Flanigan's II Deli Open and Ready to Serve Downtown Albany Residential Population

ALBANY, NY (08/05/2013)(readMedia)-- Albany, NY...The City of Albany and the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) announce the opening and official ribbon cutting for Flanigan's II Deli at their new Downtown location within the building of 41 State Street, Albany, New York on Wednesday, August 7, 2013 at 2:00 PM in front of the Broadway entrance. Albany Mayor Gerald D. Jennings, Georgette Steffens, Executive Director, Downtown Albany BID, and Jim Lang, co-owner of Flanigan's are scheduled to speak at the event. The media and public are invited to attend. Refreshments to follow immediately after the event.

Deli co-owners Chef Bagley, Jim Lang, and Adam DiDio officially opened their second location on July 22, 2013, as an expansion of the original business, Flanigan's Deli, located in Rensselaer, New York.

"When I took office in 1994, I knew that increasing residential development opportunities would be a key component in creating a vibrant and thriving Capital City," said Mayor Gerald D. Jennings, "Through creative partnerships, aggressive strategy, and financial incentives at the State and local level, Downtown residential is not only here, but also in high demand. The City is pleased to welcome another expanding business to the City of Albany that will serve the needs of our Downtown community."

The original location of Flanigan's Deli has been in the family since the 1970's. Decades ago, Bagley's grandmother, Vassilike Zeppetelli (know as Aunt Bet), operated the shop selling penny candy, among other items. Bagley, along with Lang and DiDio, opened the original business in early 2012 keeping the original Flanigan's name. Since then, they credit an appreciation of their customer base, coupled by their passion for cuisine and serving quality food, an integral part of their success.

"Growing our business was about matching the right opportunity with the best location," explained Bagley, "Downtown Albany has the residential demographic we were looking for to route our expanded offerings and serves as a perfect location to increase our presence on GrubHub. I'm pleased to report that we've already surpassed our expected sales goals since opening our Downtown location."

According to a 2011 residential market study conducted by Zimmerman/Volk Associates, overall demand for residential properties in downtown Albany has grown exponentially within the last five years. In fact, the demand for rental properties in downtown Albany has seen a spike of 83% since 2006. In addition to an increased call for Downtown rental properties, interest in condos has also increased by 43%. Downtown Albany has continued to maintain an average 97% occupancy rate over the past two years. To date, downtown Albany residential has seen nearly $35 million in new private investment, and the reuse of approximately 240,000 square feet of vacant space in downtown Albany.

"By opening early and staying open late, Flanigan's II Deli is serving the needs of the growing Downtown residential population as well as the weekday workforce," said Georgette Steffens. "We're very excited that they will also be open on Saturdays with their full menu available, as well as traditional deli meat services."

Flanigan's II Deli is open Monday through Friday 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM and Saturdays 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM offering ninety-nine cent coffee in any size, homemade desserts and free delivery – by phone 518.432.DELI or online through GrubHub.com. Their menu includes a large variety of offerings from breakfast sandwiches, omelets and pancakes to hot and cold sandwiches, salads, soups, burgers and more. For more information visit Flanigan's II Deli at 41 State Street or call 518.432.3354.

Since 1996, the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) works to restore, promote and maintain the character and vitality of downtown Albany and improve the quality of life and overall image of downtown for those who work in, live in and visit New York's Capital City. The BID is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information about the Downtown Albany BID please visit downtownalbany.org | @AlbanyBID or call 518.465.2143.