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Just two years later, her Saratoga County business, The Sugar Fairy Bakes in Malta, will permanently close on Sunday, Dec. 24.
“It is with an extremely heavy heart and swollen tear filled eyes, that I announce Christmas Eve 2023 will be our last day in business,” Blair announced on Facebook.
But she wants her customers to know it’s not for a lack of trying.
“Those who have supported me over the past 4 years, as well as those who are just meeting us, absolutely love our product,” she said.
“You all love our customer service and the atmosphere I created for you is hands down considered a winner by all who have visited the Malta shop.”
So then what prompted her decision to close?
Blair attributes it to a perfect storm of challenges, including a landlord who wants to sell her Mechanicville location, leaving her without a production facility.
“No production means empty cases and no product to sell,” she said.
Building her own kitchen that’s in compliance with the health department and Town of Malta would cost roughly $200,000, she estimates. That’s before the cost of equipment.
Blair has also struggled to cover the combined $10,000 monthly rent at her twin bakeries, where she sells cookies, cupcakes, muffins, and breakfast sandwiches, among other tasty treats.
“That combined with payroll, and food cost being added up, are more than my entire revenue for the month,” she said.
She also naively assumed, she admits, that her reputation of selling at local markets – coupled with several TV and magazine spots touting her opening – would translate to higher sales.
“Boy was I wrong! Very quickly I found out we were starting from scratch,” she said. “No one in Malta and Ballston Spa knew of us. Most didn’t know the shop existed. Neighbors living directly above us didn’t realize we were below them for months!!!”
So, she pressed on, trying her best on social media and doing all the paid advertising she could afford. But it wasn’t enough.
“All of this while fighting to survive in an economy that makes it hard for most of us to live. We all feel it at the gas pumps, and grocery stores,” she said. “Society is living more frugally, and let’s face it, a scone or a cupcake is not a necessity.”
Though her business is closing, Blair said she’s “so grateful” to the customers and employees who have supported her over the years.
“The family who stepped up and lended helping hands throughout various stages of the business, and those who believed in me, rooted for me, encouraged me, and those who helped me financially,” she said.
“I thank you all for your love, support, and dedication. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”
Blair added that she’s ending this chapter “with lessons learned, but zero regrets.”
“I gave it my all. Life is short and there is no reward without risk, right?!” she said. “Everyone’s ship is eventually going to sink. At least aim yours toward an iceberg you believe in. That’s what I did.”
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