By Liz Witbeck
The Savory Pantry, a specialty food store and
gift boutique, opened at 486 Broadway, Saratoga
Springs, in late July.
Keeley DeSalvo owns the business, which has
an original location in Hot Springs, Ark.
The restaurant business is a family affair for
the DeSalvo family. They started the Pancake
Shop in Hot Springs, a known for their pancakes
and hams. DeSalvo soon launched Pancake Shop
— TO GO, a mail order business so that customers
around the country could purchase their famous
items.
DeSalvo had been working in the White House
administration under former President Bill Clinton.
She was excited about all of the specialty
items she found on the East Coast that she could
not find back in Arkansas.
That inspired her to launch the Savory Pantry
in Hot Springs. It featured gourmet products that
are both made locally and imported. Soon, she was
looking to expand.
“I wanted to open a second location, but I
didn’t know it was going to be 1400 miles away,”
said DeSalvo.
DeSalvo and her family started coming to
Saratoga Springs for track season eight years
ago. They started staying for longer periods of
time, eventually staying for the entire meet.
Saratoga Springs reminded them of Hot Springs
in a number of ways: both cities are home to horse racing tracks (the Arkansas Derby is held in Hot
Springs); both are close to mountains; both have
a thriving arts scene; both are known for their
spring water. DeSalvo fell in love with the city and
knew that she had to be a part of the community.
The Savory Pantry looks very similar to the
Arkansas location, with a few local touches.
Tables that DeSalvo found in a nearby barn are
used for display. Specialty items line the walls,
including dozens of varieties of olive oils, jams, spreads, salsas, chocolates, and more.
There are
free samples throughout the store.
The Savory Pantry offers customers recipe
cards, to try new ways of using their favorite items.
Instead of using a salsa for dipping chips, it could
be used as a marinade for chicken or a topping
for bruschetta. They also keep a daily blog, “Taste.
Savor. Share” on their website, to share recipes
and knowledge about their products.
“All of our products are focused on small batch,
sustainable, artisan foods” said DeSalvo. “We make
gourmet foods approachable.”
Several of the products are imported. Others
are made locally. DeSalvo hopes to collaborate
with local vendors to feature some of the products
the Saratoga community has to offer. She will also
be offering special Southern products that New
Yorkers may not be familiar with.
The Savory Pantry prides itself on delivering a
unique, personalized customer service experience
that will keep people coming back. If there is a
special occasion, DeSalvo and her team will help
customers choose the right gift. They also help
customers navigate through the specialty, gourmet
items in her store. All items come packaged
and ready for gift giving. There are also a variety
of pre-made gift baskets on sale in the store.
All of the products available in store are available
to be purchased on their website, and may
ship from either the Arkansas or Saratoga stores.
The Savory Pantry holds in-store demonstrations,
with vendors coming in to showcase their
products.
“We are so grateful for the warm welcome this
community has given to us” said DeSalvo.
The Savory Pantry is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
every day. Its website is www.savorypantry.com.