Glens Falls Business Journal

Mint, A New Restaurant in Glens Falls, Specializes In Fresh Farm-To Table Dishes

April 18, 2022

Mint co-owners Katriel Houlihan, left, and her mother, Johanna von Geldern, right, are joined inside the restaurant by general manager Brandi Michal.
Paul Post

By Paul Post

A new Glens Falls restaurant is specializing in farm-to-table dishes featuring fresh food sourced from throughout the region.

Johanna von Geldern and her daughters, Katriel and Cagney Houlihan, welcomed their first patrons to Mint, at 80 Warren St., on April 8. She previously owned Sweet Beet Bistro in Greenwich, which closed in March 2020 when COVID-19 hit.

Her focus on serving the highest quality, fresh food remains unchanged.

“With COVID, it just kind of re-emphasized the importance of healthy eating and knowing where food comes from,” von Geldern said. “We became part of the food revolution, reducing carbon footprint, and teaching people about ingredients we were learning about, too.”

“It kind of evolved organically because we’re surrounded by so many farms and artisans,” she said. “We saw this abundance of beautiful food around us.”

The eatery is housed in the former Mailings Made Easy building, owned by Glens Falls developer Peter Hoffman. Its elegant atmosphere reflects the owners’ commitment to providing a rewarding experience for each guest.

Vested Veteran Grill In Corinth Gives Some Of Its Proceeds To Help Veterans With PTSD

April 18, 2022April 19, 2022

Ellie Stultz is the front end manager at Vested Veteran Grill in Corinth. One-tenth of the profits from the catering business are donated to an organization that assists veterans with PTSD.

Updated business name correction – 4/19/22

by jill nagy

The Vested Veteran Grill at 126 Maple St. in Corinth honors the owners’ military service and helps other veterans and active duty service members.

The grill has been open since last June and was preceded by a catering operation, still active, that started in April 2018.

Allen Lapelle and his wife, Kendie, and a staff of 10 operate the grill and catering service. Other partners are Jennelle Hoffman, Tyler Kirchoff—who is also the building landlord—and Jason Shippe.

One-tenth of the profits from the catering business are donated to an organization that assists veterans with PTSD.

Lapelle said he is “big on community.” He was especially pleased to host the Corinth High School girls’ basketball team when they celebrated winning the Adirondack League championship. In another bow to the community, the Grill serves locally roasted Engine 3 Coffee.

Lapelle was born and raised in the area. He spent five years in the U.S. Air Force, until 2014. Straight out of the military he took a job cooking. Then, he decided to learn more and signed on for programs at BOCES and the Culinary Institute. He served internships at Yaddo, in Saratoga Springs, and at a restaurant in New Orleans.

Bureau Of Labor Statistics: Hiring Was Up In March; Hospitality Sector, Others Saw Gains

April 18, 2022

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 431,000 in March, and the unemployment rate declined to 3.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on April 1.

According to the report, notable job gains continued in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, retail trade, and manufacturing.

The Bureau said the unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percentage point to 3.6 percent in March, and the number of unemployed persons decreased by 318,000 to 6.0 million.

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for adult women (3.3 percent) declined in March.

Among the unemployed, the number of permanent job losers decreased by 191,000 to 1.4 million in March and is little different from its February 2020 level of 1.3 million, the report said.

The number of persons on temporary layoff was little changed over the month at 787,000 and has essentially returned to its February 2020 level. The number of job leavers—unemployed persons who quit or voluntarily left their previous job and began looking for new employment—fell by 176,000 to 787,000 in March.

In March, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) decreased by 274,000 to 1.4 million. This measure is 307,000 higher than in February 2020. The long-term unemployed accounted for 23.9 percent of all unemployed persons in March, the Bureau said.

As Business Grows, ‘Chimney Heroes’ Owner Builds His Own Training Facility

April 18, 2022April 18, 2022

Jamie Wallace, right, owner of Chimney Heroes, is inside his new training facility for employees in Ballston Spa with installers Michael Wager, on the ladder, and Tyler Delsignore.

Chimney Heroes, a chimney services company based in Ballston Spa, has been experiencing a series of growth spurts over the past several years, according to president Jamie Wallace.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how people live in their homes. In turn, the home services industry has experienced a lot of record-breaking growth, he said. The latest iteration of Chimney Heroes’ growth trajectory is the completion of a 3,000-square-foot training facility and a new, larger warehouse.

Chimney Heroes provides chimney inspections, sweeping, repair, masonry work and installation of gas and wood fireplaces. Wallace said the secret to the company’s growth and strength is his commitment to education.

