ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A battle has erupted over Rochester’s special event zone in the East End. The city says it’s curbing violence but one entrepreneur says it’s tanked his business.
Beau Warren, owner of Axes and Ales on East and Alexander, said the city’s special event zone has led to a decline in sales, forcing him to close his business after six years.
RELATED: Business on East Ave announces closure, cites City’s ‘Special Event Zone’ restrictions
“I was doing so well my, my year five that I signed, I signed the lease for another five years and, and then literally right after I signed that lease this happened,” Warren said. “And then that’s when I saw the decline in sales.”
I spoke with five business owners in the area. Four of them expressed support for the police presence, saying it makes people feel safer and helps their businesses.
The city responded, stating that the zones are essential for safety. Mayor Malik Evans emphasized their importance and said they plan to keep this in place on East and Alexander.
“We want it to be a destination, and it has been that way since,” said Evans. “But we’re not going to tolerate gunfire. We’re not going to tolerate nonsense in that zone.”
Crime data supports the city’s claims. In the first half of 2024, there was one shooting in the East End, while in 2025, there have been none. Lesser crimes have also decreased.
Albunn Coffee House, a new business on the strip, initially faced challenges due to the zone’s age restriction. The city adjusted the barriers to allow access without ID checks.
“I think it’s very important, especially for our customers,” said Kassim Shaibi, owner of Albunn. “I think for everyone around here, people’s safety is, you know, prior to the prior to the safety zone, I think a lot of crimes were happening.”
Overall, most business owners support the special event zones and their impact on crime reduction. Axes and Ales says it serves people that are driving into the city and not used to seeing police in front of businesses, so it’s the perception that’s hurting business.
The safety zones are in effect on Saturdays from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., implemented last fall to manage crowds and crime on weekends.
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Axes and Ales owner says city’s special event zone tanked business, forces closure after 6 years WHEC.com.
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