By Tiffany Pearson
Contributing Writer
Madison Mart, the convenience store at 870 Madison Ave., will be open 24 hours a day if owner Dominick Lascala gets city approval. The convenience store sells grocery items, cleaning products, and alcohol and tobacco products.
Doug Shartrand will represent Lascala before the Board of Zoning Appeals once the request to be open 24 hours a day is submitted next month. Lascala hopes to operate around the clock by the end of August.
“There were customers coming in during times when the store was about to close,” said Ethel Rose Pieri, an employee at the store.
People will see that the store is open 24 hours a day and will come more often, according to Fitzroy Collins, the owner of the property.
“The store will be in competition with Price Chopper, but I think Madison Mart has the potential to become 24 hours and I would like to see it happen,” Collins said.
Currently, the store’s hours of operation are from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
The store currently has two employees, but if Lascala’s proposal is approved, he intends to hire more workers.
In the meantime, Lascala is pleased with how much has changed since taking over the store from Hina Farhan, who owned the store from January 2013 to December 2014. Farhan left to focus his attention working as a car dealer.
Lascala had changes in mind when he first opened.
“This particular area definitely needed improvement. There were complaints from customers that the store’s lighting was poor, about the lack of availability of the products they wanted, and most of the stuff that was carried was frequently out of stock,” Pieri said.
Customers who used to shop there still do and they see the improvements, Pieri said. The store now is fully stocked, and if customers have requests they try to get items within 24 hours or less.
“I think it was a good idea to renovate the store,” said Derek Canino, an Albany native. He doesn’t drive and appreciates the store’s accessibility. “It’s nice to have a store close by that has a variety of products so that I don’t have to travel far to get at a decent price point.”
According to Lascala, 10 percent of his customers who don’t have cash for their small purchases and get turned away at other convenience stores get cash back at the register with a purchase of up to $20 for only a one dollar fee. In addition, small purchases of less than $5 can be charged with a small fee of 50 cents.
Collins acknowledged how noticeable and visible the store has become.
“The store is taking shape every day and it is a very attractive center on the street,” Collins said.
Since renovating the store, Lascala advised that he doesn’t look at any competition but encourages it. He prides himself on centering the store around his customer’s needs.
“My boss is my customer. I listen to them. They are someone I answer to. If the bosses aren’t happy, then we have difficulties,” Lascala said. This is their store, “we are just the vehicle.”
