Ithaca chocolatier Sarah’s Pâtisserie to open second store

ITHACA — Chocolate retailer Sarah’s Pâtisserie will open its second location in downtown Ithaca this spring, according to a news release of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA).

The new store is located at 130 N Tioga St & E Seneca St, one block away off the Ithaca Commons shopping mall at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street. The store will be open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., the release said.

Sarah’s Patisserie, founded in the spring of 2004, offers French-inspired chocolates, pastries, fruit tarts, cakes, coffee, and tea, among other items, according to its website. The business also provides personalized cake-design service for weddings.

The first Sarah’s Pâtisserie is located at 200 Pleasant Grove Rd. in Ithaca.

Chef Tammy Travis, the store’s owner and founder, graduated from the pastry program of French Culinary Institute in New York City in 1999. She worked as a pastry assistant at the four-star French restaurant Le Cirque in Manhattan from 1999 to 2000, according to the store’s website. Her partner in the venture is Sarah Jefferis.

The new Sarah’s Pâtisserie is an Art Deco-style store built by The Pike Company, of Rochester, in collaboration with local LEED-accredited interior designer Cathy Emilian. Customers will be able to watch Travis transform blocks of chocolate into gourmet confections infused with key lime, fruit, chili, and dozens of other exotic flavors, the DIA release said. 

The DIA noticed Sarah’s Pâtisserie during its Race for the Space competition last year where local entrepreneurs competed for a chance to win free rent for one year in a prime downtown location. While Sarah’s finished a close runner-up, the owners maintained their interest in opening another downtown location.

“Sarah’s is an example of a growing number of downtown businesses that offer experiential retailing. It’s not just about buying online or at a mall,” Gary Ferguson, DIA executive director, said in the release. “These retailers, like Sarah’s, engage you at all levels — sight, smell, taste, and sound.”

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