![]() ![]() The Alberinos are putting the building up for sale and Tutunjian says the city is ready to assist in marketing a property that he believes is in too much of an “attractive” location not to get snatched up.Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu “They touched many lives and we’re sad to see them close their doors.” “Certainly Debbie and Buster should be proud of their accomplishments,” said Tutunjian, who only heard about the closing a few days ago. Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian praised the Vanilla Bean for helping to attract new businesses to the area and having a solid reputation and customer base, not just in Troy, but throughout the Capital District. “It’s not good for the neighborhood … what that means for my business I’m not sure, but I do know there will be less traffic in the area.” “It’s disheartening to see wonderful people with a great business fade away,” said Staatz. Just next door, Flavour Cafe owner Charles Staatz called Vanilla Bean an anchor business in the Little Italy neighborhood that will be hard to replace. “All you have to do is look at how tasty those Fudge Fancy cookies seem to know how much people will miss them.” “We always go to the Red Front (restaurant on Division Street) and then it’s Vanilla Bean for dessert,” said a local resident who only gave her first name (Robin). … I might have to get an office job, but we’ll see after I have some time to heal.”Ĭustomers say they will miss the friendly staff and all the wonderful confections the bakery whipped up over the years. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to decorate another cake. ![]() “This place has been my life,” said Stella, from the Catskills. Sherman says she might end up taking her baking skills to a job at Hannaford, but other employees, like Susan Stella, say the emotional connection to the Vanilla Bean family might force her to leave the industry behind for good. “I told Debbie I’m not leaving until they lock the doors.” “I had kids to support and this place helped me turn my life around,” said cake decorator Erin Sherman, who was broke when she started working at the bakery 11 years ago and now owns her own home. The last eight remaining employees said they couldn’t imagine a better employer who made them feel like a part of the family every time they walked through the door. “We went through a scary spell when my heart wasn’t pumping right, but I’m feeling pretty good now,” said Alberino, while decorating a birthday cake. If the business going under wasn’t bad enough, Buster got a heavy dose of reality when he starting having heart problems and needed to be fitted with a pacemaker. “They knew we ran into difficulties and they said the $500 was to help us in our new adventures … that was really heartwarming.” “While the corn was growing, I never canned any … not planning for the end was one of the biggest mistakes I made,” said Buster. In more recent years, competition and other factors, such as insurance, energy and other ballooning costs caused the Alberinos profits to nosedive, forcing them to downsize the operation and let go a majority of their employees. “I just want to say thank you to all our loyal customers who stayed with us throughout the years.”ĭuring better times, the family-owned Vanilla Bean had more than 101 employees, raked in $3.5 million a year and operated bakeries and cafes in North Greenbush and Latham. “It’s very hard to watch everything we’ve worked for disappear before our eyes,” said Debbie Alberino, who says she will continue the wedding cake end of the business. ![]() The couple faults a combination of financial, family, health and other problems that forced them to shut down the popular Fourth Street bakery. “Closing down like this is terribly painful and it’s certainly not the way I ever imagined it would happen,” said a teary-eyed Buster Alberino as customers came in to say their last goodbyes and pick up tiramisu, cupcakes, pastries and other dessert items Wednesday morning. ![]() TROY – After their successful 20-year run in the confections business, Vanilla Bean Bakery owners Buster and Debbie Alberino never expected they would be baking their famous Fudge Fancies cookies for the last time this Sunday. ![]()
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