Category Archives: New Businesses

By Jennifer Farnsworth

A career in fashion is something many people dream of. Lindsay O’Connor took her dream and made it a reality  through hard work and a commitment to her vision.

O’Connor is the owner of Irene Leigh, a women’s leisure and athletic wear boutique at 454  Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs, inside the Saratoga Marketplace.

O’Connor said the idea for the store and the name dates back to her childhood. A native of Niskayuna, O’Connor said she started planning Irene Leigh when she was in the fifth grade.

“As a kid, I was always interested in fashion, coveting fashion magazines and learning to sew my own clothing. The name ‘Irene Leigh’ is a combination of my middle name and my cousin Brianna’s middle name. We dreamed as kids of being able to own our own store someday and the name stuck,” said O’Connor.

By Rachel Phillips

Kathryn Pellett opened The Little Gym of Saratoga at 2110 Ellsworth Boulevard in Malta, offering a fun and educational program for children that can help them get stronger, and build confidence.

Pellett, a mother of four young children, first experienced The Little Gym when she enrolled one of her sons at a facility in Loudenville, which was the closest location to her at the time. Though she was initially concerned about how the instructors would respond to her son’s autism and speech disorder, from the beginning she said she was put at ease. The instructors accommodated her son’s needs, allowing him to learn on his own terms.

“The classes are totally inclusive,” she said.  “Teachers understand this, and talk to the parents to figure out what’s best for each individual child.”

At first, her son preferred to watch the classes from the side. At home, he would demonstrate the moves he’d learned from watching. Eventually, he developed friendships with the other children, and began to actively participate in lessons.

After seeing the positive effects The Little Gym had on her son, Pellett decided to bring the system to families in the Saratoga area.

By Jill Nagy

Jayson Greco, former chief technology officer for Ayco in Saratoga Springs, has started a company to provide information technology services for small businesses.

Enginuity Technologies offers a range of services from a basic consultation to full management of a company’s IT structure.

Greco has some 20 years of experience in the field.

“This is something I’ve wanted to do for several years,” he said. Over time, he has done side projects of his own, but this is the first time solo business venture.

He will work out of an office building at 77 Van Dam St., Saratoga Springs, near the hospital. There is a small window in front but, so far, the only sign is in the building lobby. The decor is “modern, clean, with artwork representing things important to me, he said.

By Maureen Werther

Sports 4 All is a new sporting goods and memorabilia shop located at 78 Church St. in Saratoga Springs.

Its owner, John Vrana, has been in the business for more than 13 years and plans on growing his business in the region.

Originally from Collingswood, N.J., Vrana is a big in fan of thoroughbred racing and was a frequent vacationer in the Spa City for years before deciding to move here permanently about a year ago. He ran a similar business in New Jersey for more than a dozen years, with an inventory consisting of autographed items such as baseballs, batting helmets and bats, and other items that are favorites with sports fans.

The local store also offers silk-screening and embroidering, sports apparel and equipment.

Vrana said that he also buys, sells and trades sports memorabilia.

By Liz Witbeck

Good Eats, a restaurant that recently opened in Ballston Spa, combines American diner classics with Middle Eastern specialties.

Good Eats is located at 11 Prospect St. Matt and Ranan Akari own the building and business. Previously, the space had been rented out to Willow’s Bistro. That restaurant went out of business last June.

The Akaris have lived in Ballston Spa for 23 years. They also operate the gas station next door to the restaurant, and have been in business there since they first moved to town.

“It was his idea to start the restaurant, not mine,” Ranan said of her husband. “I cook a lot in the house. Every night I am cooking.”

“We owned the building. We could either open up the restaurant ourselves or rent it out. I think we can do it,” said Matt.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

Chef Brady Duhame has launched a pop-up eatery at Sinclair Saratoga, a game room and bar at 17 Maple Ave. in Saratoga Springs.

Duhame worked as the head chef at 15 Church, a  Saratoga Springs high-end restaurant, for three years before holding the title as director of culinary operations for Saratoga Hospitality Group. He said he always had a dream of one day being able to open an Asian-style restaurant and when the opportunity arose, he decided it was time to make that move.

“For as long as I can remember I wanted to combine my two loves, Asian cuisine and noodles,” said Duhame.

Buddha Noodle is located at 17 Maple Avenue and is open daily from 5-10 p.m.

“I was in California and a connection from Sinclair called. Once I was back, I looked at the space, walked through the arcade room and felt it was the perfect scenario, so we partnered up,” said Duhame.

