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Sutton’s Marketplace

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The Lake George area has been blessed with the charm and class of Sutton’s Marketplace, with a café featuring sumptuous delicacies and a clothing and gift boutique, since its beginnings as a seasonal farm stand in June of 1976.

Jane Sutton, owner, explained the origins of the business. “Stan Sutton, along with his wife, Sally, and his children, Steve and Sherry, loved the Lake George area. They purchased the property, which at the time was a motel business. The first year was seasonal but it became obvious that there was much room to grow. In 1977 they added the gift shop, and Steve’s wife joined the team and started buying the gifts for the store. A few short years later the café was added to the store and it was an instant success. It turned our business into a destination store. So, to sum it up, my family saw an opportunity, and they had a love and passion for business and the determination to make it what it is today.”

This is truly a family-run business that has been a landmark in our community for nearly 40 years. They are currently transitioning into the next generation of family, and with that comes some exciting changes. Their focus is on using locally sourced food and selling goods that are manufactured in a responsible way. “We like to say that we are going back to our roots and rebranding ourselves,” Jane smiled. “We have a love for good food, plus finding products that interest our customers and make them happy, and, most of all, building relationships with our customers.”

Pending approval from the town of Queensbury, they will have a farm stand out in front of the café that will operate seven days a week from June through October. They will be carrying local produce, local eggs and cheese, honey and much more.

“Our favorite part about serving the community is our love for our repeat customers. But it is always fun meeting our new ones and welcoming them to our store and telling them our history,” she affirmed. “We find that many people who grew up coming to our store are now bringing their children. They say it’s a family tradition.”

After a long illness Steve Sutton passed away in 2005. His sister, Sherry Dominick, who always had a warm welcoming presence and was a partner in the gift-buying and daily operations of the business, retired a few years ago. This left Donna to run the business with the help of her children.

“We like to describe our business as a shopping experience. We have a taste for all things good. People can spend an hour or they can spend the day. Our café serves breakfast and lunch with an outside patio that is open in the summer months. We are inspired by the local movement and we feel it is important to support our local community as well,” Jane continued.

With the shift in management, some new changes are taking place. They worked with a local marketing company and updated their logo, and currently they are in the process of reconstructing their website. Some new items have been added to the menu and they offer great specials and soups. “We have a full bakery specializing in cider donuts, cookies and pies,” she noted. “People travel from near and far for our apple dumplings.”

Suffice it to say that a visit to Sutton’s Marketplace will result in a taste bud party and bags full of goodies to bring home and share.

Visit suttonsmarketplace.com for all the news and information about this pleasant destination.