Category Archives: Business News

By Paul Post

What a difference a year makes.

In January 2022, new owners took over Park Manor Hotel in Clifton Park, which needed major renovations after being closed for more than two years after foreclosure on the property.

Last April, the 75-room establishment off Northway Exit 9 reopened. That was made possible by a multi-million-dollar renovation project.

“It was a tough project. There was a lot of damage, but we were able to revamp it,” said Yuvraj Chopra, whose father, Ravinder Chopra, purchased the property with partners Vinod K. Chand and Raman K. Aggarwal. “We’re the only unbranded hotel in Saratoga County that offers a boutique luxury experience besides The Adelphi in Saratoga Springs.”

Yuvraj, a 2020 RPI graduate, and his brother, Kuwar, have their own company, All Key Management. It runs the Park Manor Hotel and Hotel Key in Queens. The latter is also owned by their father, Chand and Aggarwal.

Yuvraj’s academic focus was on computer science and business management at RPI. Kuwar went to the University of Delaware where he studied finance and business management, graduating two years ago.

Amy Smith, owner of the Saratoga Arms Hotel on Broadway in Saratoga Springs, became the new chair of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce board of directors on Jan. 1.

Her mother, Kathleen Smith, held the same leadership position in 1998, so the duo becomes the first mother-daughter combination to lead the Chamber board in its 105-year history.

“My family is grateful to live in and serve this incredible community,” said Smith. “We believe the Chamber played a key role in the city’s turnaround, especially during the recent pandemic. Numerous local businesses, nonprofits, local leaders, and residents count on the Chamber to be a visible and vocal leader. 

“I’m honored to take on the responsibilities of this position as we look to move forward, from surviving to thriving, once again.”

Joining Smith on the board of directors are: Tara Pleat, of Wilcenski & Pleat, as immediate past-chair; Chad Kiesow, of Stewart’s Shops, as chair-elect for 2024; Randy Metevier, of Applied Materials, as vice chair; and Eric Hennessey, of UHY Advisors, as treasurer and secretary. 

Smith appointed three local leaders to serve one-year terms on the 2023 board. They are Najja Thompson of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Maggie Fronk of Wellspring, and Johanna Friedman of the Saratoga Springs City School District.

The  board has a total of 27 members. 

By Jill nagy

Company Salon and Spa in Saratoga Springs has undergone changes.

After nearly 20 years in Saratoga, Brandon Scott opened his own business in 2020, before the COVID-19 shutdown.

 “To survive the shutdown as well as we did was really a blessing,” he said. Scott survived a two-month bout with COVID-19 but is now well and back at work.

  The salon now has four additional workstations. He explained that while the salon is no larger than before, the working floor area expanded by opening up space previously used for storage.

  The new stations he created came from Italy and are in sleek “Italian industrial” style. He described them as “beautiful ovals” with lights around the edges and nice finishes. The walls are covered with wallpaper designed by Italian decorator Roberto Cavalli. New shampoo sinks allow customers to lean back, put their feet up, and enjoy an “air massage, a very nice comfortable massage,” while washing their hair.

 Scott’s salon no longer offers spa services, and he plans to change the name to Company Salon and concentrate on the hair and make-up services the business offers.

By Christine Graf

Just over a year after establishing The Sugar Fairy Bakes in Mechanicville, owner Stacie Blair plans to open a second location in Ellsworth Commons in Malta. 

The 2110 Ellsworth Boulevard space where the shop will be located was previously occupied by the Little Gym.  

Blair developed her love of baking at an early age while working alongside her grandmother in the kitchen. By the age of 5, she had memorized her grandmother’s banana bread recipe. Today, she serves that same banana bread at The Sugar Fairy Bakes. 

A longtime Mechanicville resident, Blair was working in restaurant management and sales when she experienced sudden and unexplained hearing loss in 2014. Over a three-month period, she completely lost her hearing. 

After receiving cochlear implants, she was able to regain some hearing but remains hearing impaired and suffers from problems with her equilibrium. Because of this, Blair was no longer able to work in a profession that required phone calls and interaction with customers. 

It was while she was in search of a new career that her son suggested she sell her baked goods. Although she was skeptical that anyone would want to buy them, he convinced her to give it a try.

By Jill Nagy

Mocha Lisa’s Caffe has new owners and a slightly different location. 

The business is still in the Clifton Park Mall but in a larger space some 260 feet from its former location. 

It is much larger, with more tables and has  a selection of new and used books for sale. It is now more of a place for people to relax, according to Nicole Van Zandt, one of the new owners.

The new owners, Van Zandt and her husband, Roland, and her brothers Colin and Alan Hughes, are longtime Mocha Lisa’s customers, now on the other side of the counter. 

