Warm-Air-Fund

Notsky is in Miami thanks to the Warm Air Fund

Warm-Air-Fund: Trying to escape New Siberia!

Tide Dry Cleaners

Only free image I can find right now.

I was just informed of another franchising opportunity, this time Tide Dry Cleaners as an ad appeared in the paper and like most laundrettes in my area it's all indie (I go to one that has both offered).  No TDC locations are on the coasts just yet but of they come my way they could open in these locations:

Eastwood
DeWitt
Cicero
Fairmount
Cortland
Fulton
Oswego
Auburn
Nedrow
East Syracuse
Fayetteville (former Fayetteville Cleaners)
Manlius
Chittenango
Canastota
Oneida
Utica
New Hartford
Syracuse (west side)
Rome

I'd be lucky to start one of these!

Whole Foods

Somewhere out west (no two are alike anyway, yet I copy and fix this logo for my fantasy locations).

Whole Foods have been looking into coming to CNY. With rival Trader Joes now open in deWitt, they may up the ante now so here's where "Whole Pay Cheque" (as some may call them) should consider if not downtown Syracuse (no room for a chain like that):

deWitt, NY 5 (former Shoppingtown to become District East in 2026-27; or former Bed, Bath and Beyond in Marshalls Homegoods Plaza [subject to change])

Syracuse - Destiny USA; former Lord & Taylor (first level) (since Colonie Center in Albany County has one, it can be done)

Liverpool, NY 31 (COR Plaza; former Bed, Bath and Beyond since Price Chopper is already being divided into four other chains with Micron-mania being mega)

Vestal, NY 434 (former JoAnn Fabrics)

Ithaca, NY 13/34/96 (former Hobby Lobby)
Auburn (Fingerlakes Mall, NY 5 & US 20; former Sears or Rex)
Fulton, NY 481 (former kmart)

New Hartford (former Macys/Hess's/Kaufmanns at Sangertown Square on NY 5 & 5A; pictured)
North Syracuse, US 11 and I-81 (Northern Lights; former Staples/Zayre/Ames, Michaels, Media Play/Burlington or TJ Maxx)
Canandaigua, US 20 & NY 5

Horseheads (former Ames)

Watertown, NY 3 (Salmon Run Mall; former Christmas Tree Shops)

Cortland, NY 281 (former kmart)

Taylor, PA; S Main Ave (former Price Chopper, pictured below)

UPDATE: amazons purchase may move them to open more stores.

Only one outside NYS I'm doing because of old guard

Price Chopper closer to home, but could go up the block

Sangertown Square fantasy location near Utica

deWitt store in former Bed Bath and Beyond

Stewarts Shops

Fort Edward location.

    With the new Stewarts Shops store in Liverpool now open for business, there are a number of spots they could open as their footprint in CNY is limited at best, compared to the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys. Here's where they could go since Sen Schumer is trying to get closed stations to reopen:

deWitt/Syracuse (east side), NY 5
Elbridge, NY 5
Auburn, NY 5 (Grant Ave), Genesee St (former Walgreens), and NY 5 & US 20 (former Dollar Tree, Fingerlakes Commons)
McKownville (Albany), US 20 (even in the Capital Region, there was one spot when I wrote this)
Mattydale
Cicero/North Syracuse, US 11 (former Mobil)
Baldwinsville, Moyers Corners, NY 31 (pending)

Baldwinsville, Downer St (former Rite Aid/Eckerd)

Canastota, NY 13 (former Sunoco/ExpressMart)
Fulton, NY 3 (former Davidson/Fred Raynor/Reymore Ford)

Fairmount/Westvale, NY 5 (former Sunoco)

Notsky fills up at a new Stewarts Shops station

Massage Envy

Typical Massage Envy plaza storefront (location unknown)

 

Already in Liverpool, Victor, Katonah, Victor, Slingerlands and Fayetteville to name a few, but more could be done:


Cortland - downtown, Riverside Plaza or Cortlandville
Destiny USA - Syracuse
New Hartford - Sangertown Square
Chittenango
Downtown Syracuse
Fairmount or Camillus
Auburn
Junius Ponds (Waterloo Premium Outlets)
Oneida
Oswego - vacancy next to Planet Fitness, NY 104
DeWitt (Shoppingtown or Paradise Plaza)
Fulton
Colonie Center

Local everyday

It starts at home!

I've mentioned shopping local before but I found myself taking it to the next level in recent months where I go to a small and/or locally based business at least once a day; sometimes three.  Even when I buy a lot of things that the boring big box could have for a bit less, I know more than half of what I've spent is recycled into the community.  Whether you're in a small town or big city much of the industrialised world will make this possible somehow.  When certain holidays come around one may tend to run to the big boys but the indie can offer goods the other place might not.  This may be the best grassroots campaign I've come up with in a long time.  I didn't exactly plan to do this.  I noticed a pattern so I went along with it and more.
One reason this is important to me is because many small businesses in the past whether near me or on the road that I've been to have closed their doors either because no one seemed to care or the economy did them in.  It's a right shame to let that happen but we can be part of the solution if we change out choices at times.  Doesn't mean only shop local as that's not always an option.  Economic reform like charity begins at home. Also the little guy can be more convenient than some faceless corporation much of the time.
Next time you have to shop, eat out or order takeaway be sure to see if there is an alternative to the chains in your area.  Every penny spent makes a difference in the community.

The New Melody Maker: Contact information

The New Melody Maker: Contact information