James and Sons Tobacconists on Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — James & Sons Tobacconists, a cigar shop with a store on Broadway and a booth at the Saratoga Race Course, is adding a second location in Cape Coral, Florida.
The new, custom-built store in southwest Florida is set to include a spacious, walk-in humidor; a bar with beer, wine, and coffee; a lounge; and outdoor seating. The location is expected to open sometime early next year on NE Pine Island Road.
“This dream is only possible because of you, our loyal community,” James & Sons said in an Instagram announcement. “Thank you for your support, friendship, and love of the leaf. We can’t wait to welcome you to our new Florida home soon!”
Photo of new Death Wish Coffee CEO Steve Gardiner via his LinkedIn profile.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga-based Death Wish Coffee Co. has appointed a new CEO: Steve Gardiner. The company announced the hire last week.
Gardiner’s past experience includes stints as CEO of Nature’s Bakery, a healthy snacking brand, and various senior-level positions with PepsiCo.
“As an avid coffee drinker, I’ve been aware of this brand for a while and am excited to help bring this bold, smooth, and delicious coffee to even more households,” Gardiner wrote in a LinkedIn post. “Death Wish Coffee is already the #1 Organic and #1 Fair Trade Certified coffee brand in the country — and whether you’re looking for bagged coffee, pods, or ready-to-drink, we have the fuel you need to kickstart your day. Thanks to the Death Wish Coffee team for the warm welcome.”
Death Wish was founded by Mike Brown in 2012 and is headquartered at 260 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs. The brand’s products are available in grocery stores across the country and online via Amazon.
GALWAY — An email from Saratoga Hospital, dated Aug. 21 and shared with Saratoga TODAY by a patient, stated that its primary care facility in Galway is scheduled to close on Dec. 5 of this year. The email called the closure a “difficult decision.”
Rebecca Bednarek, FNP, will be leaving the organization on Oct. 16. Patients of Donna Holt, NP, can continue seeing her when she moves to Saratoga Hospital’s primary care location in Milton once the Galway facility closes.
Saratoga Hospital has eight other primary care facilities currently open, including the one in Milton, which was recently expanded.
Photo of the 795 N Broadway property in Saratoga Springs via Roohan Realty.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — An historic property at 795 North Broadway, known as the Red Stone Villa or Redstone, has been listed by Roohan Realty for just shy of $8 million.
The Romanesque home, influenced by the Queen Anne style, is 9,000 square feet with 7 bedrooms, 9 full bathrooms, and 5 half-bathrooms set on 0.69 acres of land.
According to a 44-page report prepared by the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation in 2017, the Red Stone Villa was built in 1886 by well-known local architect S. Gifford Slocum for Eli Clinton Clark, a financier and owner of a successful lumber business. In 1908, Clark and his wife defaulted on a payment on a $16,000 mortgage. The home was ordered to be sold at public auction to cover the default. In 1911, it was purchased for $18,615 by a Ballston Spa resident. Two years later, Clark died “practically a poor man” in Galveston, Texas.
Subsequent residents and owners included:
• Frank Nolan, the son of two-term Albany Mayor and one-term U.S. Congressman Michael N. Nolan. Frank was, at one time, both president of the Albany-based Beverwyck Brewery and a prominent race horse owner. A Times Union article from 1917 described Frank as “one of the country’s best known turfmen.”
• Mollie Wilmot, a socialite and one-time neighbor to President John F. Kennedy who, according to a New York Times obituary, “rose to celebrity in 1984 when a tanker ran aground at her Palm Beach, Florida mansion.” Wilmot was a frequent Saratoga Race Course attendee who donated to the racing and dance museums in Saratoga Springs.
The Red Stone Villa was also featured in the Preservation Foundation’s 2025 Historic Homes Tour.
An early morning view of the Doubleday Diner in Ballston Spa, which officially opened on Sept. 6. Photo via the company’s Facebook page.
BALLSTON SPA — The diner formerly known as Route 50 has officially opened under new ownership with a new name: Doubleday.