All company technicians experience continuing education for excellence training, both internally and externally in an ongoing fashion. The construction of a dedicated training facility is the physical manifestation of years of investment in staff education and training.

“We have a manager on staff whose sole responsibility is training technicians in the field,” said Wallace. “Our company’s core values include professionalism and leadership development and my promise to my team is that I will provide everything they need to succeed and thrive in the chimney care business.

“We have a modern-day apprenticeship to tradesperson program, and we’re always looking to meet new serious candidates who’d like to study and work with us.”

Restaurateurs Can Meet With Local Food Producers At ‘Taste NY’ Event On April 28

April 18, 2022

The Taste NY business-to-business expo event is intended to help farmers and agricultural producers in the Adirondack region and New York state.
Courtesy Taste NY

Local restaurants, wholesalers, and other businesses looking to connect with local food and beverage producers will have a chance to meet face-to-face at the Taste NY Producer Showcase this month.

The Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce and Taste NY will present the showcase on Thursday, April 28, at SUNY Adirondack. It will take place in the Northwest Bay Conference Center at Adirondack Hall, 640 Bay Road in Queensbury.

This business-to-business expo event is intended to help farmers and agricultural producers in the Adirondack region and New York State grow their businesses and encourage hotels, restaurants, bars, retail locations, and institutions to purchase local products. In addition to the expo, businesses can also take part in educational workshops and a networking breakfast.

This showcase will be the third business-to-business food show organized by the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce. The Adirondack Region Food and Farms Business Expo was held at SUNY Adirondack in December 2019 followed by a first-of-its- kind Virtual Taste NY Producer Showcase in October 2020 which featured 60 producers in a fast-pitch virtual environment.

The virtual format was a modification made to the event in response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are pleased to return to the in-person format this spring with a showcase that offers 50 New York State producers an opportunity to connect with potential wholesale buyers and attendees from the Adirondack region,” said Gina Mintzer, Chamber executive director.

SBA Will Provide More Deferment Time For COVID Disaster Relief Loans Repayment

April 18, 2022

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has been directed to provide additional deferment of principal and interest payments for existing COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program borrowers.

The extended deferment period—30 months deferment from inception on all approved COVID EIDL loans—will provide additional flexibility to small business owners impacted by the pandemic, especially those in hard-hit sectors managing disruption with recent variants, as well as recent supply chain and inflation challenges amid a growing economic recovery.

Since its inception, the COVID EIDL program, a federal disaster relief loan, has allocated more than $351 billion in relief aid to 3.9 million borrowers, including to the smallest of small businesses from historically underserved, disadvantaged communities, according to the SBA.

“Though our small business owners continue to power a historic economic recovery under the Biden-Harris Administration, we must continue to do everything in our power to meet our small businesses where they are with resources to ensure they can recover and thrive,” said SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman. “This extended principal and interest deferment will provide financial relief to millions of small business owners—particularly those hardest-hit by the pandemic and related marketplace challenges – so they can continue to pivot, adapt, and grow.”

The deferment extension is effective for all COVID-EIDL Loans approved in calendar years 2020, 2021, and 2022. Loans now have a total deferment of 30 months from the date of the Note. Interest will continue to accrue on the loans during the deferment.

‘Finders Keepers’ Consignment Shop Owner Opens A Second Store In Queensbury Plaza

April 18, 2022

Kyleen Wade is the owner of Finders Keepers consignment shop. After 19 years in Glens Falls, she opened a second store in mid-March in the Queensbury Plaza on Upper Glen Street.

By Jill Nagy

Finders Keepers, Kyleen Wade’s second hand shop, sells clothing and “anything that a woman surrounds herself with to look beautiful,” she says.

After 19 years in Glens Falls, she opened a second store in mid-March in the Queensbury Plaza on Upper Glen Street.

Wade sells clothing, jewelry, mirrors, purses, shoes, and other objects, most of it on consignment. She also offers “a little bit of furniture, but it’s hard to keep in the store.”

Recently, she added men’s clothing to her stock. From time to time, she gets antiques to sell.

She said “people are finding me and re-finding me,” as old customers return and new ones arrive. Business “is great. It’s wonderful. It’s everything I could have dreamed of.”

The new store is about 4,500 square feet, considerably bigger than the tiny shop she began with in Glens Falls. At the time, she was living in Vermont and she learned of the availability of a turnkey business on Glen Street in Glens Falls selling “used stuff.” She bought the business, added a lot of product and “it was all gone in a week.”