He said he plans to make some renovations in the near future, especially as the business grows, but for now he is happy that his vision has a home.

By Liz Witbeck

Laurent Danthine always wanted to be a farmer. Unfortunately, he said, there were no prospects to become one in his native city of Liege, Belgium. So he settled on a career as a bartender, keeping his dream in the back of his mind.

Arcadian Pastures is a livestock farm, located in Sloansville, in Schoharie County. The property is 136 acres. On the farm, Danthine and family raise a variety of livestock, including cows, pigs, chickens, and sheep.

What sets Arcadian Pastures apart is their dedication to raising their animals in a natural environment. All of the beef is 100 percent grass-fed. All of the pork and lamb is non-GMO.

Danthine moved to the United States in 1994 and married his wife, Debi. Her breast cancer diagnosis prompted him to research animals, plants, hormones and pesticides to understand the role they play in food.

“I believe there is so much sickness in the world because of how we feed ourselves,” said Danthine.

By Maureen Werther

After nearly a dozen years of making floral magic in Los Angeles for the television and motion picture industry, Sidney Martin is creating the sequel to his West Coast career in downtown Saratoga Springs with the opening of Simply Sidney Floral Design and Home Accents at 268 Broadway.

Sidney Martin celebrated the opening of his new storefront with a grand opening event on Nov. 17. According to Martin, the event was a success, with more than 75 in attendance. He is thrilled to be part of the downtown business scene.

Martin hopes to bring what he calls a “west coast design aesthetic to the area.”

“I love Saratoga and I have no intention of trying to change anything about it. But, I can bring a much broader view of floral design and décor that comes from both the West Coast and my southern upbringing,” said Martin.

He said visitors will see evidence of both influences in the store displays and photos of his work.

Martin spent nearly a dozen years in L.A., creating floral fantasies for the sets of movies like “Legally Blonde 2,” “Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest,” “Monster-In-Law,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” and “Princess Diaries 2,” the film that Martin says he “cut his teeth on” in when he first arrived there.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

These days, a retired Air Force veteran is running a business with a mix of organized military mindset and  happy family man.

Mike Hojnicki is operating Spa City Brew Bus, with the help of his wife Heather. He provides a bus service to take people to various breweries, wineries and distilleries in the area.

He said the idea is something that he started thinking about while stationed in Antarctica as part of the Stratton Air National Guard Base in Glenville.

“When we had down time, we would go on the amazing wine tours, I would say to myself: ‘One of these days,’”said Hojnicki.

Hojnicki retired and spent some time in the corporate world before discovering it was not the right fit for him. At that time, he and his wife decided to start the tour business.

The four-hour tour includes four bus stops of about 45 minutes at each location so that passengers can have time to make the most of their visit. Hojnicki said Spa City Brew Bus works with about 75 different businesses, ranging from Paradox Brewery in Schroon Lake to the Henry Street Tap Room in Saratoga Springs. They have also partnered with the Saratoga Brewing Co., Druthers Brewing Co., R.S. Taylor & Sons Brewery and Artisanal Brew Works.

Currently, the bus runs on weekends only, but Hojnicki plans to be running tours daily throughout the spring and summer.

He said his business is more than just a ride to go from bar to bar. He hopes to help people learn about everything that goes into the art of making a craft beverage.

By Liz Witbeck

Saratoga Bath Co. has recently launched an introductory line in time for the holiday season. The organic bath and body products company is owned by Rebecca Kane.

Kane has been the owner of AMP Galleries, located in the Saratoga Marketplace on Broadway in Saratoga Springs, since 2015, along with partner Sharon Castro. Her new collection, RK Livingwaters, brings the medicinal qualities of the mineral springs in Saratoga Springs to a visual platform.

Kane said she spent time at each natural spring located within the region taking photographs. The images are dye-infused into aluminum. Each image at the gallery reflects the healing power of the natural flowing waters.

After photographing the mineral springs, she began to conceive of ideas.

“I decided I wanted to use the mineral springs as inspiration behind a campaign whose message of inner grace and beauty could be shared by everyone. What better way to spread the word than with organic bath and beauty products inspired by these world renowned mineral springs?” said Kane.

Saratoga Bath Co. is launching with five products: body lotion, body wash, body soak, body scrub and a bubble bath. The products are part of the Classic Collection, which features a delicate coconut orange lemon scent. The Classic Collection is inspired by the high Victorian elegance of Saratoga Springs, said Kane.