Sandy Cuthbert at Whispered Dreams on Market St. (photo by Will Dendis)
Success breeds success, and for two local businesswomen, the success of one business has led them into another, while several newcomers have seized upon the vibrant business climate in Saugerties to open their first shops. And for one group who opened a shop six weeks ago, their success is written in the tealeaves.
Karyn Pavich, who co-owns the popular Dutch Alehouse and Brewery with husband Johnny, and Rae Stang, the owner of Lucky Chocolates, believe so strongly in the economic climate of Saugerties that they have opened second businesses.
Dry Goods
“After owning the Dutch for about 3 years, I wanted to open a business where I could use my creativity,” said Pavich, whose business is located at 139 Partition Street. “I’ve designed wedding invitations, and bridal shower invites, and wanted to expand on that,” she said.
“It also drove me crazy that I could not find a good birthday card in the village,” she added.
So Karyn and Johnny let a local realtor know that they were looking to rent a building for their new effort and off they went to Jamaica for a short vacation. “We were sitting on the beach when we got a call telling us about this building that was for rent,” Karyn said. “So right there from the beach, Johnny negotiated a deal.”
When they returned to Saugerties, the work began to make the storefront their own. They decided on a stationery story, because the village already has plenty of antique and clothing stores, “and I always loved paper,” Karyn said.
The shop carries a host of greeting and birthday cards, paper products (handmade paper, fine papers from Thailand, origami paper from Japan), gift wrap, games, puzzles, note cards, some books, flowering herbs in a can, and office and art supplies.
Karyn also will help design wedding, bridal, and baby shower invitations and have them custom-printed. She is also talking with a local man who makes wooden pens about possibly carrying them as well.
And when so many economists are saying the economy is not conducive to starting a business, Karyn laughs, and says, “The economy is pretty good around here. We have plenty of local folks and tourists spending money in the village.”
For more information, call 247-3889. The business is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sun Porch Baked Goods
Like Karyn, Rae Stang, who owns Lucky Chocolates on Partition Street, believes in the strength of the Saugerties economy so much she’s doubling down. Stang and baker Bruce Coyle opened Sun Porch Baked Goods behind Lucky Chocolates, accessible through the alley on the way to the municipal parking lot.
The new shop will be a boon for the growing number of locals diagnosed with wheat allergies: it’s gluten-free. For the last several years, Coyle has been selling his delicious wheatless baked goods at the Saugerties Farmers Market and at Adams Fairacre Farms.
“There was a guy selling his gluten-free products at the farmers market and when he left, I decided to fill the void,” Coyle explained.
Up until setting up the co-op with Stang, he had been baking out of his home kitchen in Malden. Stang has rented the space behind her shop to a number of businesses but none could make it work. When nearby Cafe Tamayo closed and gluten-intolerant Stang acquired James and Rickie’s oven, she began baking her own bread. That’s when she met Coyle and offered him the location. Now the two bake together in gluten-free bliss, and the results can be purchased at Lucky Chocolates and at the storefront itself when Bruce isn’t making deliveries to his many commercial clients.