SCHUYLERVILLE —What started as a growing social media page for motorcycle enthusiasts (518 Motorcycles) has now turned into a café on Schuylerville’s Ferry Street. 

Jamie and Ray, founders of Kickstart Café have long been passionate about motorcycles, and through their social media journey they stumbled across Mike Milliron, owner of Iron Coffee Company. Together, the three of them saw the potential for a coffee shop and what it could bring to the Schuylerville community. Borrowing from their website, “coffee and motorcycles share many fundamental values, everyone has their own personal taste, and the two things bring everyone together.”  And so, Kickstart Café was born. 

Located at 33 Ferry St. the café will serve espressos, teas, coffee and breakfast from the grill. On Sept. 24, the Saratoga Springs Chamber of Commerce held an official ribbon cutting ceremony for the new business. For more information, visit: www.kickstartcafeny.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Northshire Bookstore has announced that Cathleen Ihasz, Nicole Ihasz and Ashley Ihasz-Austin have acquired a majority interest in and will be the new managing members of the Northshire Bookstore. 

The Ihasz sisters assumed stewardship and operational control of the Northshire retail locations in Manchester, Vermont and Saratoga Springs, as well as the northshire.com online e-commerce business earlier this week.

Ed and Barbara Morrow started the original Northshire store in Vermont in September 1976, and with their son Chris Morrow opened the doors to the Northshire Bookstore Saratoga store on Broadway in August 2013. 

The Morrows passed ownership to Clark and Lu French of Manchester, Vermont in May 2021. However, with the recent passing of wife Lu French, Clark French announced he would be stepping back from his roles at the Northshire to focus on family. French will remain a stakeholder in the bookstore, serving as a trusted advisor and supporter through the transition. 

The Ihasz family has been part of the southern Vermont community for decades and continue to maintain their family residence in Danby, according to a statement issued by Northshire. Their goal is to preserve Northshire’s iconic legacy for future generations, according to a statement from the bookstore. For more information, go to: northshire.com.    

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Casino Holdings, LLC (SCH), owner of both Saratoga Casino Hotel in Saratoga Springs and Saratoga Casino Black Hawk in Black Hawk, Colorado, announced today that their subsidiary company, Magnolia Buffs Casino, LLC has been issued a gaming license by the Mississippi Gaming Commission to operate Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel in Natchez, MS. The closing date to complete the acquisition of the casino and hotel from Casino Holding Investment Partners, LLC (CHIP) is set for October 3, 2022.

“We are excited to add Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel team members to the Saratoga family,” said Sam Gerrity, Chief Executive Officer of SCH. “The acquisition of Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel will expand our portfolio of gaming assets and further diversify our business.”

In addition, Tim Morrissey, current General Manager of Saratoga Casino Black Hawk, will assume the position of General Manager of Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel effective immediately following the closing. Morrissey has over 12 years of gaming experience in the destination casino resort industry and brings knowledge in overall operations, database analysis and casino marketing to the position. Morrissey will oversee and manage all day-to-day operations at Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel to ensure the company continues to prosper and remains an integral part of the Natchez community. Marcus Rohrbaugh, current Director of Operations at Saratoga Casino Black Hawk, has been promoted to the General Manager of that property.

“I’m excited to join the Magnolia Bluffs team and become a member of the Natchez community,” said Tim Morrissey, incoming General Manager of Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel. “I’m committed to operating a first-class gaming facility and building on the success of the current operations. It starts by creating relationships with our guests, team members and the communities that we serve – I’m ready to get started.”

Capital Region — Kelly’s Angels, the Capital Region charity dedicated to helping families and children who are grieving a loss, has named two new members to its board of directors. Robert “Bob” Kovachick, well-known Meteorologist from WNYT-News Channel 13, and Ian Williams, Vice President and Senior Retail Lending Manager for Glens Falls National Bank, have joined the Kelly’s Angels board. 

“We are excited to welcome Bob and Ian to our all-volunteer organization to continue our mission of helping families in their times of need,” said Mark Mulholland, Kelly’s Angels founder and President. “Both men are community oriented and committed individuals and we are proud to have them join Kelly’s Angels.” Kovachick, a Saratoga Springs resident, is retiring in October after a distinguished 50-year career as a Meteorologist, including the last 34 with the Capital District NBC affiliate. He said he has long been “blown away” by Mark Mulholland’s efforts and dedications to Kelly’s Angels and is eager to help the organization.

