Month: June 2022

By Christine Graf

When Siro’s opens it doors to racing fans this summer, the iconic Saratoga restaurant will have a new executive chef in its kitchen. 

Owners Peter and Jake Spitalny have hired former Jack’s Oyster House chef Elliott Vogel to oversee culinary operations. 

The father/son team purchased Siro’s for $1.2 million in 2019. Since that time, they have made significant investments in both interior and exterior renovations. Last year’s improvements included new exterior stamped concrete and updated kitchen equipment.

“Siro’s is an icon in Saratoga and in the horseracing community, and there was so much opportunity with the physical property to make some updates while preserving iconic signs and color scheme,” said Jake Spitalny. “On the business side, we also saw an opportunity to improve things.”

After purchasing Siro’s, the Spitalnys leased the restaurant to Scott Solomon who was arrested in 2021 for falsifying restaurant documents. The Spitalnys were not involved in his illegal activities and now operate Siro’s themselves. They rely on a general manager, Kevin Decker, who is in his 11th year at Siro’s, to oversee daily operations. Well-known maître d’ Michael Stone returns for his 30th year at the front of house. Their staff of 55 includes newcomer Vogel.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) faced many challenges and also grasped opportunities over the last two years, emerging in 2021 with an economic statement in the black, while making many necessary improvements.

Officials said they anxiously awaited the  return to normalcy in 2022, which is already underway. 

Following a reduced season in 2021, SPAC will welcome back New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for their full productions and residencies. It will also host the iconic Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, a popular concert lineup presented by Live Nation, and the return of Caffè Lena @ SPAC.

“Like so many individuals and organizations, the last two years have tested us mightily, but they have also called upon our deeper wells of creativity, compassion, resilience, and imagination,” said Elizabeth Sobol, SPAC president and  CEO. “Now, in summer 2022, in a full return of a SPAC Renewed and Rejuvenated, we are like our region’s endangered Karner Blue butterflies—re-emerging beautiful and glorious after being cocooned for so long. This splendid re-emergence is accompanied and made possible by a historic and unprecedented confluence of favorable financial factors.”

Skidmore College announced that Jacqueline Conrad will become Skidmore’s new vice president for communications and marketing as of July 5. 

She will be continuing her successful 30-year career in the private and nonprofit sectors, including 18 years leading her own communications firm and the last nine years at Cambridge College in Boston, where she is currently vice president of communications and public relations. 

Conrad’s appointment follows a national search that attracted an array of exceptional candidates from across the country. 

“I am thrilled to welcome Jacqui Conrad to Skidmore and into this critical leadership role,” college President Marc Conner said. “From her leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at Cambridge College and elsewhere, to her impactful work in every realm of higher education outreach and communications, Jacqui is precisely the strategist and entrepreneurial thinker Skidmore needs to lead our talented communications and marketing team. 

“She impressed all of us involved in this search with her experience, her poise, her creativity, and her commitment to being part of a caring and committed community. I am delighted to welcome such a strong colleague, and I look forward with great anticipation to the creativity, marketing expertise, and passion for positive change she brings to Skidmore.”

By Paul Post

Unlike the Marines, area builders need a whole lot more than “A Few Good Men.”

A severe nationwide labor shortage is being felt locally, too, as understaffed firms can’t keep up with customer demand.

Several factors have contributed to the labor shortage. First and foremost, many skilled workers have aged out of the industry and there hasn’t been enough emphasis put on showing kids the careers this field has to offer, builders say.

“During the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, they were encouraged to go to college, regardless of whether or not that was going to benefit them,” said Matt Whitbeck, owner of Whitbeck Construction in Wilton. “So there’s this big segment of the population that feels that if they aren’t using their diploma for something, it was a waste, even though they’re taking on jobs they’re not passionate about or care about. They take them just to pay back student loans.”

In addition, COVID helped give rise to a whole new type of employment that is much less demanding than construction. 

Saratoga CoWorks, a coworking provider in Upstate New York catering to professionals, entrepreneurs, and remote employees since 2014, is opening its third downtown Saratoga Springs location. 

Located at 92 Congress St. on the second floor, the 5,000-square-foot space will feature flexible private offices and suites, meeting spaces and shared coworking areas, for rent by the day, week or month, ownership said.

This newest Saratoga CoWorks location is being completely renovated by the organization’s cofounders, Daniel Bullis and Dorothy Rogers-Bullis (who also own drb Business Interiors), prior to the grand opening in August. The facility, which has ample natural light, will feature a modern aesthetic with top-quality, ergonomic office furniture, they said.

The space also will have state-of-the-art technology including enterprise-class WiFi, and rentable conference/meeting rooms equipped with projectors and Apple TVs. Free on-site parking, a new kitchen, and comfortable breakroom seating is also included.

By Jill Nagy

After a brief foray into the wedding business, Matt and Suzy Mazzone are now in the lawn care business. 

They recently purchased the franchise rights for Lawn Doctor in the Clifton Park, Ballston Spa, Schenectady and Amsterdam region. Beginning with a customer base of zero when they started in April, they now have close to 200 customers as they go into the peak lawn care season. There are a lot of lawns in their territory and they said they see a potential for 60,000-65,000 customers, beginning with 300-400 this year.

Lawn Doctor is a weed and feed operation: fertilizing, weed control, insect control, power seeding, aeration, etc. The do not cut grass but will advise on how to have it cut, Matt Mazzone explained.

The Mazzones see this new venture as a complement to their other business, M Zone Logistics LLC, which provides last-mile delivery services to the Amazon facility in the Montgomery County town of Florida.

 “We want to provide consistent work over the year,” Mazzone said. People order more from Amazon in the fall and winter, he noted, while the demand for lawn services is greatest in the spring and summer. Their approximately 80 employees can be cross-trained to work for both companies.

“We were blown away by what they had to offer” he said of Lawn Doctor, in the way of customer service and technology. “I think they have been phenomenal with their training and start-up,” he said, “They have patented machinery and formulations. A top agronomist came to help up to make sure we are building the right programs.”

The New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA) announced in May the recipients of the 2022 NYS Tourism Excellence Awards.

Among them was the Save Our Locals program of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, created to bring awareness to community members on how crucial it is to shop at local, independent businesses to help ensure their survival as restrictions on businesses due to COVID-19 continues to take a toll.

The campaign encouraged residents and out-of-town visitors to spend at least $20.21 at any locally owned Saratoga Springs business.

The outstanding work of New York State’s destination marketing organizations, attractions, and other tourism-related businesses in all forms of marketing, destination management and stewardship are recognized through the state’s annual awards program.

Those organizations, businesses, institutions, and individuals will receive their awards and be honored at a special ceremony at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City on Oct. 27.