Roc Brewing will split with F.L.X. Wienery downtown. What happened?
What originally seemed like a match made in heaven is ending after just over two years.
Roc Brewing Co., a craft brewery established in 2011, is parting ways with F.L.X. Wienery downtown. On Oct. 4, F.L.X. Wienery at Roc Brewing will serve its final K-Town fries, piled with kimchi, goat cheese, miso mayo, cilantro and a fried egg, at 56 S. Union St. After that, fans of its creatively topped hots, burgers and fries will need to drive more than an hour south to the original F.L.X. Wienery at 5090 State Route 14 in Dundee, on the west side of Seneca Lake.
On Oct. 5, or shortly thereafter, the business will reopen as Roc Brewing Tap Room.
“There will be food moving forward,” said Chris Spinelli, co-owner of Roc Brewing. While the details are still a work-in-progress, one item that's likely to make a return appearance will be the Tater Tot waffles it served for years ― if only as a special.
"We've gotten enough requests that I think it will have to happen," Spinelli said.
What happened?
The partnership, conceived in late 2019, coincided with the brewery's expansion from 2,800 square feet to 7,100 square feet on South Union Street. The concept was for F.L.X. Wienery to focus on hospitality and food, allowing the brewery to focus on beer production.
"It seemed like the perfect marriage at that time," Spinelli said. "Obviously the world decided to throw a couple hiccups in there.”
The two-businesses-in-one establishment, called F.L.X. Wienery at Roc Brewing, opened in August of 2020, just as the realities of the pandemic had fully set in.
"It’s just been a series of pandemic stops and starts and challenges that have come around with that," said Christopher Bates, who owns F.L.X. Hospitality along with his wife, Isabel Bogadtke. "It stunted the opportunity and the growth and the expectation we all had.”
Among the challenges have been difficulty finding staff, supply chain issues and rising costs, he said. The pandemic also set back construction in the area, which affected who's living, working and visiting downtown. "While it’s catching up, it’s still significantly behind where it was supposed to be," Bates said.
Spinelli said the shared business wasn't hitting its financial goals. "Coming out, it’s how do we move forward and focus on the beers that really make our customers happy and excited to come to the brewery?," he said.
Spinelli and Bates both said the split-up is a friendly one.
"We tried something and life and the world got in the way," Spinelli said. "It’s time for us to do what’s best for us separately. It’s all amicable. There’s no hard feelings.”
F.L.X. Hospitality continues to operate the restaurants F.L.X. Table and F.L.X. Fry Bird in Geneva, as well as Quincy on Market in Corning. Bates said he plans to return to Rochester "– much sooner than later, that’s for sure.”
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Roc Brewing will split with F.L.X. Wienery in Rochester NY
