Popular canalside wine bar to close in Fairport

A popular wine bar in the Village of Fairport has announced that it will close at the end of the summer.

My Wine and Cheese Bar Too was the second wine bar for owner Michele Suhr; the first operated in the Northampton Towne Center Plaza in Greece from 2019 to 2023. The Fairport location opened in Packett's Landing, set back off Main Street, in November 2021.

My Wine and Cheese Bar Too has become a safe space for the 60-plus crowd to gather, Suhr said. It is as much a music venue as it is as a wine bar, and she tends to book bands that play classic rock and genres that appeal to its core clientele.

Suhr also has a full-time job working with people with developmental disabilities at The Arc of Monroe. "It's the most rewarding thing in the world," she said, but the pace has been tiring. "I've been working 7 days a week for 5 years," she said. "It's bittersweet for me because I met these amazing people."

Small challenges eat into profits

Prior to opening her businesses, Suhr had always had aspirations of owning a wine bar, but had never run any kind of business. She said opening her first location in Greece was smooth, and the city helped her get through the necessary steps. "I though it would be just as easy in Fairport," she said. "There were some hiccups in the village."

A spacious patio next to the canal has proven to be both a draw and a liability, she said. Different parties own sections of the patio, which meant she pays three different rents, including one to the Village of Fairport. In addition, she is required to pay a hefty fee to the The New York State Canal Corporation because of its proximity to the canal.

"If I had known ahead of time, it wouldn't have stopped me, but it would have been a little easier to understand the impact," she said.

But those were just some of the financial hurdles. She said her liquor liability insurance ― a separate policy from general business insurance ― increased 60 percent over the past year.

And at one point she owed $1 to New York State and it held up the renewal of her liquor license for several days. (A spokesperson for the State Liquor Authority confirmed the $1 disparity, but said a document was lacking a signature as well.)

On the whole, owning the wine bar has been a good experience, she said. "I certainly made some great friends," she said. "It felt like the 'Cheers' of both locations. You came in and you always would know somebody. It truly was an amazing experience and a dream come true for me."

More: New wine bar opens near Ontario Beach Park in Charlotte. Take a peek

If you go

My Wine and Cheese Bar Too, 400 Packett's Landing, is open 5 to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 4 to 11 p.m. Friday; 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. A sidewalk that goes around the side of the building leads to the lower level for wheelchair access.

Find menus and a full schedule of live music at mywineandcheesebar.com .

The wine bar will remain open until Aug. 25, which coincides with the Fairport Music Festival . "We'll head out with a bang," she said.

Tracy Schuhmacher is food and drink reporter. Email her at TracyS@Gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram , or sign up for her weekly newsletter .

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Popular canalside wine bar to close in Fairport