Construction and Expansion Update

"The first Stone Hearth Bakery & Deli, a new food franchise created by the SavOn chain, opened at the Canastota SavOn last week, along with an Abbott's Frozen Custard outlet. Crews have spent the last several months converting the space next to the tobacco area for the new franchise, which deatures hot panini sandwiches, fresh-baked breads, cookies, and muffins, soups, and homemade potato chips. A large stone 'fireplace' is the centerpice of the Stone Hearth, which eventually will be introduced at other SavOn locations. Last weeks cold weather didn't slow down work on the new SavOn in Verona Beach. Workers were installing siding and windows for the store, and the glass-enclosed foyer was in place by midweek. The new store will feature the Stone Hearth Bakery & Deli, with hot and cold sandwiches, soups, homemade potato chips, fresh-baked breads and Signature Salads. Outside, patrons will find 12 fueling stations, including a diesel island. The new SavOn could open as early as mid-February. The new Opals in The Garden was close to opening last week. Equipment has been installed in the back room and workers were beginning final clean-up of the area last week. The outlet will offer pre-packaged fudge, a selection of fresh pastries, and some of Opals' most popular confections, as well as Starbucks coffee. Workers were finishing the drywall in the elevator foyer adjacent to the new Opals last week. The elevators will provide private access tot he new player's lounge on the second floor, where five guest rooms of the origional hotel are being converted. The lounge will include a private balcony overlooking The Garden. Installation of new signs around the resort continued last week, with permanent signs being erected on the main boulevard for the parking garage and on Patrick Road for the Golf Dome, which is slated to open next month. In the next few weeks, the employee cafeteria will move temporarily into the old Garden Buffet, which closed when Season's Harvest opened Jan. 14. The employee cafeteria will be renovated and expanded to accomodate the resort's growing workforce. After the renovations are done, plans call for creation of six quick-serve restaurants with a variety of foods in a portion of the former Garden Buffet."