EXCLUSIVE: Apology from Chamber pres.
PLUS: A year-in Bibulous check-up. (Yeah, those are connected.) And Primal closes.
❄️ While I was busy navigating NYC during an epic blizzard (and eventually getting myself to Finland), some of you guys were getting a little messy on Facebook. Think I didn’t clock it?
Think again.
— Abby
EXCLUSIVE: Chamber president apology
Who else was watching it all go down on Facebook? Here’s the scoop on what happened next — in private.
What everyone’s talking about
First, a recap for any Dispatchers not whiling away the hours scrolling social media while grounded in a blizzard. (Reading in real time like I was? Maybe skip to the next section.)
On Monday, Saratoga’s Broadway Deli (owner is Daniel Chessare) announced that it was up for sale, admitting that “the restaurant industry is tough” and “everything hurts and I’m tired all the time.”
From any other business owner trying to find a buyer, this might seem like an odd way to go. But we expect it from the deli.
If you’re new here, Chessare’s epic social media posts and epic sandwiches go hand in hand.
Each post is a wild ride:
“If you don’t work in the restaurant industry then you don’t really know how bad January is for all of us,” reads one, which then dovetails into his considering (threatening?) to sell pics of his “big gnarly chef feet” on the internet.
Then he basically begs everyone to drink their way through what turned out to likely be the coldest Chowderfest ever, before coming around to: “We will be here for you with all the hearty fare you need to recover.”
All in one post.
Chef’s kiss
It’s bold, endearing to other restauranteurs, and gets the marketing job done without being salesy.
I believe the official business term is “social media perfection.”
But back to the Monday night of it all:
Even though Chessare’s curmudgeonly ways don’t often invite much pushback, this time none other than Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus clapped back.
“I can always tell who will make it versus those who will struggle,” he wrote. “In Saratoga, you have to be an actual part of the community and join the local organizations that bring people here…a long term investment here is what always wins.”
And so it began.
ChatGPT, “define escalate quickly”
But Chessare was not going to A) talk about Chamber membership in his comments section or B) not maximize a perfectly fine viral social media moment: “So maybe we should focus more on affordability for locals year round instead of catering to a brief tourist season. Which starts with changing fixed costs like rent.”
After Shimkus’ next response included in part, “Maybe collaborate with others so everyone is lifted up. Those who go it alone and complain never succeed,” someone replied, “Cringe. It’s not too late to delete this…”
The deli cut in, “It’s too late.”
A few more rounds included the deli laying into NYRA: “We went from ‘The August Place to Be’ to ‘here’s 2-3 months of mediocre crap’. While NYRA does everything to keep people at the track earlier and longer. We went from 2 twilight races to summer dinner rushes that don’t start until 8 – 9 pm.
“We aren’t closing because we failed. We’re selling because we’re tired.”
Shimkus countered, “You have no clue how hard we work to love our locals because you never got involved.”
In a world of no apologies…
I checked in with Shimkus the next day, after the back and forth had stopped. “I visited the deli at 9 a.m. this morning to apologize in person,” he told me. “Told them I made a mistake and wanted them to hear this from me in person directly.”
I asked how they took it, and he said, “I’m not going to speak for them. [Daniel’s wife] Jen was there. Dan was busy so I apologized to her.”
Full transparency: Like many small business owners, I work closely with the Chamber. Shimkus has personally been a strong supporter of my new brand of local media company. To read all 172 comments, visit the Saratoga’s Broadway Deli’s original Facebook post.
Frozen drinks in the dead of winter?
How Saratoga Springs shows up for Bibulous. (Alternate title: “We innocently reported and wrote this article before the above story happened.”)
Of course Saratoga has a unique take on “seasonal menu.”
Usually it means that the ingredients match the time of year for the freshest of flavors. At the year-old Bibulous, where the cocktail menu changes — yup — seasonally? Winter faves are also mind-bendy.
“Shockingly (or maybe not!), our frozen drinks are just as popular in the winter,” says Jen Chessare, who owns Bibulous Saratoga (35 Henry Street) with her husband, Daniel. “I think people just want to feel like they’re on summer vacation, even in February.”
The rest of us can warm up via other “fan favorites” that include its popular Japanese Maple and an unbeatable espresso martini flight. There’s also an impressive small plates and dessert menu that changes weekly and is known for having a ton of gluten-free options.
We checked in with Bibulous before its sister deli went local-viral (see above), innocently curious how things were going a year in. I’ve been there on quiet and packed nights — and no matter how many hipsters (late night) or exhausted working parents (pre-9 p.m.) were there, the service was consistently helpful, the cocktails were consistently powerful, well-crafted and distinct.
But I wanted something a little more official re: the town’s cocktail cognoscenti.
“Saratoga has really shown up,” Jen confirms. “Our weekends are lively and lovely, just the way we hoped they’d be. Midweek can always use a little extra love, but that’s pretty typical, especially this time of year in Saratoga.”
The pair are used to fast-paced weekends and slower winter weeks: They also own (for now) Saratoga’s Broadway Deli. Like it’s boozier little sister, it’s jammed on the weekends, with plenty of seats available during the week. (That said, the Deli is on the block, for a reported $299,900.)
Bring on the adult slushies — the Chessares are doubling down on Bibulous after the deli sells, so it’s only up from here.
Bibulous Saratoga is open Thursday-Tuesday, 5 pm to midnight.
📰 IN BRIEF
RIP
Hearts broke all over the Capital Region when Primal Your Local Butcher took to Facebook to announce that both of its locations would close — immediately (5 p.m. yesterday). “We are deeply sorry to share this news and want to thank you for supporting us over the past 17 years,” reads the announcement. “Like some other local food businesses, the increasing pressures and costs to continue operating have become unsustainable.”
They are already missed.
📌 ICYMI…
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