{"id":39598,"date":"2024-04-17T13:33:19","date_gmt":"2024-04-17T17:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?p=39598"},"modified":"2024-04-17T13:33:19","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T17:33:19","slug":"three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Restaurants Are Added To The Roster Of Those Operating As A Business For Good"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Ed and Lisa Mitzen are in the process of opening two new restaurants near the Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail in Voorheesville.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Susan Elise Campbell<\/p>\n

Saratoga business developers Ed and Lisa Mitzen are within months of adding two new eating establishments to their portfolio and another, an additional location for the iconic Hattie\u2019s Restaurant, opened only weeks ago. As is their mission, profits from all three businesses will be used to give back to the community.<\/p>\n

The Mitzens are founders of Business for Good, a not-for-profit foundation that channels proceeds from its donor companies to worthy charities in the communities they serve. Lisa Mitzen said recipients are other non-profits that primarily provide help for food insecurity, housing instability, animal welfare, and other causes that are close to the Mitzen family.<\/p>\n

Hattie\u2019s Albany opened its doors on March 14 with a celebratory ribbon cutting at 121 Madison Avenue in Albany, former home of the renowned Lombardo\u2019s Italian American Restaurant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>Blackbirds Bike Cafe is preparing to open for business at 43 South Main Street in the heart of the village of Voorheesville this spring, followed by Blackbirds Tavern, located across the street at 42 South Main and a much larger project, toward the end of the summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cHatties has always been special to us and is a local favorite for many,\u201d said Lisa Mitzen. \u201cWe were excited to work with owners Beth and Chef Jasper Alexander and the acquisition in 2021 happened rather organically.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Alexanders sold both Hattie\u2019s Restaurant in Saratoga Springs at 45 Phila Street (originally Federal Street) and Hattie\u2019s Chicken Shack in Wilton and continue day-to-day operations and oversight for all Hattie\u2019s restaurants, including the seasonal Hattie\u2019s Track Shack at Saratoga Race Course and the new Hattie\u2019s Albany.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The iconic fried chicken restaurant goes back to 1938 and ownership has changed from founder Hattie Moseley Austin only a few times.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mitzen said her husband reached out to Hattie\u2019s owners because the couple was \u201coriginally intrigued by Miss Hattie\u2019s incredible generosity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was more important for her to provide someone a meal than to turn a profit,\u201d Mitzen said. \u201cShe was beloved, the Hattie\u2019s brand is beloved, and we felt the acquisition was a good fit for us and what we are trying to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought, how cool would it be to keep Miss Hattie\u2019s tradition alive and donate the profits through Business for Good back into the community to fight food insecurity, along with many other local causes for which there is so much need,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Hattie\u2019s Albany occupies the address generations of customers frequented for nearly 100 years and knew as Lombardo\u2019s, Mitzen said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we found out the building was for sale, we thought that neighborhood had a lot of potential for economic growth,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

So the Mitzens have traded one iconic restaurant for another, \u201chiring local people, creating jobs, trying to spark the economy, and making a positive change in the south end of Albany.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a neighborhood where we see great potential, and is also a center of a lot of Business for Good\u2019s work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

To translate Hattie\u2019s rich history into a new location outside of Saratoga, Mitzen said renovations focused on the historic nature of both restaurants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe people who loved Lombardo\u2019s are coming in and saying, it\u2019s good to see this place alive again and for such a great cause,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There is a bar area, dining room, and banquet room, and Mitzen said they \u201ckept things to maintain that warm, familiar feeling\u201d while stirring in the ingredients of \u201cgood Southern food and kindness\u201d that make Hattie\u2019s so celebrated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you walk into that building it feels inviting, vibrant and fun,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is the kind of place where you want to gather and have a good meal and share stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Hattie herself would have loved it,\u201d said Mitzen.<\/p>\n

Ed Mitzen was driving through the main street of his hometown of Voorheesville when he saw two parcels with older buildings on them for sale near the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe thought, what a great spot for a restaurant,\u201d she said. \u201cBoth structures have been torn down and we are building Blackbirds Bike Cafe and Blackbirds Tavern from the ground up,\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cafe has been designed with the cycling community in mind, given its location along a bike trail. It will serve pastries, coffee, and sandwiches as well as healthy smoothies \u201cfor an energy boost,\u201d she said. For the cyclist who may be in need of minor repairs, some limited bike equipment will be available.<\/p>\n

The Tavern will offer quality, casual dining and an extensive beer list. With two golf simulators and high-definition TVs to screen sporting events, Mitzen said the Tavern will be a destination for gatherings and family fun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe stars aligned and now we\u2019re watching things come to fruition for Blackbirds Bike Cafe and Blackbirds Tavern,\u201d she said. \u201cBlackbirds are the town\u2019s school mascot and Ed played football there when he was growing up, so there is a special place in his heart\u201d for the Mitzen\u2019s two newest businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say Voorheesville is an up-and-coming town,\u201d said Mitzen. \u201cOther businesses are opening up there and we are excited to be a part of a wonderful community.\u201d<\/p>\n