 “I am amazed at the force Mark and Kelly’s Angels has become. Now that I am retiring, I have more time, and I want to help,” Kovachick said. 

Williams, a married father of two young children from South Glens Falls, said he has long believed in giving back to the community, having served on the Glens Falls YMCA and Glens Falls Kiwanis Club board. He said family members’ battles with cancer prompted him to want to get involved with Kelly’s Angels considering the organization’s efforts to help those fighting cancer. Both were welcomed to the board as Kelly’s Angels begins planning for its annual Mother-Lovin’ 5K run/walk at Saratoga Spa State Park next May. 

BALLSTON SPA — What was once an eyesore in the town of Ballston Spa has been transformed into a space to eat, drink and be merry. Located at 11 Washington Street, the two-story 6,000 square foot building once served as a dress factory and a storage-unit space. However, that was decades ago, and the building had been unoccupied for nearly 30 years, much to the dismay of village residents. 

The mission to fill the space was a joint effort from two local families – the Heid’s and the Elliott’s. Randy Elliott, a local contractor with years of experience and his son, R.J. led the charge for the building renovation. “It took us about 23 dumpsters full just to gut the building out and turn it into something that resembles a livable space” R.J. Elliott told Saratoga TODAY. Now, with exposed brick and hardwood floors, the brewery feels like a perfect mix between the midcentury factory that it once was and a new, lively place to gather in the village. 

 Larry Hied, who met Kelly-Delaney Elliott through Kelly’s real estate company, had been brewing his own beer at home for more than five years. With a contractor, a brewer and a real estate expert all on the same page, it was an instant match. After the initial purchase of the building by the Elliott’s for $180,000 back in May 2020, an uncertain time to make such an investment, and with some hard work and perseverance, the two families’ visions have finally turned into a reality. 

The menu offerings from the Speckled Pig echo the two families’ do-it-yourself attitude. All beer options are brewed in house and the Speckled Pig Brewing Company is registered as a New York Farm Brewery. That means 80 percent of the hops and grain used to make product will be sourced from within the state. Taking it a step further, even the dough to make their artisan wood-fired pizzas will be created from scratch in their kitchen. They have even collaborated with local businesses like Coffee Planet to make local coffee stouts! “We are really excited,” said R.J. Elliott, “we had a soft opening a few weeks ago, but we are finally prepared to open officially.” 

The grand opening for the Speckled Pig will be held on Friday, September 23 and celebrations will continue well into the weekend – eventually culminating with Sunday Night Football on the new flat-screens to close things out. Outside the bar, an alley with overhanging lights, picnic tables and the popular lawn game “Cornhole” will entertain guests that prefer to enjoy their local craft beer in the fall air. 

As for the future, the Speckled Pig plans to eventually break into the distribution space. “We definitely want to expand,” said R.J. With a canning machine onsite, customers can take home packs of their favorite drink before they eventually hit retail stores across the area – which is the plan moving forward. For more information on the new Ballston Spa venue, visit speckledpigbrewery.com. 

SARATOGA — The judging is complete at the 55th annual World Dairy Expo, and once again Stewart’s Shops has some of the best dairy products in North America. The judging is based on flavor, body and texture, melting quality, appearance and color.

Stewart’s Shops had a total of four ice cream winners at the competition, one first place winner, a second-place finish, as well as two third place finishes. This year’s competition received over 1,400 submissions from dairy producers across North America. 

According to the expo, Stewart’s Shops officially has the best peanut butter ice cream in North America, Stewart’s Peanut Butter Pandemonium Ice Cream was the winner in the Peanut Butter Ice Cream category. It is also the top-selling flavor at Stewart’s Shops. Stewart’s Shops’ Mint Cookie Crumble is a customer favorite, and it took second place in mint category. The two third place finishes were in the frozen dessert division—Mango Dragon Fruit in the sherbet category, Salty Caramel in the gelato category. 

