Category Archives: Business News

When Clifton Park resident Connie Crudo was hired by Discover Saratoga ahead of the 2008 Chowderfest, she didn’t even know what Chowderfest was. At the time, that wasn’t even that unusual—the now-famous chowder cook-off that pits local restaurants against one another had never drawn more than 8,000 attendees

But Crudo was about to change that

Sixteen years later, everyone in the Capital Region knows Chowderfest, which these days brings in some 40,000 attendees—all thanks to Crudo and her team

“I knew just from walking around that first year that this thing had legs—that there was definitely an opportunity to grow it, involve more businesses, and bring more financial contribution to the downtown area,” she says. “I started working on that, and each year we would add something to it. And now it’s grown into the monster that it is.”

Such additions include the shuttle service that now runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between Saratoga Casino Hotel and downtown, and the now-defunct Doggie Chow Down, which was inspired by Impressions owner Mare Barker’s desire to make chowder for the many dogs that used to accompany their owners to Chowderfest. Other local businesses hopped on board, and at the first-ever Doggie Chow Down in 2008, then-Mayor Scott Johnson’s Mastiff, Dr. Watson, served as the judge. 

By Jill Nagy

The addition of two “VP Suites” golf simulators is the latest step in the program to convert the Van Patten Golf Club in Clifton Park from a seasonal golf course to a year-round activity center. The simulators were introduced at an open house at the end of January and have been busy ever since, according to Golf Director Bob Kennedy. 

“People are playing in it right now,” he reported early on a Friday morning. He sees retirees coming to play in the early morning hours and another rush in the evening with players coming after work. Players have their choice of 85 golf courses, several driving ranges, and other games like corn hole and capture the flag. The simulators can also be used for golf lessons. A curved screen gives participants the illusion that they are within the screen, Kennedy said.

The remake of the golf club began about 18 months ago with renovation of the clubhouse and expansion of the Cooley Kill Restaurant and Bar to a full service dining spot with a new chef and expanded menu. At that time, the club abandoned its previous practice of closing for six weeks mid-winter.

The simulators, large scale computer-controlled video games, accommodate four people at a time. Kennedy estimates that a foursome can complete an 18-hole round of simulated golf in three hours. The machines are rented by the hour at a rate of $50 per hour on weekdays and $60 an hour on weekends. They are available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Players can book their times online at vanpattengolf.com  or “call the golf shop and we will book it for you,”  Kennedy said.

By Jill Nagy

Four years ago, after some years as an itinerant leather worker with his shop in the back of his van, Blaine Vossler parked the van and opened a shop in Skaneateles. Last December, his second shop, The Local Branch, opened in Saratoga Springs.

Vossler works in leather and canvas, making clothing and accessories by hand. Marissa Panzera, who happened to be in Saratoga and looking for a job when he arrived, manages the Saratoga shop with two assistants. Her husband is stationed nearby with the Air Force and, she said, “I stopped here for the winter.” She was there from the beginning, helping unload furniture from a U-Haul truck.

All the goods sold at The Local Branch are made by hand by Vossler, still living and working in Skaneateles. Recently, he brought on an assistant. He chose Saratoga as his second location, Panzera said, because he has some friends and family in the area. 

By Jill Nagy

The Country Corner Cafe, a Saratoga Springs institution for more that 32 years, was recently voted New York’s best place for comfort food by the followers of LoveFood.com., a U.K.-based website devoted to all things food.

The cafe is located at 25 Church Street, just off Broadway, and is open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch. Specialties include four versions of eggs Benedict: southern, sunrise, traditional, and Cali, according to Julee O’Callaghan, who has owned the restaurant since buying it in January 2023 from founding owner Roseanne Hotaling.  

O’Callaghan has not changed much in her year as owner. She still offers oatmeal pancakes, prepared according to a recipe from the Hotaling family, and biscuits with sausage and gravy. A selection of homemade jams and jellies is rotated each week. For lunch, the Saratoga chopped salad, served with pita bread, is very popular, O’Callaghan said, as is the homemade tomato soup.

Of the 23 employees, one has been there since Country Corner opened and, O’Callaghan said, “the majority of the team has been here a very long time.”

By Christine Graf

Troy native Joseph Masher, owner and CEO of Scene One Entertainment, has announced plans to reopen the cinemas at Wilton Mall. Prior to establishing Scene One, Masher was COO of Bow Tie Cinemas, the oldest movie theater chain in America. After purchasing Bow Tie in August, he established his headquarters in the Capital Region and renamed the company Scene One Entertainment.16

“I just moved back home after being away for 34 years,” he said. “My connection to the area is very strong.”

Masher has decades of industry experience and managed his first movie theater when he was just 17 years old. He is an executive board member of the National Association of Theater Owners, a member of the Library of Congress Film Board, and the past-president of the Theatre Historical Society of America. He currently operates theaters in Schenectady, Manhattan, South Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, Texas, and Colorado. 

