Category Archives: Business News

BY Andrea Harwood Palmer
Pretty Hot Mess has moved back to South Glens Falls at 139 Saratoga Ave. in the Hannaford Plaza.
Owner Angel Isaac opened the shop in 2018 and moved to Warren Street in Glens Falls in 2019. She said the move back to South Glens Falls was prompted by a need for more space.
“We’ve grown significantly in the last year. We needed more space, plus we wanted our shop to be more handicap accessible and have more room for wheelchairs,” said Isaac.
Isaac credits word of mouth and referrals from the medical community for the shop’s growth.
“We finally have a lot of medical providers on board with our products, and a lot of those medical providers are sending people our way instead of writing them a prescription. A lot of people are turning to more natural alternatives as opposed to prescriptions. Definitely our oils were popular during the whole Coronavirus scare. A lot of people were using them to keep themselves from getting sick,” she said.

By Jennifer Farnsworth
The success of Saratoga Olive Oil has led to an expansion with a new store at 1341 Saratoga Road in Moreau.
The company opened a facility that has a 7,500-square-foot warehouse and 3,000 square feet of retail space.
Owner Clint Braidwood said they had been searching the last couple years for a warehouse facility. He came close to purchasing land and building a warehouse with Munter Enterprises in W.J. Grande. Industrial Park, however, John Munter, owner of Munter Enterprises, suggested that they look into the facility in Moreau.
“He thought it would be a great fit for us. It was indeed a perfect fit for Saratoga Olive Oil Company. We now have warehouse space, the ability to expand our warehouse and corporate offices, a front retail space and a photo room in our front building,” said Braidwood.
The new spot will offer discounted and discontinued items, as well as bulk items, a concept Braidwood anticipates will do well.
Braidwood founded the business with his wife Barbara and brother Chad Braidwood in 2011. He said when the pandemic hit, they were all worried.

Saratoga Subaru recently donated $25,000 to support renovations to Saratoga Hospital’s William J. Hickey Women’s Health Services unit and help get babies and families off to a healthy start.
The gift, which was presented Oct. 2, is the dealership’s second contribution for the mother/baby unit project. Last year, the company donated $18,444, for a combined gift of $43,444.
“These contributions from Saratoga Subaru will help us provide families and babies with the best possible birth experience,” said Angelo Calbone, Saratoga Hospital president and CEO. “The gifts also are a wonderful reminder of how fortunate we are to serve a community that has been unwavering in its support for Saratoga Hospital for 125 years. We thank the team at Saratoga Subaru for their generosity and for continuing that proud tradition.”
Both gifts are funded by Subaru of America’s annual Share the Love Event. During the holiday season, Subaru of America “shares the love” by donating $250 for each new Subaru that’s purchased or leased at a participating dealer—in this case, Saratoga Subaru, which is part of Mackey Auto Group.

By Christine Graf
Welcome Relief Massage Therapy recently relocated from Malta to 160 Milton Ave. in Ballston Spa.
The business specializes in various types of therapeutic massage including traditional, deep tissue, Swedish, hot stone, couples, and pregnancy. Welcome Relief also offers neuromuscular therapy, a type of soft tissues massage that treats underlying causes of chronic pain, and reflexology, the application of pressure to areas of the feet.
Owner Jennifer Narkiewicz is a graduate of the Center for Natural Wellness School of Massage Therapy in Albany. The Buffalo native and longtime Malta resident pursued a career in massage therapy in 2007. Prior to that, she worked for about 20 years as an administrative assistant.
“I got into massage therapy because I really wanted to help people,” she said. “Massage therapy can profoundly impact people and make them feel better. I really like being able to take people from a pain point and get them to where they are functioning and feeling better. Some people are able to wean themselves off of medication because they are no longer in pain. It’s very rewarding.”

By Jennifer Farnsworth
Opening a fifth location seemed like a natural progression for Adirondack Orthodontics, a locally owned and operated orthodontic practice that serves patients across the Capital Region.
The newest office at 88 Broad St. in Glens Falls is now part of the largest locally owned and operated practices in the Capital District region.
As the founder of the practice, Dr. Sergey Berenshteyn said he had many patients travelling from northern Saratoga and Warren counties down to his Clifton Park office. Opening up a spot that was closer for those travelling south down the Northway for care seemed like an obvious decision to make.
“I knew we already had a client base in that area and I knew going to Glens Falls would not only make it easier for those patients but it would also allow for us to bring in new patients in the more northern areas,” said Berenshteyn.
Berenshteyn said the new location needed some renovations but nothing major. The office is part of a suite that opened up and was recommended to him by a friend who was already there practicing pediatric dentistry.

By Jennifer Farnsworth
A new Stewart’s Shop has opened on Route 9 in Clifton Park. The 3,700-square-foot shop has a massive pumpkin out front and the company is asking customers to guess its weight by Oct. 19 to win a prize.
“A giant pumpkin was delivered the first week in October. Customers can guess the weight for a $100 My Money card to stock up on all their favorite fall flavors,” said Stewart’s Public Relations Specialist Erica Komoroske.
Stewart’s purchased the property at 1740 Route 9 from Clifton Park Hotel Associates LLC, owners of the Residence Inn by Marriott for $630,000. They are also planning to open six more locations, bringing their store count to 343.
“There were a lot of considerations when choosing this location. The resident and business growth in Clifton Park were key, along with the traffic north-south of Route 9. We didn’t have a shop to serve the southbound traffic. This shop fills that void,” she said.

The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) successfully concluded its 2020 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course without interruption and with all-sources handle topping $700 million for the second consecutive year, officials said.
The meet was conducted without spectators and with only a limited number of essential personnel, horsemen and owners on-site due to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NYRA said all-sources handle for the 2020 summer meet totaled $702,535,468 compared to $705,343,949 wagered from all sources on Saratoga in 2019.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Sept. 3 that casinos are able to reopen on Sept. 9 if they have enhanced air filtration systems and with capacity capped at 25 percent.
Masks and social distancing are required. There are no table games or beverage service on the gaming floor, state officials said.
Casinos in New York, many of which are regulated by the state, have been in the dark about when they would be allowed to reopen. New York took its time to make the announcement as health officials tracked what was happening at casinos that have reopened in other parts of the country.
Upstate’s four state-regulated casinos, including Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, and video lottery terminal parlors, such as Saratoga Casino Hotel, have been closed since mid-March to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.