News
November 9, 2020The Electric City Gets its Very First Cat-Themed Gift Shop
The Chamber took part in a ribbon cutting on Friday, November 6th for a new vendor inside The Schenectady Trading Company. The Spicy Purrito, who previously only sold online and at craft fairs, has expanded their products into a store in the City of Schenectady.
The Spicy Purrito was created in 2017 by Rotterdam “purr-prietor” Tonya Hall. Started as a home-based handmade business, Ms. Hall quickly established a local following while vending at local craft fairs, events, and pop-up shops. When the pandemic hit earlier this year, like many businesses, The Spicy Purrito had to pivot in order to remain viable. An opportunity to expand inside The Schenectady Trading Company became available, and they jumped on board!
The Spicy Purrito offers Ms. Hall’s signature handmade organic catnip toys in a variety of sizes and colors. Also featured is a carefully curated selection of locally sourced handmade items geared towards cat enthusiasts and their favorite felines. Small tchotchkes and jewelry round out the shop’s offerings.
A self-described “crazy cat lady,” Ms. Hall doesn’t remember a time in her life that she wasn’t obsessed with cats! Every family pet was instantly attached to her, and she relished the love and companionship they offered.
Ms. Hall has an educational background in Sociology and has worked in state government for the past 14 years. Her very first job out of college was working for her entrepreneurial dad at his home improvement business. Prior to his untimely passing, Ms. Hall gained a wealth of knowledge from her doting dad, and she was quickly bitten by the entrepreneur bug. After several years of honing her sewing and quilting skills, and learning everything she could about running a business, she finally discovered the “purr-fect” way to marry her love of cats with her love of sewing – and The Spicy Purrito was born!
Ms. Hall is thrilled to be able to once again reach her customers and looks forward to trading stories about their cats. She welcomes cat lovers to check out the new space as well as the large variety of gifts available at The Schenectady Trading Company.
