SARATOGA SPRINGS — A new cafe and corner market is set to open in downtown Saratoga Springs early next year, according to owner Stephen Mittler. The establishment will replace the closed Tailgate and Party shop at 33 Phila St.
The market will serve “the best breakfast sandwiches in town, yogurt parfaits, fruit cups, salads, soups, and a solid selection of grab and go craving solutions,” said Mittler in a Facebook post announcement. Convenience store items and candy will also be for sale.
The cafe portion of the business will feature an appetizer-only menu, along with alcoholic beverages.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Arrow Family of Companies is announced the appointment of Annette Reitano as Senior Vice President, Director of Marketing and Communications for Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company, Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company and Upstate Agency, LLC.
In her new role, Reitano is responsible for the management of marketing, communications and community engagement, and the development of strategies to support revenue generation, brand awareness, reputation management and other market opportunities.
Reitano most recently served as Director, Digital Marketing & E-Commerce of Price Chopper / Market 32 / Tops Friendly Markets. Reitano is active in the community, serving as President, Board of Directors of the Schuylerville Community Theatre, social media administrator and other support for the Prospect Hill Cemetery in Schuylerville and has newly joined volunteer efforts at Capital Region Today – Community Television.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Sweet Mimi’s Cafe & Bakery celebrated its 10th year in business with a ribbon cutting ceremony on November 24.
Mayor Ron Kim attended the event and issued a Sweet Mimi’s Day proclamation.
The popular brunch spot was opened by Jeannette Liebers in 2013 at 47 Phila Street. In 2021, Liebers was featured in an episode of the cooking competition show “Beat Bobby Flay,” in which she faced off against the famed chef and frequent Saratoga visitor.
For more about Sweet Mimi’s Cafe & Bakery, their menu, specials and more visit sweetmimiscafe.com/
Images from 19 Railroad Movie Theater Signage Application
SARATOGA SPRINGS — AMC took over the Bow Tie Cinemas at 19 Railroad Pl in April 2022. 18 months later, the movie theater chain is still hashing out the details of its new signage with the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals.
AMC changed its initial proposal to make its red lighted signs on the exterior of the building smaller and darker.
One Zoning Board member debated the necessity of a sign on the back of the building, while board member Brendan Dailey said he was “just having a hard time really caring about any of the signs.”
Ron Levesque, AMC’s representative at the Zoning Board meeting, argued that a lack of signage on the back of the building would cause drivers to miss the theater, potentially causing safety issues. The theater’s previous owner, Bow Tie Cinemas, already had a sign in the same location.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Coffee Traders closed its downtown shop just a few weeks ago, but a new location may soon open in the Spa City.
“We have a tentative plan to return to Saratoga next year,” owner Scott Swedish told Saratoga TODAY.
The company is also set to open a new shop in December at 123 Jay Street in Schenectady.
In a Facebook post on Sept. 30, the company announced the closure of its Saratoga location. “With my determined nature,” Swedish wrote in the post, “you can bet we’re not finished in Saratoga yet.”
Outdoor dining in Saratoga Springs 2020 photo courtesy of Erin Maciel
SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Saratoga Springs City Council is considering changing the Spa City’s outdoor dining rules.
A proposed amendment from Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran would allow businesses to operate seasonal sidewalk cafes similar to the temporary outdoor dining facilities made available during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The revised ordinance put forward defines a sidewalk cafe as “any service of food and/or drink operated, in whole or in part, on a sidewalk or other public property of the City of Saratoga Springs.” The cafes would have to stop serving alcohol at 2am, and remove all patrons by 2:30am. Any music would have to end at midnight. The cafes would be allowed to operate from April 1 until November 1.
The proposal would amend several articles of Chapter 136 of the City Code. Commissioner Moran previously tried to extend the COVID-era outdoor dining rules until November 2024.
At a city council meeting on November 21, Saratoga resident Sam Brewer said he supported allowing outdoor dining year-round, but was concerned about sidewalk access and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The council plans to vote on amending the outdoor dining rules at a later, unspecified date.
Former Accounts Commissioner John Franck spearheaded the initial creation of outdoor dining rules designed to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. Businesses were allowed to expand outdoor seating onto sidewalks, provided that an ADA-compliant 48 inches of pedestrian walkway was maintained.
Photo provided by Alzheimer’s Association Northeastern New York
SARATOGA SPRINGS —A free Alzheimer’s caregiver conference will be held at the Saratoga Springs City Center on Tuesday, November 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will honor and support people who provide unpaid care to loved ones with dementia, according to a statement by the Alzheimer’s Association.
“This conference is one of our most popular offerings for new and returning families,” said Gwen Rowland, the outreach and program manager at the Alzheimer’s Association Northeastern New York chapter. “Knowing you are not alone and receiving support from others can be very cathartic.”
The event will include a variety of presentations and discussions, as well as lunch served courtesy of the CDPHP health insurance company.
To register for the conference, visit alz.org/crf or call 518-675-7214. To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association, visit alz.org or call 800-272-3900.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Saratoga Arms Hotel celebrated its 25th year in business on Thursday night with a lavish party replete with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. At the event, General Manager Rachel Boggan unveiled a new marketing strategy designed to attract local residents.
“As a thank you to the community that has really made Saratoga such an amazing small city,” Boggan said, “we are launching a locals rate starting in January of 2024.”
The rate will apply to anyone who lives within 50 miles of downtown Saratoga. It’s available during the off-season and on select dates during the busy season. Bookings at this discounted rate will open next week.
Boggan announced that breakfast will soon be open to local reservations on select days. Some of the hotel’s signature morning dishes include cinnamon breakfast bread, lemon ricotta pancakes, and homemade buttermilk biscuits. A breakfast speaker series that will feature community leaders is also in the works.
“We’re thrilled to start our next 25 years with a focus on our community, and allowing our hotel guests to experience that community in the most immersive way possible,” Boggan said.
The building that houses the hotel was originally built in 1870 by Gideon Putnam’s grandson Loren. In February of 1999, it reopened as the Saratoga Arms after extensive renovations. Last month, the Saratoga Arms was ranked one of the best hotels in the Mid-Atlantic in the 2023 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation has added four new members to its Board of Directors: Chris Armer, Jim Gold, Michelle Paquette-Deuel, and Roger Woody.
• Armer is a Saratoga native and realtor for Berkshire Hathaway. His family ran a retail store at the historic Old Firehouse on Broadway. He previously served as a board member from 2009 to 2015.
• Gold is a long-time Saratoga resident and was, for 29 years, Director of the Bureau of Historic Sites for the New York State Office of Parks.
• Paquette-Deuel is director of the Pre-College Program at Skidmore and was a committee member for SaratogaArtsFest and the Saratoga Regional YMCA.
• Woody is a frequent visitor to the Spa City, and a Vice President at AmTrust Financial Services in New York City.
The Preservation Foundation was established in 1977 to “protect and preserve the architectural, cultural, and landscape heritage” of the city, according to a statement released by the foundation
