City of Rochester allows Casa Campo to fully reopen with new security requirements

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Casa Campo restaurant is fully open again after being closed for six months by the City of Rochester.

In May, police officers were injured when they tried to break up a staging area for ATVs and motorbikes in the Casa Campos parking lot. RPD says one biker drove at an officer and flipped him in the air. The city used the gun emergency order to close the restaurant down.

News10NBC’s story from May:

Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “How does it feel to be open?”

Hector Leon Figueroa, Casa Campo: “It feels great. It feels great.”

A month after the closure, the city let Casa Campo serve take out. But no one could eat in the store or stay in the parking lot until this week.

Berkeley Brean: “Did you have to make any promises to the city? Like we’re going to do this or we’re not going to do that?”

Hector Leon Figueroa: “One of them was eventually put surveillance cameras.”

Figueroa also has to close earlier and add no trespassing signs in the parking lot.

Patrick Beath, City of Rochester Corporation Counsel: “We want to balance the interests of having a robust business community, have a lot of diversity in our business community but at the same time keep the streets safe.”

Berkeley Brean: “Did you get any guarantees that what happened last spring and summer is not going to happen again?”

Patrick Beath: “Part of the deal was not only that they have the six month closure period but that they make affirmative statements on social media saying – look, we’re not going to tolerate this anymore.”

Part of the agreement is that if ATVs and motorcycles start gathering at Casa Campo, Figueroa and his staff have to call 911 before things get out of hand.

This year, the city used the gun emergency order to close 15 businesses or areas including the East End on weekend nights. The mayor’s office says 13 locations that were closed “were being used for illegal parties that should not have been operating in the first place.”

Only Casa Campos has fully re-opened.

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