News Release - Mayor Duffy Cuts Ribbon at Grand Opening of Abbott’s in Downtown

City of Rochester 

News Release 

(August 19, 2009) - Mayor Robert J. Duffy and R. Carlos Carballada, the City’s Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development, joined owner Eric Taylor at the grand opening of Abbott’s Frozen Custard at 72 St. Paul St. downtown.     

The new 2,000 square foot location will include a full-service restaurant. This larger kitchen will house the Abbott’s franchise, a catering business and will also accommodate a new portion of the business named the Kitchen Keg which will be a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.      

The Kitchen Keg will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.  Musical entertainment will be offered in the evenings on weekends.       

Abbott’s Frozen Custard operated at Midtown Plaza from the mid-1980s until Midtown Plaza closed on July 31, 2008.  Ellen and Doug Taylor purchased the business in November 1991.     

Initially, the business only served Abbott’s products.  To keep the business sustainable all year, when people were not eating as much ice cream, the Taylors began to introduce additional products such as soft pretzels, popcorn, candy apples and nachos. In 1992, the business began to offer catering and set up booths at the local summer festivals.    

With the closure of Midtown, the Taylors decided to enhance their business offerings again. The organization and management structure of the business is being changed with the Taylors’ son, Eric, becoming 100 percent owner of the new business. Ellen and Doug Taylor will remain consultants.       

The Abbott’s location at Midtown Plaza employed two full-time and five part-time employees, while the new expanded Abbott’s will employ a total of four full-time and 10 part-time employees. The move of the business to the Warner Building ensures that the business and its jobs remain located in downtown Rochester. The City of Rochester has assisted the relocation and expansion with funding from the Midtown Retention Program. 

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News Media: For information, call Eric Taylor 546-3116 or Susan Lindsay (City) 428-6407.

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