They bought the name, the furniture and other contents and are keeping the staff. They will continue to serve a special blend of coffee from Capital City Roasters and are negotiating a contract with a supplier of teas and honey.

They purchased the business on November  and moved into the space in December.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) recently announced that SUNY Empire State is one of a select group of colleges and universities receiving phase-two grants through its Inclusive Excellence 3 (IE3) initiative. 

The grant will help SUNY Empire continue its critical work in ensuring inclusion of all students in science. The college is one of only two SUNY institutions chosen to participate in this prestigious national program funded by one of the largest research philanthropies in science.

SUNY Empire’s grant—totaling $531,600 over six years—along with prior funding for previous phases, is being used to design experiments aimed at improving the introductory undergraduate science experience for students from historically underrepresented backgrounds.

Along with 14 cohort institutions, including University of California Santa Cruz, Fordham University, and Middlebury College, SUNY Empire will be tasked with finding ways to make the content of the introductory science experience more inclusive through faculty development, student engagement, and curricular change.

SUNY Empire also was selected to participate in the first phase of the project, which began in April 2021 and ends in March. In this phase, SUNY Empire worked with its partner institutions to identify and better understand institutional and cultural barriers to inclusion at colleges and universities of all sizes and geographies. SUNY Empire’s work specifically focused on systemic issues that affect the student learning experience in introductory natural science courses, such as biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science.

The Bread Basket Cake Shop is a new destination in Saratoga Springs for specialty cakes fit for all celebrations. It was launched by Business for Good and all profits will be donated to local charities fighting hunger and food insecurity.

Bread Basket Cake Shop will occupy a retail boutique space within The Springs at 3 Hempstead Place.

The location will serve customers looking for specialty and custom cakes for all occasions, as well as offering coffee drinks and breakfast pastries throughout the day. The space features a special spot for consultations with Bread Basket Cake Shop’s team.

Bread Basket Bakery, with which the new business is affiliated, has been a staple of the Saratoga area for years. Since its incorporation into Business for Good’s family of companies, it has donated 100 percent of its profits to help “bake a difference” in the local community. 

With customer demand growing year to year, an opportunity arose to dedicate a unique space as a location for the bakery’s cake orders.

“Bread Basket Cake Shop is a much-needed service in the community,” said Business for Good cofounder Lisa Mitzen. “Not only will people get to enjoy delicious and beautiful cakes, but their choice of purchasing at Bread Basket Cake Shop will help local charities working to fight food insecurity and hunger in the Capital Region.”

The state Office for the Aging recently honored 94 older adults for their volunteerism, including Marlene Hathaway and Cheryl Wood of Saratoga County, as part of its annual Older New Yorkers’ Day celebration.

“The word ‘volunteer’ cannot capture fully the accomplishments of this group of incredible individuals,” OFA Director Greg Olsen said in his remarks at the event. “Older adults impress us all with their commitment to a greater good and a greater cause. You tell the real story of what’s good about people, what’s good about New York. Through your deeds and actions, time and again, you show us how valuable you all are to those you touch, to those you serve, to the families and communities and lives you make better.”

During Hathaway’s more than three years of volunteer services, the Mechanicville resident has contributed as a meal delivery driver, delivering hot meals to homebound seniors, and currently as a transportation assistant, driving  older adults to and from medical appointments throughout the county.

She is also a Telecare caller, supporting a program that began during the pandemic as a way to connect with older adults who may feel lonely and isolated. Hathaway continues to make these calls, which provide vital social connection while also serving as a wellness check.

She has a lengthy history of volunteering with other organizations. Hathaway graduated from Shenendehowa High School and then entered the U.S. Air National Guard, where she served for 20 years before retiring as a lieutenant colonel. “It is so rewarding to volunteer with seniors,” she said. “There is such a need to help and I absolutely love doing it.”

by Mark Shaw

The economic outlook for 2023 is the dreaded R word—Recession. 

It`s here. We know the media and our government are not exactly forthcoming saying it’s here, but if you are a consumer you see the change. Technology is often the canary in the coal mine. When tech companies start cutting jobs, that is when we see things starting. 

Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, and just a few days ago Salesforce, recently cut their workforce. Additionally, the news was just released that the financial sector cuts are coming. These two major driving economic forces are the first to start the layoffs. Next up, all of us.

But as a small business owner there is some comfort in the fact that you can probably find some places to cut costs and save money. Ideally, you have probably been doing this all along as the inflation numbers have grown. When it comes to your technology, if you currently have an IT staff, even if it’s just one person, you can use some cost-effective, time-tested methods to meet your needs. 

In today’s world you can outsource your information technology for often a fraction of the cost of retaining a fully loaded employee. Multiple studies shown that firms with 1-10 IT staff members have seen significant savings by outsourcing to an IT consulting firm. I have first-hand experience of the best ways this can and has been done.