Business Notebook: Fish, sweets and Saabs

WARWICK - Country Chevy, Warwick’s award-winning Chevrolet dealership, has long enjoyed a reputation for delivering excellent values and service to the community. Last September, Country Chevrolet President Frank Petrucci seized an opportunity to purchase the franchise for SAAB Automobiles from Feders Saab in Monroe. “Saab is a division of General Motors Corporation,” said Petrucci. “This was a way for us to continue providing service and parts for Saab owners in Orange County who would otherwise have to travel to New Jersey. It was also an opportunity to offer a well engineered and upscale automobile that was well suited to the needs of many of our customers, especially in this area.” To accommodate Saab’s high-line automobiles, which include seven models that have an estimated EPA highway-rated 30 mpg as well as front wheel or all-wheel drive, Petrucci built a new showroom, Country SAAB, at 120 South Main St. (Route 94) in the Village of Florida. The site, on Route 94, just a short distance from the Village of Warwick, is shared by County Chevy Auto Body where operations continue as usual. “SAAB is an acronym in English for Swedish Aircraft Company,” explained Country SAAB General Manager Robert LoForese. “These are wonderfully engineered automobiles. And over the years, Saab aircraft designers have had a hand in creating innovations such as turbo engines, heated seats, active head restraint systems, cabin air filters, head lamp washers and more. The company’s aircraft heritage resulted in cockpit-inspired interiors, ergonomic controls and aerodynamic lines. That’s why they advertise as ‘Born from Jets.’” LoForese, who lives in Warwick with his wife, Betty and their three children ages 13 to 19, has a long history in the automobile industry ranging from sales and management positions to serving as Regional Vice President for Volvo Cars of North America. “Our new Saab automobiles come with the 100,000 mile/5 years GM Powertrain limited warranty and 3 years/36,000 miles no-charge scheduled maintenance,” he added, “But if you drive one for one million miles, - and this has already occurred - we’ll give you a free car.” Country SAAB is open for service weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The sales department is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fresh fish Spring Street Market now serves fresh fish as well as meats and produce. Unless you’ve traveled to Hunts Point Cooperative Market in New York’s Borough of The Bronx and visited sometime between midnight and 6 a.m., it would be hard to imagine how busy any place could be at that “ungodly” hour. Nevertheless, the famous wholesale market is always a beehive of activity in the wee hours of the morning. And ever since Stepan Kitar, owner of Spring Street Market, 19 Spring St., opened his Warwick store, he has been purchasing fresh meats and produce at Hunts Point, several times each week. “I’m usually there between two and four a.m.,” he said. Spring Street Market has a reputation for serving quality meats, produce and imported specialties as well as offering take-out lunch and dinners. Last year, the historic Fulton Fish Market, near the southern end of Manhattan, moved to Hunts Point Cooperative Market. “That move offered us an opportunity for one stop shopping,” said Kitar. “I was always going to Hunts Point and now, without making another trip downtown, I could also hand pick quality fresh fish while purchasing meat and other produce for our market.” Before traveling to Hunts Point, he consults his sales staff and his chef, Joe Rossetti. Kitar will also make wholesale selections to accommodate special orders for ethnic events or religious holidays. “I pick out what our customers want and what is the best quality,” he said. “I don’t pay attention to what the wholesalers want to sell.” Spring Street Market now offers fresh fish and jumbo shrimp that has never been frozen as well as other satellite fish market products including chowders, seasonings and sauces. For special orders or information call 987-1429. Lovely Sweets Bakery Laura Vreeland and Susan McEnerney-Brasier are bakers but not in the ordinary sense. “We make wedding cakes that take your breath away,” said Vreeland. For almost a year, Vreeland and McEreney-Brasier, owners of Lovely Sweets Bakery, have been offering custom baked goods that are hard to describe since everything is truly unique. For example, if your grandmother is celebrating her 90th birthday and you have a photograph of her first home, deliver it to Lovely Sweets Bakery. Vreeland, an accomplished artist, and McEnerney-Brasier, a blue ribbon prize winning baker, will create a birthday cake with a three dimensional replica of her cottage on top of the cake at a fraction of what this would cost in Manhattan or any other large city. Vreeland, who lives in Warwick with her husband Tim and their four children, ages five to 18, is both a baker and a commission artist. She has also been baking for the popular Copper Bottom Restaurant in the Village of Florida where she is the creator of the eatery’s signature dessert, “Bananas Foster.” Vreeland’s partner and longtime friend, McEreney-Brasier, who also lives in Warwick with her children, ages 17 and 22, is well known in this area as a pie contest winner at major events such as Applefest and the Town Fair. “This is a great business for us,” said McEnerney-Brasier. “We both love to bake and we love doing something special for our customers that they will always remember.” With two and three-dimensional cakes a picture is worth a thousand words and Lovely Sweets Bakery will soon display examples in its advertising and also on its Web site, now under construction. “We have a true artisan bakery,” said Vreeland, who installed a professional kitchen in her home. “We do everything from scratch with our own hands and we use all natural ingredients. We customize every order, charge competitive prices, and deliver to your home or business. You can purchase an ordinary sheet cake anywhere but if you want something unique for a special occasion that no one will ever forget, talk to us.” For additional information or special orders call 988-9334 or 986- 9181.