The general manager for Blackbirds Bike Cafe and the Tavern is Justin Romeo, a former member of the Business for Good team. Mitzen said Romeo is working closely with some of the chefs associated with the non-profit to identify candidates to staff the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Mitzen said the plan for both enterprises is to donate any profits derived to Business for Good, which will in turn donate back to fund high school athletics in Voorheesville.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Profits from Hattie\u2019s Albany will be directed to organizations that help provide food to people in need in the community. According to statistics from the state\u2019s Department of Health, one in four adults in New York reports being food insecure due to poverty, unemployment, and low wages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood food and kindness is welcome everywhere,\u201d said Mitzen. \u201cFrom day one it has been our goal to help people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since 2020 Business for Good has been advancing the model of traditional venture philanthropy in the Greater Capital Region. Its efforts have been recognized on a national level, including being named to Fast Company\u2019s 2023 list of Brands That Matter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Susan Elise Campbell Saratoga business developers Ed and Lisa Mitzen are within months of adding two new eating establishments to their portfolio and another, an additional location for the iconic Hattie\u2019s Restaurant, opened only weeks ago. As is their mission, profits from all three businesses will be used to give back to the community. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":39599,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"\r\nThree Restaurants Are Added To The Roster Of Those Operating As A Business For Good - Saratoga Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Three Restaurants Are Added To The Roster Of Those Operating As A Business For Good - Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Susan Elise Campbell Saratoga business developers Ed and Lisa Mitzen are within months of adding two new eating establishments to their portfolio and another, an additional location for the iconic Hattie\u2019s Restaurant, opened only weeks ago. As is their mission, profits from all three businesses will be used to give back to the community. […]\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-04-17T17:33:19+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/04\/bfg-blackbrds-tavern.jpeg\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1012\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"429\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jake Van Ness\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jake Van Ness\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/\",\"name\":\"Three Restaurants Are Added To The Roster Of Those Operating As A Business For Good - Saratoga Business Journal\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/04\/bfg-blackbrds-tavern.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-17T17:33:19+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#\/schema\/person\/a11ec438b5f0e57f1156754ba3931b86\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/04\/bfg-blackbrds-tavern.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/04\/bfg-blackbrds-tavern.jpeg\",\"width\":1012,\"height\":429,\"caption\":\"Ed and Lisa Mitzen are in the process of opening two new restaurants near the Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail in Voorheesville.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Three Restaurants Are Added To The Roster Of Those Operating As A Business For Good\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/\",\"name\":\"Saratoga Business Journal\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#\/schema\/person\/a11ec438b5f0e57f1156754ba3931b86\",\"name\":\"Jake Van Ness\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d74f7533bd2ebb3908a187893d5eafbf1ee7752b11715c976372134cbea918d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d74f7533bd2ebb3908a187893d5eafbf1ee7752b11715c976372134cbea918d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jake Van Ness\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/author\/jakev\/\"}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Three Restaurants Are Added To The Roster Of Those Operating As A Business For Good - Saratoga Business Journal","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Three Restaurants Are Added To The Roster Of Those Operating As A Business For Good - Saratoga Business Journal","og_description":"By Susan Elise Campbell Saratoga business developers Ed and Lisa Mitzen are within months of adding two new eating establishments to their portfolio and another, an additional location for the iconic Hattie\u2019s Restaurant, opened only weeks ago. As is their mission, profits from all three businesses will be used to give back to the community. […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/","og_site_name":"Saratoga Business Journal","article_published_time":"2024-04-17T17:33:19+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1012,"height":429,"url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/04\/bfg-blackbrds-tavern.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jake Van Ness","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jake Van Ness","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/","url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/","name":"Three Restaurants Are Added To The Roster Of Those Operating As A Business For Good - Saratoga Business Journal","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/04\/bfg-blackbrds-tavern.jpeg","datePublished":"2024-04-17T17:33:19+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#\/schema\/person\/a11ec438b5f0e57f1156754ba3931b86"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/04\/bfg-blackbrds-tavern.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/04\/bfg-blackbrds-tavern.jpeg","width":1012,"height":429,"caption":"Ed and Lisa Mitzen are in the process of opening two new restaurants near the Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail in Voorheesville."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/04\/three-restaurants-are-added-to-the-roster-of-those-operating-as-a-business-for-good\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Three Restaurants Are Added To The Roster Of Those Operating As A Business For Good"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/","name":"Saratoga Business Journal","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#\/schema\/person\/a11ec438b5f0e57f1156754ba3931b86","name":"Jake Van Ness","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d74f7533bd2ebb3908a187893d5eafbf1ee7752b11715c976372134cbea918d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d74f7533bd2ebb3908a187893d5eafbf1ee7752b11715c976372134cbea918d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jake Van Ness"},"url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/author\/jakev\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/89"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39598"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39600,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39598\/revisions\/39600"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}