Tops Friendly Markets to Close 10 More Stores

Western New York-based grocery chain Tops Markets is closing some more stores in the Empire State as it restructures under bankruptcy protection, the nearest to Broome County being in Elmira.

Tops says the stores are under-performing and will close by the end of November.

Chief Executive Frank Curci also said August 30 that the company has received court approval of a pension agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which represents most of its workers.

Tops is based in Williamsville, near Buffalo.

The chain currently has 169 locations, including a store in Owego, New York and in Wysox, Pennsylvania in the Twin Tiers.

The 10 being closed are in Elmira, Syracuse, Rochester, Fairport, Lyons, Geneva, Fulton and Saranac Lake. The closings are expected to affect about 600 of Tops' 14-thousand workers.

Tops Markets announced in February that it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.