Buildings that used to house small Stewart’s Shops have next acts once the company moves elsewhere — bakeries, liquor stores, urgent care centers and even an apartment.
The early Stewart’s stores are about 2,500 square feet. Newer buildings, with more gas pumps and more space for hot meals, are nearly double the size. In many cases, that means Stewart’s must move to a larger lot and rebuild, said Stewart’s spokeswoman Erica Komoroske. The old store usually has a deed restriction so that it can’t be used as a convenience store, but buyers have found other unique uses.
In Charlton, St. Mary’s Hospital turned one Stewart’s into Charlton Health Center, an urgent and primary care space. Stewart’s donated the building for the project and St. Mary’s contractors made changes so it wouldn't look like a convenience store.
“We really wanted to mimic Colonial architecture. That’s why we had the larger white panels on the exterior. We wanted to change the look,” St. Mary’s spokesman Rick Hyde said. “You walk in the waiting room, there’s a gorgeous rock wall. I don’t think anyone would walk in there and think it’s a Stewart’s.”
The St. Mary's urgent and primary care, called Charlton Health Center, on Rt. 67 in Charlton, was once a Stewart's Shop. Contractors changed the interior and exterior to give it a new look.
ProvidedMost new owners do not change the distinctive brown, angled eaves of the roof. That, combined with the rectangular shape of the building, makes them easy to spot from the street.
RELATED:
Stewart's Shops through the years
Voorheesville restaurant project due in mid-2023
Stewart's coffee cups lose iconic look. Blame coronavirus.
The small bakery, which makes homemade breads, quiches, soups and chilis, uses half of the space in a former Stewart’s in Gansevoort. The other half is a logistics office for a trucking company.
Most commercial kitchens are not well known for their floor to ceiling windows.
“It’s just a bright, happy space. The windows really make the building,” said Sweet Caroline’s owner Caroline Zinn. “It’s a beautiful bakery space.”
For some uses, the store needs only a new floor. Exit 8 Liquors installed blue carpet and moved into a building that looks, inside and out, like the convenience store it once was. But instead of shelves of groceries, there are racks of alcohol, in almost the exact same places.
“We used to run the pizzeria across the way, and we used to come over here for ice cream,” said Terry Tufano, whose family owns Exit 8 Liquors. “When this space opened up, we decided to close the pizzeria and open a liquor store. A pizzeria is a lot more work.”
The Tufano family hung up a photo of their grandparents' bar, Kenny's Tavern, on Long Island, when they opened Exit 8 Liquors. Terry Tufano stands by the photo.
Kathleen MooreThey knew nothing about the liquor business. But their grandparents used to own a bar on Long Island, called Kenny’s Tavern. In honor of them, they hung a framed photo of the bar behind the register.
They own their store, but 12 buyers in the area hold mortgages through Stewart’s.
“A lot of times, since they were gas stations, the bank was not willing to give a loan,” Komoroske said.
The company also leases buildings in some cases, rather than selling them. All sales and leases are handled in-house by the Stewart's real estate department.
Exit 8 Liquors changed almost nothing inside the former Stewart's Shop on Crescent Road in Clifton Park. But instead of shelves of groceries, there are racks of alcohol in nearly the same places.
Kathleen Moore
The St. Mary's urgent and primary care, called Charlton Health Center, on Rt. 67 in Charlton, was once a Stewart's Shop. Contractors changed the interior and exterior, including adding a rock wall in the lobby, to give it a new look.
Provided
Exit 8 Liquors changed almost nothing inside the former Stewart's Shop on Crescent Road in Clifton Park. But instead of shelves of groceries, there are racks of alcohol in nearly the same places.
Kathleen Moore
Exit 8 Liquors changed almost nothing inside the former Stewart's Shop on Crescent Road in Clifton Park. But instead of shelves of groceries, there are racks of alcohol in nearly the same places.
Kathleen MooreMost users, even if they buy, must agree to a deed restriction that prohibits turning the building into another convenience store.
They also try not to sell to anyone who wants to sell food, Komoroske said. Stewart’s is moving into more to-go and hot food, and the company doesn’t want to undercut a store by encouraging competition.
That’s because Stewart’s is usually moving to another spot nearby where a larger store can be built.
“We don’t want a gas station, we don’t want any food offerings, no café, unless we’ve left that area,” she said.
"urgent" - Google News
November 04, 2021 at 11:30PM
https://ift.tt/3GKW93z
Stewart's Shops get new life as urgent care, bakery, liquor store - Times Union
"urgent" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2ya063o
https://ift.tt/3d7MC6X
urgent
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Stewart's Shops get new life as urgent care, bakery, liquor store - Times Union"
Post a Comment