ALBANY, NY: The Downtown Albany Business Improvement District held a grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony for The Cobblestone Lunch Shoppe on December 10. Located at 37 Maiden Lane, the eatery features meats prepared in-house and brings to fruition a forty-year dream for owners and brothers Ed and Chris Richards.
 

With a focus on feeding customers like they would their own family, Ed and Chris serve bacon they cure and smoke themselves; homemade corned beef and pastrami; freshly cured ham, roasted turkey, and roast beef. Not stopping there, the duo also makes their own noodles for soup, potato chips, cookies, and signature sides.
 

Born in Albany but having grown up in Pennsylvania and Metro New York, the brothers have always considered New York’s capital their home. Through Chris’s and Ed’s decades-long careers in, respectively, the food industry and sales and marketing, they never lost their dream of opening a from-scratch eatery in Albany. Both history buffs, it took them just minutes to know Maiden Lane, one of Albany’s original streets, was the location for them.
 

“Downtown’s incredible history and bright future continue to draw business owners to our City’s newest neighborhood,” said Mayor Sheehan. “We are excited that Albany is home to this dream come true for brothers Ed and Chris Richards and wish them continued success.”
 

The recipes have been developed over the course of three decades, with the full menu options paying homage to how foods were served when cobblestone was the mainstay of the streets – with homemade, fresh ingredients. The name of the business stems from the street, with the logo incorporating a 1924 antique stove made in Troy that they purchased and restored, and which now sits in their foyer.
 

“There is nothing cookie cutter about what we do here,” said Ed Richards. “Our dream for four decades has been to deliver homemade, hearty meals to our customers, and with The Cobblestone Lunch Shoppe we have achieved that goal. We are thrilled with the response we’ve received from customers so far and look forward to welcoming more members to our extended family by feeding them a proper lunch.”
 

“The Cobblestone Lunch Shoppe proves the power of a hometown feel,” said Georgette Steffens, executive director of the Downtown Albany BID. “That Chris and Ed never lost the goal of opening an eatery here speaks highly to what people love about our area. It is wonderful to be able to pair our historic buildings with the world-class amenities of Albany’s newest neighborhood.”
 

The Cobblestone Lunch Shoppe is open Monday-Friday from 10:00 AM-3:00 PM. The menu includes specialty and build your own sandwiches, salads, soups, signature sides, and desserts. Catering is also available.
 

Since 1996, the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) has worked 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 Downtown Albany BID please visit downtownalbany.org or call 518.465.2143.