Cheap Charlie's is still open, still for sale

ROCHESTER — Cheap Charlie’s is still open despite the business being up for sale.

Cheap Charlie's was first opened in 1955 under a different name. The restaurant was rebranded in 1968 and has been a Rochester staple under its current name for 55 years. The Trans purchased Cheap Charlie’s in 1996 and put the business and building up for sale in July of 2023.

After owning the business for 27 years, Janna and David Tran are ready to retire, even if their visions of retirement look a little different. Janna is ready to have more free time to visit her children and travel, but David isn’t quite ready to let go of the business.

They announced their business being up for sale, with the sentiment that David would continue to work until and even after the location sold. However, Cheap Charlie’s has been flooded with calls asking if they are still open, ever since making the announcement.

“I have to tell people to tell others,” David said. “So far the weekend is still great. It's just the weekdays, we slowed down somewhat and even my regulars call me and if we’re closing. We say no and then they come in.”

The calls have been continuous since announcing the sale and business has even been affected. The weekends remain steady but Tran is confused on where the rumors came from. He has been transparent with his desire for Cheap Charlie’s to remain open for the Rochester community.

“A lot of people call and wonder if we are open and people are surprised when we say we’re open,” said David. “I don't know where a lot of the rumors are coming from and we aren’t closing. We will sell the building and the business but we're not closing.”

The plan is for the business to continue even after being sold, even if that means Tran selling the building and moving it into a whole new location. David says that Cheap Charlie’s can be anywhere with a parking lot.

The big thing is that Tran is also not ready to sell the building to just anyone. He wants to sell the building to someone with the hope that Cheap Charlie’s will remain there. He doesn’t care if it’s one year away or five years, he isn’t in a huge rush to sell and wants to make sure it goes into the right hands.

After selling the business, Tran isn’t ready to leave. He wants to continue working part-time at the restaurant and enjoy the job he’s loved for nearly three decades. He has friends and regulars who come in and know him well. He isn’t ready to give that all up yet. If he has to move the location himself, he will.

“The best option is somebody's taking over right now and I still can work part-time so I can help them,” said David. “If somebody takes over then it will stay the same. If we have to move, we're going to be closed for a couple of weeks or months but it’s still the same.”