The business revamped its interior and exterior ahead of a Sept. 6 grand opening. The menu includes plenty of diner staples, such as omelets, pancakes, waffles, soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and wraps. The restaurant is open seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Doubleday gets its name from its address (2002 Doubleday Ave. in Ballston Spa), which in turn is named after Abner Doubleday, a Union major general in the Civil War whose purported birthplace in Ballston Spa still stands and is now the home of the Real McCoy Beer Co.
The restaurant formerly known as the Route 50 Diner faced a number of issues under its previous owners, including a temporary closure following a health inspection on May 30, 2024 that revealed an apparent, ongoing pest control issue. The diner was also temporarily closed in 2023 by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance due to alleged unpaid taxes.
BALLSTON SPA — New businesses, especially ones that require renovations of existing structures, tend to have their planned openings delayed more often than not. But the folks at Speckled Pig Brewing in Ballston Spa have bucked the trend with plans to have their new, next-door distillery serving drinks in time for a Sept. 20 Oktoberfest block party.
The occasion marks the three-year anniversary of the popular downtown brewery. Among the many activities during Oktoberfest will be free commemorative mugs for the first 150 attendees, a stein-holding competition, a dunk tank, live music, tea cup pigs, yard games, Bavarian pretzels, and pizza specials.
The new distillery, called The Still at Speckled Pig, is housed in the former home of Jim’s Garage. It will feature a modern design, outdoor patio with fire pits, and an interior glass wall revealing liquor-makers and bottlers at work. Oktoberfest revelers are invited to stop by for some craft cocktails and a sneak peek of the distillery.
MALTA — On Tuesday, Sept. 9, Allerdice Building Supply donated $5,585 to Kelly’s Angels, a local nonprofit supporting children who have lost a parent or sibling to cancer or illness. This was the second consecutive year of support, bringing Allerdice’s total donations to Kelly’s Angels to $10,560.
A check presentation took place at Allerdice Ace Hardware at 2570 Route 9 in Malta. Kelly’s Angels Founder Mark Mulholland, along with representatives from Allerdice Building Supply, attended the event.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Kelly’s Angels will be holding its 15th “Calling All Angels” Gala at Saratoga Springs City Center on Oct. 11. Tickets are now on sale.
Billed “the party of the season,” the event will include live music by the Audiostars; a full open bar with wine, beer, and mixed drinks; dinner by Mazzone Catering; and a silent auction featuring thousands of dollars in merchandise and experiences.
Oct. 11 was the birthday of the late Kelly Mulholland, wife of Kelly’s Angels founder Mark Mulholland, for whom Kelly’s Angels is named.
“We are excited to host this party to celebrate all that we have accomplished over the past 15 years, and to celebrate the bright future for our charity,” Mark Mulholland said. “This will be a party you won’t want to miss, with the best local music, food, libations and auction items, all to raise money for Capital District families who can use the help of our all-volunteer charity.”
As with all Kelly’s Angels events, proceeds from the gala will assist Kelly’s Angels in helping children in New York’s Capital Region who have lost a parent or sibling to cancer or other illness or are battling a life-threatening condition. Tickets are available at kellysangelsinc.org/gala.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Price Chopper and Market 32 donated 40,000 meals to the Regional Food Bank after committing to gifting 1,000 meals each time the #3 horse won the second race during the 40-day Saratoga Race Course Summer Meet. According to those rules, the supermarket chain was only required to donate 7,000 meals, but they boosted that number dramatically with an additional 33,000 meals during a Winner’s Circle presentation at the track on Monday.
Based in Schenectady, Market 32 and Price Chopper operate 129 supermarkets, employing 16,000 workers in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Tickets for the 2025 Saratoga Showcase of Homes tour are now on sale. The event is celebrating 29 years of showcasing new homes.
Tickets are available at all Adirondack Trust branch locations, Curtis Lumber in Ballston Spa and Queensbury, Arrow Bank on South Broadway in Saratoga Springs, Roohan Realty on Broadway in Saratoga Springs, Rebuilding Together ReShop in Ballston Spa, and Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Fort Edward. Tickets are also available at any showcase home during tour hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or they can be purchased online at saratogashowcaseofhomes.com
Showcase ticket holders will receive a free shoe/tote bag at the first home visited (while supplies last). The 2025 Showcase of Homes will be presented over two fall weekends on Oct. 4-5 and Oct. 11-12. Tickets are $25.
