By Margaret Macdonald
Stewart’s Shops has plans to replace several existing shops in the area with larger, more accessible venues.
Generally, these new shops enable better indoor flow to improve customers’ shopping experience and expand food service options, according to Maria D’Amelia, public relations specialist for the company.
New construction includes a shop at Route 28 and Durkin Road in North Creek. The company is seeking site plan approvals. Construction start is anticipated in June and could be completed in October.
Another new shop is planned at 977 Route 149 in Queensbury. The company is seeking site plan approvals and construction is expected to start in the second quarter of 2018. The proposal is for a 3,695-square-foot store with a canopy that will have four islands for pumping gas.
Other shops being replaced include two locations on Route 146 in Clifton Park, one starting in late July with completion anticipated around Labor Day. Construction of the second is expected to begin in September.
Construction of a store on Route 67, Charlton, could be completed in late September. Construction of a shop on Saratoga Avenue in South Glens Falls is expected to begin this summer. Another on Broad Street in Schuylerville is awaiting approvals.
Many of these locations involved purchase of nearby or adjacent properties to existing shops. There’s a bidding process for prospective contractors.
“Easy food options are fueling many of these projects throughout the company, as we evolve to meet the needs of our customers’ busy lifestyles,” said D’Amelia. “They’re looking for quick, quality foods they can easily grab throughout the day. Many of our newer shops will offer fresh pizza, made-to-order subs, as well as many other quality food and snack options. Plus, we offer additional beverages in a walk-in cooler called a beer cave.”
Additional space outside will facilitate traffic flow and ease of parking, she noted
“Stewart’s Shops has certainly had to evolve over the past 70 years, to continue to meet the changing and varied needs of our customers. We can be a different type of shop to each of our customers: an ice cream shop, a dairy shop, a coffee shop, a gas shop, a beverage shop, and a restaurant.”
There are over 335 Stewart’s Shops located in 31 counties across upstate New York and southern Vermont, with two-thirds of those shops selling gas.