Category Archives: Business News

By Susan Elise Campbell

A new eatery in Warrensburg  has brought a taste of home back to 3915 Main St.

Eight months after opening at a different site, Sulla Terra Bakery & Bistro moved from “a tiny place down the street” to where Bill’s Diner had been a long-time local favorite, according to owner April Fiorentino.

“The diner had been out of commission for three years but wasn’t for sale when I opened the bakery,” said Fiorentino.  

But her shop grew so quickly that she brought on a business partner and co-owner, Courtney Sprague, at the time of relocation and subsequent expansion from bakery to bistro.

Fiorentino is a former state worker who went on to work for a dental office. Later  she became manager of Lizzie Keays Restaurant in  Warrensburg when she “didn’t want to be in an office anymore” and stayed there for 10 years, she said.

It took some time to renovate the new space, but the family and friends who helped were eager “to reuse and refresh the space that has meant a lot to people who are still here,” she said.

They removed paneling and found tongue and groove underneath, which Fiorentino said “along with our family & close friends, we sanded, painted, and put the tongue & grove up as ship lap.”

Lehigh Hanson Inc. has decided to halt cement production at its Glens Falls plant. Company officials said operations will be shut down in a phased manner in 2023.

The Glens Falls plant currently operates with 85 full-time employees. The company said in November it is committed to providing financial and job search assistance to minimize the impact on its employees.

“The decision to halt production at a plant is always difficult,” said Alex Car, president of Lehigh Hanson’s Northeast Region. “We are thankful for the dedication and efforts of our Glens Falls workforce over the years and we will work to minimize the impacts to our employees and the community as much as possible.”

The Lehigh Cement plant in Glens Falls has been operating since 1893. As a result of changes to the competitive landscape within the global cement industry, it has become increasingly difficult for relatively small and aging plants like the Glens Falls facility to cost-effectively manufacture its products, said Car.

The Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce announced its annual honorees as it continues to celebrate its 70th anniversary, commemorating a legacy of service.

The S.T.A.R. (Supporting Tourism Around the Region) Award was created in 2006 to recognize organizations or individuals who help grow the tourism economy, which is vital for supporting jobs and offsetting the tax burden of residents.

This year’s S.T.A.R. Award honorees are the Fort William Henry Corp. and Queensbury Town Supervisor John Strough.

In 2017, the Chamber created the Sapphire Award to honor a “gem” in the community whose efforts directly benefit the hospitality industry in a profound way. The Adirondack Pub & Brewery team and owner John Carr are the recipients of this year’s Sapphire Award.

In honor of the Chamber’s 70th anniversary, the Chamber also created a Platinum Award for this year to recognize office manager Christine Dowd Molella who will retire at the end of the year following 45 years of service.

The awards were presented at the Chamber’s 70th Anniversary gala celebration on Nov. 4 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Lake George. The event sold out with nearly 200 people registered to attend.

Zobel & Co. Kitchens of Glens Falls, a custom kitchen design firm, received the Best Kitchen Design $80,000-$119,000 and Best Kitchen Design $120,000-plus awards from the Capital Region Builders and Remodelers Association (CRBRA) .

The awards were presented at the annual Best of Building awards night in November at the Canfield Casino, Saratoga Springs.

The first project recognized was a Malta kitchen that features rich walnut cabinetry, Calacatta Arno Quartz slab back splash and counter tops, and a stunning Vermont Verde Antique countertop on the island. The new kitchen features generous amounts of light, storage and organization, floating shelves, and a closet converted into a pantry.

The second project awarded to Zobel & Co. Kitchens is a Saratoga kitchen that combines the working side of a kitchen with a large six-person dine-in island and completed with a large wet bar area featuring wine storage and a beverage refrigerator. White cabinetry defines the cooking and eating area, while smokey grey cabinets showcases the bar. The design incorporates the family’s desire to entertain comfortably while having ample room for food prep and cooking.

By Jill Nagy

This winter, on cold, dark evenings, Mark and Kristen Shaw hope people will find their way to Go Play with Your Food, a tavern that will featured old fashioned board games.

They plan to open in January. 

The couple has collected over 500 board games, ranging from classics like Monopoly and chess to the  more esoteric ones. Meanwhile, they are renovating a building at 126 Glen St. to house the enterprise.

The tavern will offer a selection of sandwiches, flatbread pizza, salads and “family fun food,” Mark Shaw said.  There will also be beer, mead, and wines—no hard liquor. 

He said the emphasis will be on the games, not the food. They are not trying to compete with Glens Falls restaurants. The choices of food and drink also reflects the desire to create a family-oriented facility.

Discovery Map International, a provider of curated guides to top tourist attractions, cities and towns throughout North America, recently announced John Farrell as the new owner of Discovery Map of Lake George.  Farrell, the owner of JMF Publishing, purchased the map from Greg Cluver in the fall. Farrell has owned and operated JMF Publishing...

By Jill nagy

Bone broth is the specialty of the house at the Dix Avenue Diner in Queensbury. 

The diner, at 487 Dix Ave., shares space with the New Beginnings Community Church. The church’s pastor, Randy Gross, also operates the diner and brews the bone broth.

Gross boils meat bones—chicken, turkey, beef, or pork—with a mixture of spices until it reaches a jelly-like consistency. The result, he said, is a product low in calories, high in protein, and packed with vitamins and minerals. 

He described the spices as anti-inflammatory and said that they gain added potency from cooking in the hot fat. They include turmeric, cardamon, ginger, garlic and cumin. 

The Indian influence is not coincidental. Gross said part of his inspiration came from the experience of a doctor whose digestive tract changed when he lived in India for a time and the changes resulted in improved health.

Customers can eat the hot broth in the diner or take it home by the bottle. 

By Andrew Meader & Lake George Wine Outlet

Seasonal drinks around the Holidays are steeped in tradition. We all stock up on eggnog and mulled wine and it is the time to break out the peppermint martini. This year, we want you to try something new. 

Here are five cocktails that you may not have heard of that will make you a hit at any holiday party. Post pictures of these cocktails and you will become Instagram famous with friends.

White Christmas Margarita

Who says you can only have margaritas in the summer? This twist on tequila’s favorite partner in a glass will be sure to get you into the holiday spirit. The coconut flavors will have you dreaming of what the holidays are like on a tropical island or in Mexico. 

Recipe:

1½ ounce silver tequila

½ ounce triple sec

½ ounce coconut rum

½ ounce lime juice

1 ounce light coconut milk

Garnish with cranberries and fresh sprigs of rosemary.

By Susan Elise Campbell

What started as a plan to add more production and canning space has snowballed into an additional restaurant and event space that doubles the size of Common Roots Brewing Co. at 58 Saratoga Ave. in South Glens Falls.

Guests are already booking weddings and corporate events for up to 250 people, according to Christian Weber, who owns the brewery with his father, Bert Weber.

“The site has been cleared and the steel for footings has arrived,” said Weber. “We hope to have the new building up and closed in by the end of the year and opened to customers the end of spring.”

The new building and beer garden is being designed and built by Phinney Design Group of Saratoga Springs with V&H Construction Inc. as lead contractor. These are the same firms that rebuilt the modern Adirondack-style structure in 2020.