in the area. They said they hoped to open by May 2027. The site is across from Frequentem Brewing Co.

May 2027 is the owners' target, not a set date. The building it depends on still has city approvals to clear.

The Lakefront's Own 2027 Project

A few blocks closer to the water, Finger Lakes Community College is building a $24 million Culinary Arts Center of Excellence. The building will be more than 19,000 square feet, on Lakeshore Drive across from Kershaw Park. Spectrum News reported that it will bring FLCC's culinary arts program and New York Kitchen under one roof, along with programming offices for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ontario County. Funding comes from SUNY, the Sands Family Foundation and the Canandaigua Area Development Corporation, among others, and completion is expected by late summer 2027.

This one is likely to change everyday routines. New York Kitchen's hands-on cooking and beverage classes currently meet on Main Street, and they are moving to the lakefront, into the same block where the Bacons' coffee and pizza spots face the park. Add the Tom's Mobil plans and the 2027 picture looks like one food district running from South Main down to Lakeshore Drive.

Where to Eat and Gather Before Then

In the meantime, downtown still has a full calendar. Here's what's happening after this post goes up:

• Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Fall Into Canandaigua takes over downtown with a costume parade and contest, pumpkin decorating and performances, run by the Canandaigua BID.
• Sunday, Oct. 25: The third annual Oktoberfest at the Lake House on Canandaigua, 770 S. Main St., with Canandaigua-based Frequentem Brewing Co. Expect more breweries than last year, live music and lawn games, and each ticket comes with a commemorative mug and first pour.
• Beyond the festival weekend: Rheinblick German Restaurant at 224 S. Main St. serves traditional German food, beer and wine, and the Daily Messenger says "every day is Oktoberfest" there.
• Nov. 13 to 15: The Christkindl Market at Granger Homestead. The Festival of Trees runs Nov. 13 through Dec. 5. During market hours, the BID runs a free holiday trolley between the market and downtown, looping about every 15 minutes.

Outside that corridor, Onanda Park has a new stop too. The Town of Canandaigua says Onanda Outpost has opened in the historic Babcock Building, run with The Company Store, selling snacks, camping and grilling supplies, firewood and convenience items. The town is also working on a trail link between Onanda and Vista Preserve after buying nearly 60 neighboring acres, and is aiming to open the expanded trail system in spring 2027.

If you're up for a short drive, Wheel Works Brewing Co. began serving on Sept. 15 at 1755 Pioneer Road in Shortsville, in a rehabbed 1800s building where wooden wheels were once made. Co-owners Ken Johnson and Jeff Roberge ran sweet Times Bakery in Victor for three decades with Kim Roberge, and the brewery's back door opens onto the Canandaigua Outlet. Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Event dates and hours can change, so check with each organizer before you head out.

I live and work in Canandaigua, and South Main is part of my everyday drive too, so I'll be watching for the Planning Commission's decision on the Tom's Mobil site and news about the former KiX space along with you. If a project on this list has you wondering how it might change your corner of town, I'm always glad to talk it through. Reach out to Stacie Whitbeck and let's connect.