Linen annex makes temporary home on Spring Street

An Albany-based linen store, Antara Home, has set up a second, temporary shop at 7 Spring St., across from Congress Park.

Store president Rajesh Singh said he brought marked-down Italian-made bedding from the Albany store to Saratoga Springs to sell in the linen annex, as he calls the 300-square-foot shop.

Originally, his plan was to do just one month of business in the space he’s renting from Shoe Depot owner Frank Panza. However, after a better-than-average “welcoming reception,” Singh said he’s considering keeping a more permanent presence downtown.

“I think there’s certainly a need for this type of business in Saratoga,” he said, adding that many locals who’ve stopped by have shared his opinion.

The airy, relaxing new shop only sells bedding, while the home store on Broadway in Albany offers table textiles, furniture, decorative items, carpets and lighting. Antara Home has been open for about two years, Singh added.

Antara Home’s linen annex is open daily through track season. After Labor Day, hours will be noon to 7 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays.

Esperanto dining room up and running

Esperanto’s new dining room finally opened earlier this month, and owner Will Pouch says daytime business is picking up as he had hoped.

“We’ve seen some new faces in there,” he said.

Pouch reported having to turn would-be customers away from his former location at 6-1/2 Caroline St. because of lack of space. The little restaurant in the Walbridge Building is now operating next door to its old spot, with twice the space for sit-down dining. The kitchen and staff quarters remain where they were.

“We’re completing the last bits of decoration and fixing up the raw space in the back room,” he said.

So why wasn’t the expansion officially done until track season was well under way?

One of the eight panes of glass in the storefront were broken accidentally and had to be re-ordered, which took weeks, Pouch said.

Esperanto is open seven days a week at 11:30 a.m., with late-night weekend hours. Call 587-4236.

Next week, look for updates on a couple of other businesses in the Broadway and Spring Street vicinity.


AT RIGHT:

The old Esperanto restaurant is all boarded up,
with the shiny new storefront to its right.
To know what's planned for the basement space below,
we'll have to wait to hear back from
building owner Bill Walbridge.
A 1920s-esque jazz club, perhaps?