By Christine Graf
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet will be opening a new retail store at Aviation Mall in late August or early September. The store will occupy 30,000 square feet of space in the former Bon-Ton location.
Ollie’s will occupy just over one-third of the former Bon-Ton location. Bon-Ton closed its 80,000-square-foot store in April 2018. Aviation Mall also lost another large tenant at the end of 2018 when Sears closed the doors of its 95,000-squre-foot store.
By Jill Nagy
Chris Patten, the new owner of the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe, received approval from the Glens Falls Planning Board when he presented plans to enlarge and renovate the property.
He plans to add two apartments above the cafe, expand the cafe itself, and do a “full gut renovation” of the inside of the building, he said.
Meanwhile, Matt Funiciello, who founded the cafe and operated it for 15 years, plans to move his bread baking operation from its current location in a Moreau strip mall to an old brick former Nabisco warehouse in Glens Falls and add a vegan cafe. He is moving into the Shirt Factory, at 18 Curran Lane. Rockhill’s neighbors in the building will include a distillery, a bike shop, and Pies on Wheels.
By Jennifer Farnsworth
When Lisa Farina DePalma made the move late last year from Aviation Road to Mount Royal Plaza, the Queensbury hair salon owner hoped that her staff and client base would come with her. The years of experience at Adonis Hair Supply Design and her friendly demeanor seemed to pay off, with all of her employees as well her customers following her.
“Our new location has been great to us. I feel as though I have many blessings,” said DePalma.
By Jennifer Farnsworth
Ash Anand, CEO and president of the Lotus Group, said the one thing the Warrensburg area was missing was an authentic Mexican restaurant. He has changed that with the opening of Ocho Cinco Cantina, a place he describes as both casual and upscale.
The restaurant is his newest venture joining his diversified business portfolio that includes Lotus Analytics, The Grist Mill restaurant, Small Tales Early Learning Center, Lotus Auto Xperts garage, Lotus Nutraceuticals Warrensburg NAPA Auto Parts and Ashes Pub.
By Susan E. Campbell
Amberly Bucci is a businesswoman who wants others to know that they, too, can turn their life’s passion into profit.
“For myself, I combined my passion for travel, digital marketing and teaching, and fused them together to create a career that I love: digital marketing with a focus on the hospitality industry,” Bucci said.
Last fall she officially formed Amberly Bucci LLC, a move she said was “long overdue.” After only a few months, the feedback she is getting utilizing digital marketing expertise is “exciting.”
By Jennifer Farnsworth
For people looking for authentic Mexican food, Jose Magdalena says to look no further than South Glens Falls.
Magdalena, owner of Mi Rancho, said his restaurant serves cuisine that is a taste of Mexico in upstate New York.
Located at 23 Main St., formerly Cirelli’s Osteria, Mi Rancho is a place that Magdalena thought the area was missing.
“We know how to make real Mexican food,” said Magdalena.
By Jennifer Farnsworth
Lifelong Queensbury resident Dr. Jeff Sawyer is passionate about being a chiropractor. Now with his own practice, Sawyer Family Chiropractic, Sawyer said he is excited to share that passion with the community.
The 123 Quaker Road office opened in January. Sawyer designed it to be a state-of-the-art facility with treatment rooms that allow for the natural treatment for discomforts and symptoms, including neck pain, pregnancy pain, central nervous system diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, auto-accident pain and general wellness regardless of age, said Sawyer.
“The practice strives to promote a family atmosphere that focuses on optimizing health for each and every patient. As a chiropractor, my primary goal is to help patients avoid more costly interventions, such as prescription medications and unnecessary surgeries,” said Sawyer.
Sawyer is a graduate of New York Chiropractic College. He serves as the team chiropractor for the local Adirondack Thunder ECHL hockey team. He regularly attends seminars and training to keep up-to-date with new techniques of care.
By Jill Nagy
It could be a modern novel. The hero, a successful professional, experiences a “big life change” and decides to wander the country, driving a truck and taking time out to ride the trails, hike, and do yoga. Then, an epiphany: He misses an essential part of his former life and returns to it, better than ever.
This happened to Seth Merrill, who returned to New York state last November to found Rebound Massage in Queensbury, part of the Adirondack Wellness Group at 310 Dixon Road.
He specializes in therapeutic massage, helping patients overcome pain and stiffness. He works with top athletes and also with “athletes just trying to get by day-to-day.”
By Greg Hitchcock
Slate Town Brewing Co. at 31 Main St. in Granville opened three months ago and things are going well, according to business partner Susan Knapp.
“We have nine beers on tap. Every week we have new ones coming out,” Knapp said.
Local and out-of-town customers flock to Slate Town Brewing Company to get a taste of a Not Your Average Main Street Blonde ale, Unfitting Red ale, or other craft beers at the brewery created by master craftsman Glenn Wetherell, also a partner.
Unfitting Red ale came from slate industry terms in honor of the region’s red slate industry having been a major benefactor in Granville’s economic development, she said.
“Red slate is only found in Granville in the whole world,” Knapp said.
After working nearly 16 years as a home brewer with his father David, working out of a hop shed, Wetherell decided to open a brewery after being convinced by Knapp that if he didn’t, he would regret that decision forever.
By Jill Nagy
Business is “exceeding our expectations” at a newly opened vegan restaurant in Queensbury, according to its owner, Tania Sharlow.
The restaurant, the Birch Bark Eatery, opened Oct. 1 at 989 Route 9.
The vegan menu avoids meat and other animal products like eggs and dairy. Sharlow said she relies heavily on vegetables, beans and “rare flowers” in her cooking.
However, she also offers “imitation comfort food,” such as the “impossible burger” and imitation meat products made of seitan, a gluten-rich wheat product that can be seasoned like meat and has a similar texture. The burger sizzles on the grill and sheds blood-like juices when bitten into.
Sharlow estimated that about a third of her clients are, like her, committed to a vegan diet. Another one-third or so, are vegetarian. The rest, she feels, are curious.