 
A view of midday activity on Main Street in Mount Kisco.
On any given afternoon in Mount Kisco, one is likely to encounter traffic at the intersection of South Bedford and Main, the gateway to the store-lined downtown streets.
Mount Kisco still maintains that old era charm ”“ where people still recognize you by name and where a stroll down Main Street still invites a smile.
Diversity is a major player in the city landscape. Nearly a quarter of the population was of Hispanic origin in 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Collectively, both small businesses and chain stores in the village felt the widespread strain of an economy in a downward decline.Â
“Things seem to be difficult still,” Mayor Michael Cindrich said. “Property owners and landlords are struggling and everybody is operating on a smaller margin.”
“As for the chain stores and national retailers, I”™m not sure how they”™re doing,” he said. “But, I can tell you that smaller businesses are putting in longer hours and I don”™t think we”™re there yet.”
John Whitmer, owner of Radiance Medspa.
Cindrich said, “People are walking around town and going into restaurants and you see a lot of activity, but I”™m not sure if they”™re buying. My biggest concern now is the automobile dealerships and landlords helping our retail tenants to ensure their survival. We had a modest tax increase (1.2 percent) and not only are our residents struggling, but also the business community.”
Still, Cindrich remarked that he foresees the village being one of the first in the county to “build the recovery” simply for the mere volume of stores inhabiting the town.
The entrepreneurial spirit, which sustains a business through goods times and bad, marks many of Mount Kisco”™s merchants.
David Vermilyea of Mount Kisco Sports, a 12.5-year-old sporting goods store on South Moger Avenue.Â
At Accel Printing and Graphics Corp., print shop owners Bill and Ann Harden remain optimistic.
“Business is super,” said Harden, whom also serves as president of the Mount Kisco Chamber of Commerce. “We started a whole new division of the company called Accel Publishing and we”™re selling ads, producing and writing newsletters, taking the pictures and doing the whole composition job. It”™s working out great.”
Asked if the village sees the economic glass as half empty or full, Harden immediately noted the tremendous innovation he has seen around town.
“A lot of attorneys have broadened their practices to include other things,” he said. “I heard a story about two fellows who had gone into the no-fault/mediated divorce practice because apparently hard economic times bring on tension and evidently, this is a growth area.”
The Hardens have seen their town grow and change since they began the printing business in 1978.
Ann and Bill Harden of Accel Printing and Graphics Corp.
“This was such a widespread recession that no one has been untouched by it,” he said. “But, most of the business people in Mount Kisco have been in business a long time or even the new businesses that have moved in, most owners are experienced and may own other businesses.”
John Whitmer, one such businessman, opened Radiance Medspa on North Bedford Road in April 2007.
Having a variable background in marketing and brand management, Whitmer spent the better part of his career working for major packaged goods companies such as Unilever and Scott paper.
At Sterling Drug Inc., Whitmer was the man behind the Bayer aspirin heart attack prevention campaign after happening upon a relevant 10-year clinical study.Â
Adrienne Marcus, executive director of Lexington Center for Recovery
“I then went into business consulting, where I helped large packaged goods companies with their retail clients,” he said. “I decided I really wanted to own and start a business, which led me to the medspa industry.”
Whitmer, who holds an MBA degree from Dartmouth College, could see the market downturn coming and molded his business model accordingly.
“I decided to go more medical, figuring that those services would be less affected by the economy than what I would consider aesthetic treatments,” he said. “But next month, we”™re going to feature new Radiance spa treatments.”
In addition to maintaining a Manhattan-like caliber of services by bringing in a seasoned doctor who maintains a practice on Fifth Avenue, Whitmer looked to other businesses to cross-market services.
At a time when “pro bono” and “barter” are the words of the day, Whitmer sought out businesses similar to his: upscale hair salons, fitness clubs and clothing stores, to weather the storm as a team.
“We”™ve done events to get business going where I would provide the food and he (Whitmer) would put out fliers,” said Myong Feiner, owner of Myong Private Label Gourmet in Mount Kisco. “We did a promotion where you”™d receive a discount if you brought in one of their business cards.”
Michael Levy, principal broker, Grand Lux Realty.
Feiner stressed that keeping afloat in tough times requires attention to what the customer wants. She has seen a shift to small, intimate gatherings, as more people “stay in” to save.
“My business is doing well, but in October I needed to invent new ideas to drum up business,” said Feiner of creating new recipes and specials.
Harden said overall, he thinks the village and business owners are weathering the recession well.
“A lot of what we do in Northern Westchester revolves around real estate,” Harden said. “There is a whole infrastructure of people that relate to and depend on real estate. Their business has slowed down a lot, but they”™re getting creative.”
Creativity and a desire to do it differently were the building blocks of Armonk resident Michael Levy”™s discount commercial and residential real estate brokerage Grand Lux Realty, which takes an ala carte approach to offered services.
“We call it customizable and really let the seller pick and choose which services he wants and needs,” Levy said. “He can either pay for them at the time he uses them or he can create a wholly customizable commission approach on the back end.”
Levy said the commission rate is 2.5 percent, “which is approximately half of what full-service, full-commission brokers charge.”
Speaking about the overall Mount Kisco market, Levy said that “demand is strong even considering the market and the economy.
“There are great chains here, the taxes are low because of the big commercial base and there is a really great school district, Bedford,” he said. “I”™m not a big predictor, but I think some markets are starting to improve.”
Initiatives by area nonprofit agencies such as Lexington Center for Recovery contribute to the overall appeal of the village.
Executive Director Adrienne Marcus said plans for the second annual fundraiser, Arts & Edibles, in the fall are under way.
“We approached restaurant owners last year to participate and most said yes,” Marcus said. “We have many repeated restaurants this year and approached some new ones who weren”™t in town last year.”
She said event participants will take trolley rides through town on Sept. 13 and will sample each location”™s specialties. Hudson Valley artists will exhibit and sell their works as part of the campaign.
One participating restaurant owner, Carla Gambescia of Via Vanti, said the campaign initially interested her because she wanted to incorporate a designer or artist who was in line with the image and concept of the Italian eatery.
“I think it”™s going to be really great and I”™m really anxious for it, because it”™s for a good cause,” she said. “I want people to come here and experience my restaurant concept, which is the reinforcement of an emotional transport to Italy.”
Of business, Gambescia said that for a period of time immediately after the crash in the fall, there were no customers.
However, the winter acted as an experimental playground for Gambescia to perfect and alter the menu, and “as we moved into better weather, we”™ve had a real upsurge.”
(For a profile of Mount Kisco lawyer Tony Monteleone, see this week”™s Profits & Passions.)
