Sandwiches And Hotdogs Served On Pretzel Buns Featured At Salty Buns In Wilton Mall Micro Brews, Nonprofits Among Those Who Can Apply In Latest Grant Funding Round

New York state has opened the application period for Round XIII of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative.

Round XIII includes core capital grant and tax-credit funding combined with a wide range of programs from 10 state agencies, including $150 million in grant funds from Empire State Development, available to projects on a continuous basis.

The councils are encouraged to support projects that advance or address strategic State priorities—including green buildings and sustainable development, child care, distressed communities, and innovative public-private partnerships; those projects, will be eligible for additional award funding.

The deadline for applications is Friday, July 28, at 4 p.m. Open enrollment programs are not subject to the July 28 deadline and will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis until funds are exhausted.

nities to tap into their regional strengths. Thanks to the work of the REDCs, New York is continuing to make the catalytic investments that foster economic growth and continued success in every corner of our state.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “While the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative has been a successful model for economic growth in New York state, we have been tasked to improve and enhance key programs that will expand on our many successes. Each region will update their strategic plans to re-establish their priorities for growth, continue to guide the deployment of resources, and create an updated road map for each region to achieve its economic vision for the future.”

BY ANN DONNELLY

Owners Jon Locke and Alison Packer had always wanted to open a restaurant and sought a unique idea.

“When restaurants have limited availability specials on pretzel buns, they are so popular. We love pretzels, and we love restaurants, so we came up with the idea for this restaurant,” said Locke.

The business opened at the beginning of June, and the owners are delighted at the success they have seen early on.

“Each week, sales have risen. From 800-900 customers in the first week to approximately 2,000 customers in the third week,” said Locke. “The word has spread, mainly on Facebook, and we have had customers that traveled from as far as Connecticut.”

Before deciding to locate in the mall, Locke and Packer had in-depth discussions with the owners and management and decided it would be the best location for them to get started.

“They outlined their plan for the future and painted a clear picture that now is the time to set up here,” said Locke. “Name brand stores, Planet Fitness, the DMV, and Glens Falls Hospital draw people in. I stand here every day, and I see the mall coming back to life with many young people, in their teens and 20s, spending time here. Now many are coming just for Salty Buns.”

The original plan for the business assumed that 90 percent of orders would be for delivery, but in the first month, only about 5 percent of orders are through Door Dash or Grub Hub.

The owners had a unique way of testing what products to offer.

“We used our fellow church members as guinea pigs, testing different items. We knew we could count on them for honest feedback,” he said.

Since opening, the most popular items are beef brisket and pulled pork sandwiches, followed closely by hot dogs. They have sold so many hot dogs that they have had issues with the supply of buns. “In the time that most restaurants go through a case of buns, we have gone through twenty cases.” Another popular item is the “50/50 mix” which is half french fries and half onion rings.

“Half of the people can’t decide so we offer that option and don’t charge additional. Our pricing is competitive. We want to give guests the opportunity to see that the price of food doesn’t have to impact them. We’d rather serve more people to make more money than to charge more,” Locke said.

Both owners had previous careers where service is important. Packer was a nurse, while Locke was in the Army and spent decades in the restaurant business.

Locke said he learned a very important lesson from Robert “Bobby” Mitchell, who he worked for at Wheatfields, “Every single person is our guest. We treat each person like they are coming into our home. Give them a reason to remember us and talk about us.”

Locke and Packer are looking forward to continued success throughout the summer and have plans to open at least two additional locations within two years and perhaps offer franchise opportunities to others that want to own their own Salty Buns restaurant.

“We are so grateful to the support of the Wilton Mall, the community, and all that have come in.”

Find out more about Salty Buns and order online at ordersaltybuns.com.

Officials said new this year, two new micro programs will award capital grants to support New York state craft beverage manufacturers and non-profit organizations, and a new $30 million Challenge competition will award $10 million to up to three regions to implement creative solutions to tackle persistent barriers to economic growth.

Also, for the first time since 2015, the councils will be tasked with updating their strategic regional economic development plans.

“Our Regional Economic Development Council Initiative continues to transform communities across the state, creating jobs and driving private investment all over New York,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “The launch of this latest round builds on state efforts to address our most pressing economic priorities—from sustainable development to the growing demand for childcare—all while empowering commu-

The 10 REDCs are guided by their regional strategic economic development plans, which emphasize each region’s unique assets and provide strategies to harness local resources to stimulate regional economic development and create jobs statewide.

This year, the regional councils will review and update their plans to re-establish each region’s priorities for growth, guide the deployment of resources, and create an updated road map to achieving its economic vision.

As part of the updated strategic plan, the councils will be tasked with analyzing specific challenges to economic growth. Each REDC will develop a proposal that outlines creative and innovative solutions to address one specific challenge of their choice. These proposals will be reviewed by the state and up to three winning proposals will be awarded up to $10 million funding to implement the proposed solutions.

This year, funding is available from 10

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