“Coming off the heels of winning Best Milk in New York State, we are so proud that our ice cream has been recognized at the World Dairy Expo! We’ve been making quality dairy products for over 100 years,” said Stewart’s Shops president Gary Dake. All of Stewart’s Shops dairy products are made fresh at their plant in Greenfield, New York with milk picked up from 20 local family dairy farms. 

Philly Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint Cookie Crumble, French Vanilla, Milk Chocolate Gelato, and Crumbs Along the Mohawk, have been honored at the World Dairy Expo in previous years.

SARATOGA — Lemery Greisler LLC, a leading Capital Region business law firm with offices in Saratoga and Albany, has announced the addition of Lindsey M. Johnson as an associate attorney concentrating in the firm’s areas of corporate and tax law, estate planning and estate administration. 

Ms. Johnson graduated from Albany Law School with honors in her Tax Law concentration program.  Prior to graduating law school, Ms. Johnson participated in the Albany Law School Community Economic Development Clinic and was on the Editorial Board of the Albany Law School Journal of Science and Technology. For more information about Ms. Johnson, or the firm visit: lemerygreisler.com.

SARATOGA — The judging is complete at the 55th annual World Dairy Expo, and once again Stewart’s Shops has some of the best dairy products in North America. The judging is based on flavor, body and texture, melting quality, appearance and color.

Stewart’s Shops had a total of four ice cream winners at the competition, one first place winner, a second-place finish, as well as two third place finishes. This year’s competition received over 1,400 submissions from dairy producers across North America. 

According to the expo, Stewart’s Shops officially has the best peanut butter ice cream in North America, Stewart’s Peanut Butter Pandemonium Ice Cream was the winner in the Peanut Butter Ice Cream category. It is also the top-selling flavor at Stewart’s Shops. Stewart’s Shops’ Mint Cookie Crumble is a customer favorite, and it took second place in mint category. The two third place finishes were in the frozen dessert division—Mango Dragon Fruit in the sherbet category, Salty Caramel in the gelato category. 

“Coming off the heels of winning Best Milk in New York State, we are so proud that our ice cream has been recognized at the World Dairy Expo! We’ve been making quality dairy products for over 100 years,” said Stewart’s Shops president Gary Dake. All of Stewart’s Shops dairy products are made fresh at their plant in Greenfield, New York with milk picked up from 20 local family dairy farms. 

Philly Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint Cookie Crumble, French Vanilla, Milk Chocolate Gelato, and Crumbs Along the Mohawk, have been honored at the World Dairy Expo in previous years.

SARATOGA — The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner, Richard A. Ball, announced King Brothers Dairy received two gold awards in the 2022 Dairy Products Competition. The announcement was made during Dairy Day at the Great New York State Fair. The competition highlights world-class dairy products in New York state.

The Capital District-based dairy farm took home gold in the “Fluid Milk” category for small processors and gold in the “Chocolate Milk” category for dairies of all sizes.

“New York is known for its fantastic dairy products—from its leading yogurts to its artisan cheeses and everything in between. Our dairy farmers and processors are among the best in the country and take great pride in bringing their products to consumers across the country,” said Commissioner Ball. 

“Our customers are very vocal about their love for our milk,” said King Brothers Dairy co-owner Jeff King. “They tell us ‘It’s crazy good!’ So, it’s pretty exciting to win these awards and hear the love for our milk echoed by our Department of Agriculture.”

King Brothers Dairy is run by brothers Jeff and Jan King, along with wives Becky King and Pandora Davis, respectively. They are the fourth generation of farmers to take the helm of the 120-year-old farm. 

The King brothers also acknowledge the award was hard-earned. “We are a family-run business, not a big corporation,” Jan remarks. “It takes a lot of work to produce our premium products here on the farm, and I think our customers enjoy seeing and knowing where our milk comes from.”

In addition to the milk categories, King Brothers Dairy also took home a gold award in the “Flavored Yogurt” category.

King Brothers Dairy products are available at retail locations throughout the Capital District from Albany to Glens Falls. For a full list of products and store locations, visit the King Brothers Dairy website
at https://kingbrothers.deliverybizpro.com.