Meet Danielle Raymo | Owner, Rochester Brainery

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danielle Raymo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danielle, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My intention wasn’t necessarily to start a business; to become an entrepreneur. I was someone looking to create their own job opportunity, doing something they loved, in the city they wanted to be in. Rochester Brainery allowed me to move back to Rochester, NY (where I grew up) and combine my love of a fast-paced work environment, event coordination, marketing, and most of all, supporting and providing creative opportunities for other small businesses. Helping connect our community to the interesting people and places in Rochester, NY is what drives me.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets us apart is our mission to connect the Rochester community with unique and talented people, businesses, and places in our area. We don’t focus on one topic for a reason: our community has so much to share on a wide variety of topics. Learning from others, experiencing things people may have not before, I think brings people together. It could be as simple as someone finding a new hobby or developing an appreciation for the art in our city, or go further: like helping them launch their own business or making a new friend. We want to be that hub for our community, and strive to be that in everything we do. The opportunities we’ve created, and the safe space we aim to provide, is what I’m most proud of.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Oh wow. A week in Rochester, NY. I love this! (I hope everyone reading this uses this as an excuse to come to Rochester, by the way, and I also hope you come hungry).

Monday: A trip to Donuts Delite to celebrate their arrival is a must! After settling in, perhaps a walk around Mt. Hope Cemetery (I know, I know, a cemetery on Day 1? Look, a lot is closed on Mondays!). Orange Glory or Dog Town are great options for lunch, with an early evening trip to Charlotte: swing by Charlotte lighthouse, the hidden sidewalk, and take a walk on the pier with Abbots in hand. Looking for an evening hang? Swan Dive is open Monday nights!

Tuesday: Fuel up at Melo Coffee & Kitchen, then walk over to George Eastman Museum. Grab a bite on-site at Open Face for lunch. Then, head over to the South Wedge for the afternoon: Headonist, Little Button, Aldaskeller, Happy Earth Tea, Just Browsing, Needle Drop Records, Axom etc. are all places to visit. Dinner and cocktails at Vern’s is perfect way to end the night.

Wednesday: Swing by Ugly Duck for a coffee and Flour City chocolate pistachio croissant (the only croissant that matters, IMHO), and don’t sleep on browsing The Op Shop next door. Then a trip to the Memorial Art Gallery (don’t forget the gift shop) followed by lunch at Edibles. In the evening, I would suggest a movie at The Little Theatre (popcorn dinner, IYKYK), and a glass of wine (with cheese!) at Living Roots to finish the night.

Thursday: Head to Jines for breakfast followed by a walk around Park Ave (a stop into some of the wonderful shops along the way like Salty, Peppermint, and Parkleigh) with lunch at Red Fern, then perhaps pop over to Susan B. Anthony House for a tour. In the evening, I would suggest some theater! See what the RPO, Blackfriars Theatre, Geva, RBTL, or JCC have going on (or, you, know, check out the Rochester Brainery class schedule!). Catch dinner before or after at Roux.

Friday: Breakfast at Mad Hatter or Highland Park Diner to start the day, then pop over to Highland Park and the conservatory. Spend the afternoon in High Falls, shopping at Ritual Clay Co, seeing the falls, and swinging by Genesee Brew House. Let’s hope it’s Red Wings Season, because Friday night’s are also fireworks night. This is the perfect time to try a Rhorbach’s Scotch Ale and a Zweigle’s hot dog.

Saturday: A trip to our historic public market! This is a great spot for a breakfast sandwich and a coffee, but there’s also Katboocha, tastings at Black Button Distilling, shopping at Warehouse 127 and so much more. If you haven’t had enough walking around and/or shopping: Artisan Works or The Shops On West Ridge are both great! Then, it’s been a long week – perhaps stay in and order a Peels On Wheels pizza or take a trip out to relax at Marge’s Lakeside Inn.

Sunday: Stop by Balsam Bagels to fuel up for a trip out to the Finger Lakes for a day of wine tasting, followed by dinner in Hammondsport, NY at Park Inn.

Bonus: I think early fall is just about the best season in Rochester, which also means Rochester Fringe Festival. And well, that really throws the things to-do for a loop and you may want to plan for more than a week. 😅

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to dedicate my shout out to our Rochester, NY community, our attendees, teachers, and businesses we work with, for their trust and support.

Website: www.rochesterbrainery.com

Instagram: @rocbrainery

Twitter: @rochesterbrainery

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rochesterbrainery