Business - Sloppy Kisses opening a second location

Sloppy Kisses will have a kiosk at Clifton Park Center opening Nov. 3 near the movie theater. While the kiosk is a temporary addition to Sloppy Kisses for the holiday season, it is owners Melanie and Eugene Dallas’ goal to open a permanent location in Clifton Park Center in the spring.

“Based on a review of our mailing list which has grown to over 1200 customers, I realized that many of our customers are traveling up from Clifton Park and points south,” Melanie Dallas said.

The temporary location will be a “scaled down version” of the store on Broadway, with a mini bakery with holiday-themed dog treats, doggie sweaters and tee shirts, toys, collars and leashes.

“Our main focus will be the treats. They’ll be red and green for Christmas and Blue and White for Chanukah. They’ll be very festive,” Melanie Dallas said.

Eugene Dallas will be running the kiosk, allowing him to leave his job as a nuclear engineer at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in Niskayuna where he has worked for the past 16 years.

“Many of my colleagues think I’m crazy to leave such a stable, high paying job, especially during these economic times,” he said in a statement. “However, as they say, money doesn’t buy happiness. From the beginning, Melanie and I knew Sloppy Kisses would be successful. There is nothing more fulfilling than taking an idea and turning it into a viable business.”

According to Melanie Dallas, this past summer was the best summer she has seen yet, despite the rainy weather and soft economy.

“Our business has really grown over the past three years, and this was our banner summer,” she said. “I’ve talked to other downtown merchants, and everyone had a different year. I think this was just the right year for us.”

Opening the new location just seemed to be the next step, she said. Clifton Park Center seemed to be the right location because of the downtown streetscape setup of the Center, which captures a downtown Saratoga Springs feel to it, she added.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, the Dallas’ feel that this is the right time to test the waters with a new store.

“Pets are a part of the family. They provide love and comfort, and in times like this, people are turning to things that are comforting. They don’t forget their pets during the holiday season,” Melanie Dallas said.