Later, she moved to the former Shirt Factory on Broad Street and began advertising for merchandise to sell on consignment. She advertised it as an opportunity to recycle and “find homes for the wayward.”

Business Report: Achieve Your Entrepreneurial Vision

April 18, 2022

Christy Alexander, founder of WorkSmart Coworking & Meeting Space in Glens Falls.

By Christy Alexander

Small businesses are key contributors to the vibrant communities that people want to call home.

Fortunately, entrepreneurship in the U.S. is on the rise. But for these new businesses to have an impact, they must survive, and by focusing on some key areas, entrepreneurs can have the best possible chance to reach their goals and build thriving, sustainable businesses.

Entrepreneurship can be rewarding, and thoughts of independence are exciting, but the life of an entrepreneur isn’t a good fit for everyone. The truth is that running your own business is hard. It can mean long days of solving problems and taking responsibility for endless decisions. Conquering these obstacles requires passion and relentlessness. The first thing you can do to set yourself up for success as a hopeful entrepreneur is to carefully decide whether you’re ready, willing, and able to accept the challenges of entrepreneurship.

With so many challenges to manage, it’s easy to go adrift, so having a clear vision to guide you is critical. You need to develop a clear image of what you want for your business and your life. It is this clarity that will help you stay on track when you must make tough decisions, and a compelling vision that will inspire others to join you in pursuit of your goals.

Even with a clear vision, you’ll be required to wear many hats in your business. It can be draining, and you will be better off playing to your strengths than trying to work on your weaknesses. Assess your abilities and identify the tools you will need for success.

Tyler Herrick, Zack Moore Enjoying Their Entrepreneurial Efforts In Glens Falls Region

April 18, 2022

Zack Moore, left, and Tyler Herrick, in front of construction at the Queensbury Hotel.
Paul Post

By Paul Post

Queensbury Hotel is already getting calls for large, sell-out conferences in 2024 and 2025, two months before the highly anticipated mid-June opening of its new $3.8 million grand ballroom.

The 5,200-square-foot addition with state-of-the-art kitchen facilities, located to the right of the building’s rear entrance, could be a major game-changer for downtown Glens Falls by hosting multi-day events for hundreds of people who would likely visit restaurants and retail shops throughout the city.

“This hotel can be an incubator for other businesses,” general manager Tyler Herrick said. “That’s always been part of our mission with doing this project. When we have 300 to 400 guests that’s 300 to 400 people that are looking for stuff to do and walking around. That obviously helps everybody.

“I would hope some of our midweek conventions bring people who want to go to WorkSmart (Coworking & Meeting Space) because they want to get out of their hotel room or relax at places like Spot Coffee. Like they say, a rising tide lifts all ships. Right now I think Glens Falls is on a good wave.”

The ballroom is just one of several entrepreneurial ventures Herrick and Zack Moore, both 41, are pursuing as co-owners of Spruce Hospitality Group, which manages Queensbury Hotel and Fairfield Inn & Suites at Northway Exit 18 in Queensbury. The Fairfield opened in September 2019, affording guests easy access to Saratoga Springs, Lake George and Glens Falls.

Both lodging establishments are owned by Moore’s father, Ed, who also owns the Sawyer Building directly across from Cool Insuring Arena, along with French Mountain Commons and Lake George Outlet Center on the Million Dollar Half-Mile (Route 9) in Queensbury.

Noon Whistle Deli In Queensbury Will Have New Ownership, Few Changes, In May

April 18, 2022

Julie and Jedidiah Murphy will be the new owners of Noon Whistle Deli. The eatery will close briefly on April 29, and undergo a ‘quick makeover’ in time for the Murphys to re-open.
Courtesy Julie and Jedidiah Murphy

By Jill Nagy

Noon Whistle Deli, at 15 Lafayette St. in Queensbury will close on April 29. But, it will reopen under new ownership on May 2, the following Monday.

In between, the new owners, Julie and Jedidiah Murphy, will do “a quick makeover.”

For the most part, the 27-year-old sandwich shop will remain the same. The new owners will reorganize the kitchen “to fit our operating style” and change the flow of the counter, according to Jedidiah Murphy. They will also give the place a paint job.

The business is in good shape, Murphy said, and they will make few changes. In fact, the present owner, Jackie Fosco, will bequeath to them her soup and salad recipes and instructions for the deli’s signature sandwiches: the accountant, the banker, the firehouse, the lumberyard, and six others.

The Murphys will extend the hours that the deli is open and also open on Saturday. They plan to end breakfast service and concentrate on the lunch business.

“We hope the clientele will follow us over,” he said.