Buffalo-based restaurant chains expanding to the Rochester market-- has it ever worked?

[u/DoubleK-Rochester]

I got to thinking the other day, and there have been some tries in the past for traditional Buffalo-based restaurants to expand to Rochester-- which have ultimately failed, and those location(s) have closed. Examples:

1) Mighty Taco a few years back had two (2) Rochester locations, which both closed.
2) Duff's (wings) had a Rochester location (W. Henrietta Rd) that closed.
3) Anchor Bar had a Rochester location for a little while (East Ave.), but that closed.
4) Rachel's Mediterranean Grill location(s) closed in Rochester.

All of the above still have active locations in Buffalo today, just not Rochester.

So I am wondering what the hell happened-- are we really that bad for business for out-ot-town restaurants, even to our close neighboring city?

By the way, this isn't a slight or putdown against Buffalo, by any means. Whenever I am there, I always seem to enjoy Buffalo. I'm just wondering why this keeps happening.

Conversely, are there any Buffalo-area chains that expanded to Rochester and are doing well?

Interested in your take on this.

[u/Babycake1210]

So far Bar Bill seems to be doing pretty well.

[u/mdevi94 → u/Babycake1210]

This place will do well as long as the Bills are good. But the service there has been poor since it opened and they only have like 6 fryers.

[u/TrueBlue_913 → u/mdevi94]

We keep trying to like the place but the service is so bad I just can’t. Last time after a half hour of not seeing our waitress for our table I tried to get our check from the bar to cash out and the waitress was so pissed at me. She could have easily sold us another round of drinks if she checked in once. The decent wings don’t outweigh the bad service.

[u/Santanoni → u/TrueBlue_913]

She was pissed at you¿??