According to Masher, he hopes to have the Wilton Mall theaters opened by mid-February.

“I want to get them open as soon as possible. I would open it today if I had the projector parts, but the projectors need upgrading. The theater is fully intact and ready to go, and we’re just waiting for projection parts.”

Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) has announced its 2024 New York City Ballet (NYCB) season featuring four unique programs from July 9-13 as part of NYCB’s historic 75th anniversary and its 58th season in Saratoga. Called “the foremost creative ballet troupe in the world” by The New York Times, New York City Ballet will bring its roster of more than 90 dancers under the direction of Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, accompanied by the New York City Ballet Orchestra, led by Music Director Andrew Litton.

“This season marks the occasion of our beloved New York City Ballet’s historic 75th anniversary. We look forward to an incredible week celebrating our shared history over the past nearly six decades, while also pointing toward our exciting future together,” said Elizabeth Sobol, president and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

Opening the season on July 9 is “NYCB On and Off Stage,” hosted by NYCB principal dancers for a unique “behind the curtain” experience featuring excerpts from the week’s ballets and culminating with a celebratory after party. Highlighting the residency is George Balanchine’s three-act work Jewels, returning for the first time since 2016 and featuring Fauré’s elegant Emeralds, Stravinsky’s jazz-inflected Rubies, and Tschaikovsky’s symphonic Diamonds.

The 47th Annual Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival will return for a full two-day and two-stage exhilarating festival experience on Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Featuring a roster of 22 musical groups and 10 festival debuts, the line-up is co-headlined by four premier contemporary artists: Lake Street Dive, Norah Jones, Laufey, and Samara Joy; alongside jazz and blues legends Stanley Clarke with his band N*4Ever, Terence Blanchard Sextet and Coco Montoya. Also highlighting the line-up is the next generation of jazz stars Yussef Dayes, Joey Alexander, Miguel Zenon, Tia Fuller, Theo Crocker, Helen Sung and Sara Caswell, and today’s most electrifying Afro-Cuban and funk bands Cory Henry, Cimafunk, The New Orleans Groove Masters and Pedrito Martinez Group. From jazz to roots, funk, blues, pop, indie and beyond, the festival will bring its signature blend of world-class artists and ensembles, solidifying its place as an international destination and a ‘must-stop’ on the 2024 festival trail. 

“Our 2024 festival has a record number of female headliners, all among the most exciting musicians in the industry today. From young, new sensations like Laufey and Samara Joy, who are bringing jazz to the next generation, to beloved superstars like Norah Jones and Rachael Price, dynamo lead singer of Lake Street Dive, this year’s line-up is over the top with powerful female presence,” says Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “As always, we are so grateful to Freihofer’s for making this great festival possible.” 

“The 2023 festival was a smash success, and we are building off of that with high expectations for 2024,” says Danny Melnick, the festival producer and President of Absolutely Live Entertainment. “We have delivered another incredible lineup of new stars, celebrated legends and rhythms from around the world.”

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced Hoosick Falls and Schuylerville as this year’s Capital Region NY Forward winners, receiving $4.5 million each in funding. Building on the momentum of the state’s successful Downtown Revitalization Initiative, the $100 million NY Forward program adopts the same “Plan-then-Act” strategy as the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, which couples strategic planning with immediate project implementation to support a more equitable downtown resurgence for New York’s smaller and rural communities. Applicants submit a vision for their downtown and a slate of transformative projects to achieve that vision. With the Governor’s commitment this year of $100 million each for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward, the State has now invested a combined total of $1 billion in both programs since their inception.

“Investing in our New York communities means investing in their heartbeat – our downtowns,” Governor Hochul said. “Hoosick Falls and Schuylerville put forth plans to reinvigorate their downtowns, which contribute to making the Capital Region a world-class destination for businesses, families and tourists.”

By Paul Post

 How important is Stewart’s Shops to the upstate economy?

The Saratoga County-based firm spends $50 million per year on remodeling projects, replacing old stores with new ones, and entering new markets in 32 counties from the Canadian border to Newburgh, and southern Vermont to Oswego on Lake Ontario.

“Our territory swells from the outer edges,” Chief Operating Officer Chad Kiesow said. “We’re very successful when we’re in areas where people understand what we provide. We’re not your typical convenient store selling snacks, beverage and cigarettes. In some communities we’re a local grocery store. In others, we provide a dining area and a place for people to enjoy our own fresh-made products.”

“Fifty percent of our opportunities come via phone calls from people asking us to locate there,” he said. “The other half, we’re out pounding the pavement looking for communities that need the services we can provide.”

Kiesow joined Stewart’s in 1994 and is chairman of Saratoga Chamber of Commerce in 2024.

With 359 shops and 5,000 full- and part-time employees, Convenience Store News says Stewart’s Shops is the nation’s 18th largest chain, and generated $1.7 billion in revenue in 2022 (zippia.com). Industry leader 7-Eleven is the largest convenience store company with more than 12,700 sites.