"I just spent my life savings, please eat my food."

The sign on the marquee caught Rochester's attention when the 1940s-themed Sticky Lips Pit BBQ opened on Culver Road in 2004. It was among a wave of barbecue joints that opened in a short period of time, taking on established stalwart Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. Few of those eateries remain; Sticky Lips is the one that stuck around.

Since then, the "Sticky Lips or Dinosaur" question can generate a lively debate.

The original Sticky Lips Pit BBQ on the corner of Culver Road and Atlantic Avenue will close its doors on Oct. 9. The Henrietta location will remain open; the catering and fundraising operations and most of the staff will move to Jefferson Road.

Howard Nielsen, who owns the restaurant and the property, said the decision was the hardest business decision he has had to make. "I was heartbroken about it," he said. This will be the first time in 36 years that Nielsen has not run a restaurant in the city; his first business was Chester Cab Pizza on Park Avenue.

Sales on Culver Road were "gangbusters" from 2006 to 2012, Nielsen said. It got a significant boost from being one of three Rochester establishments featured on The Travel Channel's Man v. Food Nation in 2011. Host Adam Richman highlighted The Atomic Bomb Challenge, which included a pound of pulled pork covered in melted cheese, two 8-ounce burgers, eight strips of bacon and much more.

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Nielsen said he "started seeing the cracks" in the business at the Culver Road location around 2014. He ascribed the dip to many factors:

• Food trucks have increased competition, particularly in terms of catering.

• The local brewery scene has exploded, and younger people are more likely to go to them than to traditional bars.

• There are many more restaurants within a few miles, including at the Rochester Public Market. While they are not barbecue, "it’s still different choices where people can go to eat," he said.

• The unemployment rate is low, making it difficult to find help.

• The Henrietta location could have cannibalized sales on Culver Road.

In retrospect, Nielsen said, it might have been wise to close the Culver Road location a few years ago. Instead, he renovated the building, including a bar and stage, to try to jump-start sales. While customers responded positively to the new look, "it didn’t push the needle on sales the way we needed it to."

What will happen to the building?

The 10,000-square-foot restaurant will be divided into smaller sections, such as two restaurants and a catering kitchen, which will be available for lease.

"That will be a good location for somebody," he said, noting that at 57, it is time for him to focus his efforts on just one restaurant. "The restaurant business is a young person’s game.”

For several years, Nielsen has been at work on a makeover of the 12,500-square-foot section to the left of the restaurant facing Culver Road. In 2016, he described his vision as a mini-mall that will house 12 small storefronts. Since then, the concept has changed to include four storefronts of 3,000 square feet each; a tenant could take up one or more of those spaces.

"I love the neighborhood and fully intend to complete the building renovations," Nielsen said.

The side of the property visible from Atlantic Avenue will remain the same. It is home to Lost Borough Brewing; Photo City Improv Comedy and Music Venue; and Compass Cycle Studio.

"I think it’s real positive what we contributed to the city," Nielsen said.

TRACYS@Gannett.com

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