Category Archives: New Businesses

By Susan Elise Campbell

Divine Sole is “soon to be the best sneaker store north of Albany,” said Ryan Smalley, owner of a new shop opening  at The Marketplace, 454 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs.

Smalley registered his LLC in November and is anticipating a soft opening the fourth week in May, he said.

This is Smalley’s first venture into the world of retail. He and his wife, Laura, are both financial professionals, with Smalley being an accountant for the past eight years.

“The pandemic changed so much about all of our lives, but change can create opportunity,” he said. “After an unusual year to reflect and consider what long-term changes will come out of this experience, we thought it a good time to try this venture.”

Divine Sole will offer exclusive sneakers along with mainstay brands such as Nike and Adidas, said Smalley. Shoppers will find Air Jordan, Air Max, Gel Lyte, Flight,  Kim Jones and other premium labels at the new store.

“We are filling a huge need in Saratoga,” Smalley said. “There is nothing around that offers a line of sneakers like these.”

By Jill Nagy

After 10 years as an itinerant tattoo artist, Michael Ransom Backus and his co-owner and fiancee, Sharon McCarty, have opened a tattoo studio and art gallery in Ballston Spa.

Ransom Tattoo Gallery is in the former Lincoln Hotel, now a combination apartment and commercial space at 104 Milton Ave.

A Saratoga Springs native, Backus said he has “a decent following” and business has been good.

In addition to tattooing, he creates the artwork that can be found on the walls. Along those lines, he is about to begin a large commission, “the largest watercolor painting I have ever done.” The painting is for the wall of a client’s new home.

He also does India ink drawings on paper, fabric and wood.

Backus said as a tattoo artist, he does mostly larger tattoos, many in a Japanese style. Tattoo art, he explained, began in Asia and was brought to the United States by sailors and seamen who visited Asia. Many of the original designs they brought remain popular.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

A new bar/restaurant will open in June on Phila Street in Saratoga Springs in the space that operated for a long time as Peabody’s.

Nashville of Saratoga, 39-41 Phila St. will be a country-style bar with live music.

Owners Michael and Carolyn Crowley said they were inspired to start the business after a trip to Nashville. The couple is looking to bring Nashville cuisine to the area, coupled with live entertainment the Tennessee city is also known for.

Michael Crowley said they will feature local country artists on weekends.

“When it comes to live music, Nashville is known for giving musicians the opportunity to perform. We really wanted to bring that opportunity here just like they do in Nashville,” he said. They have received many inquiries from bands and have been reaching out to coordinate the bookings.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

The Brasserie Benelux is a new restaurant in Saratoga Springs with a European-inspired menu.

Armand Vanderstigchel owns the restaurant at 390 Broadway and is also the chef.

Vanderstigchel said the menu also expands into German, Austrian, Polish, Belarusian, Alsatian, Czech, and Scandinavian cultures, as well as American dishes. He is excited to bring this type of food to downtown Saratoga, a location that he had his eyes on for many years.

“I have been cooking this type of food my whole life and I am passionate about it. Saratoga has a variety of places to choose from and now we are bringing another option to the table, something unique and very authentic,” said Vanderstigchel.

He said the response was immediately positive. He anticipated being busy because new places are always exciting and intriguing to people, and as a result of that, visitors have been steady since the opening.

“I have people come in who have Dutch roots and they know the food. They challenge me on how well I know dishes and they quickly learn I know what I am talking about. I grew up with this food and I have been making it forever,” said Vanderstigchel.

By Christine Graf

The Bunker, a Guilderland-based business that offer golfers the opportunity to use golf simulator technology in an indoor, country club-like setting, has plans to open additional locations in Clifton Park and Malta.

Owners Troy Miller and Burl McCutcheon will invest approximately $1 million to get both sites up and running. Because there are tenants currently occupying both existing spaces, exact addresses will not be released until next month, they said.

According to Miller, both are centrally located near exits 9 and 12 of the Northway.

Miller is the owner and broker at CM Fox Real Estate and also owns Troy Miller Construction. In his free time, he is an avid golfer. 

“I’ve been in the development world, and when golf and my past development work collided, out came the Bunker,” he said.

The 4,000-square-foot Guilderland location opened at the end of 2019 in the CM Fox Real Estate building at 2390 Western Turnpike. Before being temporarily shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, business exceeded expectations and plans for expansion were already underway, he said.

