Chez-Vous Roller Skating Rink In Dorchester Is Reopening On Saturday! (INFO)
It’s been a LONG two years, but roller skating is finally BACK at Chez-Vous!
Skaters all over the city and beyond rejoiced at the news that Chez-Vous in Dorchester is reopening its doors this Saturday, April 23rd for roller skating.
I spoke to Derick Foster-Toney, part owner and operator of Chez-Vous roller skating rink in Dorchester, on the phone about all the excitement surrounding the rink’s reopening.
“We are excited to have the community back. We are proud to be able to open our doors.”
Chez-Vous roller skating rink, located at 11 Rhoades Street in Dorchester, officially opened in 1932. Derick’s family has been involved in various roles at the rink since the 1970s, but officially took over ownership in the late 1990s.
(L-R) Edward Toney Jr., Tarsha Foster and Derick Foster-Toney at Chez-Vous Roller Skating Rink in Dorchester, MA (Photo courtesy of Derick Foster-Toney)
Chez -Vous has been closed for roller skating for two years due to the pandemic. There was a time early on that they, like other local businesses, had to pivot to try to keep their business going. Unable to open for roller skating due to pandemic restrictions, they sold takeout “Soul Food dinners” out of the Chez-Vous kitchen.
Derick told me that Chez-Vous will be bringing back the popular “Soul Food dinners,” one of many things to look forward to when the rink reopens its doors on Saturday. During the downtime, Chez-Vous was able to do some renovations to the rink, which includes the skate floor that members of the skating community are looking forward to rolling on again (myself included).
Chez-Vous has various “Open Skate” sessions where all ages are welcome and great for enjoying some family fun. Their popular Sunday night “Adult Night” 21+ skating session is back, and they’ve added a new Wednesday night 18+ “Adult Night” to the weekly schedule! Whether you’re an avid skater or have never laced up a pair of roller skates before, all levels of ability are welcome at Chez-Vous. You can check out all the skate sessions, admission pricing, and ticket info here.
During our chat, Derick and I had a good chuckle over the “roller skating is making a comeback” commentary that has persisted throughout the pandemic and continues as recent videos surfaced on social media of celebrities like Usher and Meek Mill roller skating. For expert skaters like Derick (you need to go to Chez-Vous just to watch him in action along with his fellow “Swerve” community of amazing skaters) as well as regular skaters like me (I found my way back to a childhood hobby I loved), roller skating never left!
Derick expressed gratitude for Chez-Vous’ reopening on Saturday. “Even with the rise of roller skating interest in the mainstream, a lot of roller skating rinks in the Massachusetts area have not survived the pandemic, so we are proud to be able to reopen our doors to the community. We just wanted to thank everyone for the love and support during the pandemic. We are excited to have everyone back and move forward together.”
(Instagram video of skaters on the floor at Chez-Vous pre-pandemic)
