SARATOGA SPRINGS — A new market in downtown Saratoga Springs is preparing to open soon.
PDT Market is “six to eight weeks” away from opening its new location at 55 Railroad Place, said owner Adam Foti, who described PDT Market as a “specialty grocery store,” with many other offerings.
“There are seven aisles of a grocery store,” Foti said. “So as far as people being able to come in and grab things like eggs, butter, milk, flour, the sort of staple things, as well as specialty things, like brands and things you may not find at other places.”
PDT Market will feature deli, seafood, and produce areas, along with a grab-and-go station, charcuterie station, flowers, personal items, and more. The market will also have a full-service bar with beer and wine on tap.
Foti said the new location, “just seemed like the right kind of space and time for us as a brand.”
“When we saw that Price Chopper announced last year in February that they were leaving, we thought this was a great space for all the things we wanted to bring together in the manifestation of all the things that I am and we are as a brand,” said Foti. “All the food bits and pieces, but also a space where people can be immersed in our brand, and transported, hopefully, to some other place.”
Foti said the store has been designed to be “really aesthetically pleasing.”
“Our brand lives in this sort of French and Italian-inspired place, and specifically our ques that we take from a design and food perspective are more like Provencal and Tuscan,” said Foti. “What that means to us is upscale comfort food, in a way. It’s not fussy, but it’s food made really well from scratch ingredients with a limited amount of things in it.”
Foti said the grab-and-go section will offer prepared sandwiches, salads, protein bowls, and more. The deli area will sell sliced meats, paninis, and custom sandwiches, while a hot bar will also be available with items such as macaroni and cheese.
The meat and seafood area will feature “super fresh” seafood, said Foti.
“Out of the ocean and into the store in a day to two days max,” Foti said. “Other prepared foods there, by the pound, things that you would find at a normal deli area, like macaroni salad, potato salad, pre-made entree things that people can just go home and heat up.”
PDT’s full-service bar will offer beers on tap, craft cocktails, and wine. Foti said the bar has a limited menu, and said they will also sell their own private coffee blend, pastries, and baked goods. The bar area can also be rented out for private events.
The store will also feature a build-your-own charcuterie station, and offer cooking classes to the public. Foti named regions of Italy and France as possible themes for the classes, and said they typically run about 90 minutes. Classes through June are open for registration on www.pdtmarket.com.
“We do all the chopping and cutting. You come in and do the fun part, which is cook,” Foti said. “Then you can get drinks from the bar, hang out with friends, and have a good time. So it’s sort of our version of Paint and Sip, but you get to eat and sip.”
PDT began as a catering company, and Foti said they will continue to offer catering services. The company formerly had a physical location in Ballston Lake, where they offered what Foti described as “lifestyle products.”
Now, in Saratoga Springs, PDT will be able to offer much more.
“In this case, there’s so many different types of food experiences that you can have in this space,” said Foti. “Whether it’s truly need-based, where I just need to get eggs, milk, and bread or whatever. … There’s that piece, but there’s so many other components to it.”
PDT is currently in the process of hiring employees, Foti said. As the store gets closer to opening, he said it is “really exciting” to see his vision come to fruition.
“I’m a super passionate person about the things I do,” Foti said. “Nothing fulfills my soul more than to have people smile and laugh while they’re eating, and just enjoy themselves. … That’s what sort of drives me, and why we do what we do every day.”
Foti said he hopes PDT will be an inclusive space “where everyone can come and enjoy us in whatever way they want to.”
“We hope, and we know, that there’s a community here already that will like what we have to put out there,” said Foti. “We feel that this type of concept is missing right now in this market, so we feel like this could be a great space where people could come together.”
