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SARATOGA SPRINGS — “Even after 17 years, I’m still in a honeymoon period with Saratoga,” says Dan De Federicis. “It’s just a wonderful place to be in any stage of your life.”
The retired State Trooper relocated from his native Buffalo to Albany in 2001 after being elected president of the NYS Troopers PBA. “Each successive year, I found myself coming to Saratoga Springs more and more. It was 4th of July holiday weekend in 2005 when I drove to Saratoga from Albany four times! That’s when I said, ‘That’s it. I’m moving to Saratoga Springs.’”
These days, De Federicis operates Saratoga Report – a local news aggregator website that collects and displays links to Saratoga-related stories.
“It’s funny, for my website, Saratoga Report, I do all these searches every morning - anything to do with Saratoga - and I came across this sale offer,” he says. “I made some calls.”
The calls led him to Charlie McCabe, handler of the estate of his dad Matt McCabe – a much loved Saratoga Springs businessman, musician and a former city commissioner. Notably, Matt McCabe operated Saratoga Guitar for more than a quarter-century until his untimely passing in January 2021 due to complications of COVID-19.
In October 2020, McCabe had purchased a franchise in Discovery Map of Saratoga. The Discovery Map International brand was founded in 1981 and features hand-drawn maps of more than 130 largely tourism destinations with more than 90 franchisees.
The maps, which are free, provide travelers a resource to find local lodging, dining, shopping, services and fun things to do in their focused locations. Overall, more than 16 million maps are printed annually, according to the company.
Focus areas range from Santa Monica, California to the Berkshires and Hyannis in Massachusetts. Eight municipalities are showcased by Discovery Map in New York State alone – East Hampton, South Hampton, Lake George, Lake Placid and Saratoga Springs, among them.
“As much as we rely on our smartphones, people still prefer printed-out maps,” McCabe said at the time of his franchise purchase. “The maps are truly like works of art and reveal the character of an area... and there is a lot of that in Saratoga Springs and the surrounding areas.”
“I did my due diligence, looked into the company, called other franchisees around the country and learned they’re really good to work with,” says De Federicis. “I saw it as an opportunity, and that it was Matt McCabe who had previously owned it, only added to it. I feel honored to follow in his footsteps.”
Paper maps have made a resurgence in recent years, with maps and atlases selling 1.8 million units last year, up 20% over 2021, according to the NPD Group, an international agency that measures business data and analytics.
The Discovery Map of Saratoga covers all of Saratoga County. It is colorful, two-sided, measures about 18 inches by 14 inches and is bordered by thumb-sized adverts. It folds neatly into quarters and depicts a large segment of Saratoga County on one side, and a close-up of downtown Saratoga Springs on the other.
De Federicis found a business opportunity as well as something close to his heart.
“There is so much going on in Saratoga, there is a lot of opportunity to grow this. I not only wanted to work in Saratoga, but I wanted my work to be about Saratoga,” he says. “What I’m doing now, I love doing. It doesn’t even seem like work to me.”
The franchise term is for 10 years, and the maps are updated and printed annually. De Federicis said his plan is to secure advert sales from those who want their establishments depicted on the map for next year’s edition through this calendar year and go to print on the 2024 issue in January. Interested parties can contact Dan De Federicis at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
“The support (from Discovery Map) is incredible. For instance, let’s say I sign up a new restaurant. Well then, their staff adds the building to the map. And they’re not just going to draw a dot or a square, the building will look like the building it’s representing.”
The maps are folded to a convenient 8.5-inch by 11-inch size and available free of charge up and down Broadway and all-around town, as well as across the county in local stores, restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions, among other places.
While the maps will be updated annually, one characteristic will be preserved, De Federicis says.
“On the map itself there is a caricature of Matt McCabe with his guitar. As soon as I saw that, I told Charlie that his father’s caricature will stay on there for as long as I own this map.”