Gennaro’s Pizza Parlor of Saratoga Springs recently expanded their brand in the Capital Region by opening a second store in Guilderland.

Their current restaurant is at 46 Marion Ave., Saratoga Springs. The new one is at 1704 Western Ave.

Gennaro’s is a family owned and operated, wood-fired pizzeria and Italian restaurant. Gennaro’s serve the classics from margarita-style pizzas to new artisanal pizzas. Gennaro’s also offers an array of Italian-American favorites like chicken parmesan and penne al a vodka.

Owners Alex and Carina Rodriguez have both spent their  careers in hospitality. Alex began his career in 1995, owning and operating a neighborhood bar and grill in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. From there, he went on to own, operate and/or partner in nearly 20 restaurants nationwide, including Greenwich Brewing Co., 121 Fulton Street, Sushi Samb and Bocadillo.

Before relocating to the Capital Region, he was the COO of a national hospitality group based in New York City. His passion for food, service and hospitality are his career’s driving force.

By Andrea Harwood Palmer

Skin Renaissance Spa opened in early March at 142 Saratoga Ave., South Glens Falls, across the road from the Hannaford Plaza.

Shelley Riopelle has been a licensed esthetician for over 25 years. Previously, she worked at a spa in Saratoga for 10 years.

When COVID-19 hit and the state ordered businesses to shut their doors, she considered retiring. After time passed and businesses started to reopen, Riopelle realized she missed the work and wanted to get back into it.

“I decided that instead of going back to work for someone else, I would open my own spa,” said Riopelle. “Pandemic or not, I wanted to give it a go and see it where it takes me.”

The spa offers a full menu of skin treatments and modalities, body treatments, facial treatments, foot soaks and waxing following all Covid-19 protocols.

By Jill Nagy

The first time Matt Shufelt picked up a pair of hair clippers was in 2005 in a college hockey team locker room, cutting his teammates’ hair.

“I realized I really enjoyed it,” he said.

Today, he is the owner of The Barber Lounge at 628 Maple Ave. in Wilton.

Shufelt and the two other barbers at the Barber Lounge, Tristan Saunders and Madison Butler, have worked in Saratoga area barber shops for several years. Shufelt managed Vinny’s on Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs for four years.

“We had great followings,” Shufelt said, and, consequently, “we’re doing well.”

The Barber Lounge is designed as a place to hang out, watch TV, have a drink (complimentary), or just sit in front of one of the two fireplaces. There are four separate waiting areas, a bow to COVID restrictions. According to Shufelt, that is likely to be a permanent arrangement. With 2,000 square feet of space, the shop has plenty of room for people to socially distance.

By Christine Graf

After the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted the cruise industry, Capital Region native Chris Spangler found himself in need of a new job. Spangler had been employed as a tour guide in an Alaskan town that was a stopover point for cruise ships.

“Thanks to the pandemic, the cruise ship business obviously tanked which removed my Alaskan job,” said Spangler.

As a result, he decided to open his own business, Down to Earth Aerial. The Saratoga-based company specializes in drone photography and video production.

“I really enjoy aerial photography and flying drones, so I tapped into some of the contacts I have in this area in the construction industry and the real estate industry and worked to build a photography business specializing in aerial photography as well as virtual tours,” said Spangler.

He said it can be especially helpful in the effort to market commercial real estate to investors who are not familiar with the area. It is also useful in marketing residential real estate because it offers a different perspective on the property.

By Susan Elise Campbell

A new restaurant in Clifton Park Center Mall, Sabor Azteca, is offering upscale food and a “taste of the Aztecs” to lovers of authentic Mexican cuisine.

Alejandro Morales and business partner Rafael Escamilla have owned restaurants together since 2004. They opened Pancho’s Restaurant on Central Avenue in Albany and left there to open La Fiesta in Clifton Park.

Sabor Azteca is their third business venture.

“Clifton Park is a big area and has room for another Mexican restaurant, especially one with higher quality ingredients,” Morales said. “Most of these restaurants offer the same food and menu items.”

Morales said Sabor Azteca is distinguishing itself by using “a better grade of meat and seafood, such as hormone-free chicken and gluten-free ingredients. When you use real crab meat instead of imitation, people appreciate that. If they try the dish, they know the difference.”