Starlight Cafe & Convenience

Starlight Cafe & Convenience is a deli and convenience store located at 830 South Ave in Rochester's South Wedge neighborhood. Opened in mid-May 2025, the shop occupies the former Highland Market space, which closed in August 2024. Owner Sobab Bhatti, who also operates four other convenience stores in the Rochester area, opened Starlight to fill a gap in neighborhood convenience options. The owners bring a Bronx background to the South Wedge, shaping the deli's menu with a New York City sensibility.

The deli side of Starlight serves breakfast sandwiches and cold subs alongside their signature item, the Roc Chopped Cheese. The convenience store carries everyday essentials for the surrounding neighborhood.

The Roc Chopped Cheese puts a Rochester spin on the classic NYC bodega sandwich. Instead of a standard hero roll, it uses Coco bread — a Jamaican-origin bread made with flour, butter, yeast, sugar, and coconut milk, which gives it a softer texture. The sandwich is built with a ground beef patty, banana peppers, onions, provolone, and pepper jack cheese, then finished with boss sauce, a Rochester-born condiment with tangy-sweet and mildly spiced flavors. Bhatti has also mentioned plans to eventually bring in guest chefs for specialized cuisine as the business grows.

Starlight is known for bridging Bronx-style bodega culture with Rochester's South Wedge community. The Roc Chopped Cheese — a localized take on the iconic New York chopped cheese — has become the shop's signature offering, distinguished by its use of Coco bread and boss sauce rather than the traditional hoagie roll and standard toppings. The store also serves as a neighborhood convenience stop, filling a role left vacant when Highland Market closed.

Starlight sits at 830 South Ave in the South Wedge, a walkable residential neighborhood south of downtown Rochester. The shop is near the intersection of South Avenue and Averill Avenue, within a stretch of small businesses that serve the surrounding homes. Hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The South Wedge is known for its mix of independent shops and restaurants, and Starlight adds a convenience and deli option to the corridor.