Two food businesses have moved into leased shipping-container spaces at Albany’s Clinton Market Collective: L’s Simplygoodness and Shalimar Express. L’s Simplygoodness, founded by Albany native Latyonia Lee, serves baked goods, soups and fruit-infused teas; Shalimar Express offers fast-casual Indian and Pakistani food. A ribbon-cutting for both businesses was held Thursday.
The openings give L’s Simplygoodness its first storefront after years of operating without a dedicated retail space. NEWS10 ABC reports Lee started the business in 2017 as a licensed commercial kitchen, while a bio from Electric City Community Grocery lists April 2018 as the date she established it. The accounts differ on the exact founding date. Lee told the outlet that the space across from the Albany Skyway would let her bring her homemade recipes to downtown professionals, arts attendees and neighbors.
L’s Simplygoodness Opens Its First Storefront
Lee said the new space is the business’s first dedicated storefront. Before moving in, L’s Simplygoodness had participated in several Downtown Albany BID events, according to NEWS10’s report. The stand is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., serving the baked goods, soups and fruit-infused teas that have built its following.
Shalimar Express brings its fast-casual Indian and Pakistani menu to the market after establishing a presence at Galleria 7 Market in Latham. The Times Union reported the restaurant was serving customers there by May 2023, when Galleria 7 had nine vendors sharing hours from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. At its Albany location, Shalimar Express serves chana masala, chicken tikka kathi rolls, palak paneer bowls and mango lassi, and is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the local report.
Shalimar Express Hopes to Add Cultural Programming
Shalimar Express’s owners hope to eventually host cultural events at the market, including a Diwali celebration. Clinton Market Collective, owned and operated by Capitalize Albany, is at 11 Clinton Avenue across from the Skyway. Downtown Albany says the location greets more than 20,000 people daily. The market was developed for startup businesses, pop-up retail, local art installations and events, according to Capitalize Albany, which says it officially opened on August 1, 2024.
Capitalize Albany Corporation president Ashley Mohl described the leases as a new phase for the site: L’s Simplygoodness and Shalimar Express are the market’s first longer-term businesses leasing its shipping-container space.
The Market’s Startup Mission and Early Record
When Clinton Market Collective opened on August 1, 2024, Capitalize Albany Corporation said its two customizable, 20-foot shipping containers would be available to local entrepreneurs, small businesses and vendors for lease. The New York State Albany DRI awards booklet describes the Clinton Market project as a renovation of Federal Park intended to create a market concept and proving ground for startup businesses. Mohl reported that the market had hosted more than 30 special events and held weekly activations. Its reported footprint includes two vendor containers, a third container for temporary storage and vendor stalls measuring roughly 19 by 7 feet. The New York State Governor’s Office describes the adjacent Albany Skyway as connecting downtown to the riverfront and recreational opportunities; the market’s reported daily traffic figure does not establish how many Skyway users visit either vendor.
Part of a Larger Downtown Investment
Part of Albany’s downtown investment was directed to the market and its surrounding park. The city received a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award in 2018, the Times Union reported; improvements to the park alone cost $3.5 million. The work included pop-jet fountains with colored light displays, shade canopies and the two customizable 20-foot shipping containers now occupied by the vendors. For Lee, who had spent years working toward a brick-and-mortar presence, and Shalimar Express, which expanded from Latham to Albany, the spaces offer a new way to reach downtown customers.
