The Yum Yum Tree was at 46 Main Street.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, September 14,1988
Yum-Yum Tree and Gift Corner
Main St. store a unique combination
SARANAC LAKE -- Today there are numerous shops that feature specific products, but not many places have the kind of old-fashioned quality and friendly atmosphere that you'll find in one of the village's more unique boutiques.
The Yum-Yum Tree and Gift Corner, two businesses under one roof, offer a variety of high quality products and service to all their customers.
During a visit to the shop, located at 46 Main Street, the owners, Peg Roy (Yum Yum Tree) and Mary Fredenburgh (Gift Corner), talked openly about providing the kind of friendly atmosphere and home-style goodness that has made their cooperative venture such a success.
"It's an unusual combination that works well," Roy said.
She was quick to point out that the Yum-Yum Tree has gone far beyond Saranac Lake in its popularity. Orders for its fresh truffles have come from places such as England, France, Germany, Japan and all around the United States. Also popular are its croissants, baguettes, fudge and other delicacies (all made right on the premises).
What started as a place to buy croissants and fudge in the front of the gift shop has expanded beyond anything Roy had imagined.
"The first day we sat around waiting for the croissant dough to rise," she laughed, but that was six years ago. The Yum-Yum Tree now offers over 75 different items.
The Gift Corner, which opened 11 years ago in a storefront on Broadway, moved to its present location after the women went into business together.
"I bought a small business in 1977," Fredenburgh explained, "and I made it grow by offering constant changes in merchandise.
"Not many people have the variety of stuff we have in one place/', she continued. "With the bigger space in this building we can stock even more merchandise."
A specialty of the store is the basement lamp center, where there is a wide variety of lamps, shades, and spare parts.
"Most places send people to us if they are looking for parts for lamps," Fredenburgh said. "We have a lot of parts that you just don't find in other places."
Parts and small repairs are only part of the lamp business in the store.
"We match shades and lamps to give the right decorative touch to anyone who buys from us," Fredenburgh said, adding that it is pointless to buy a shade without knowing how it looks on the lamp.
"This is a most unusual store for the size of the town. Croissants and truffles in the Adirondacks?" Roy said. "We have quite a variety and you get the personal attention you won't find in the malls."
You also get the fresh-made goodness of the Yum Yum Tree's variety of foods. Roy said she started out just looking to do something different, never expecting the growth she has seen.
A major decision for Roy was to make her croissants from scratch.
"We took over a dozen recipes and put them together to get the one that we've been using for a few years now," she said. "Some people don't think we make our own croissants, but you just look at the different shapes and you'll see they aren't cut by some machine."
Everything is made in the downstairs kitchen, set up when it became necessary to make their own croissants, brownies, cookies and candies. Roy said the dough takes about four hours to make each day, and another three hours for baking.
The truffles are also a rare and somewhat exotic handmade item which are quite popular with people from all over. The store features seven varieties of croissants and 10 flavors of truffles.
Despite their goodness, the fresh baked goods can also cause problems for the store.
"I wish people would call their orders in ahead of time," Roy said. "When dealing with fresh food, you have to look into a crystal ball to figure how much to make that day, and many times the crystal ball lies."
The tables at the front of the store serve as a place "to come in and meet your friends and have a cup of coffee, and there's always something new to look at," Fredenburgh said.
Roy mentioned that local author Phil Gallos wrote his book, "Cure Cottages of Saranac Lake" over coffee at the shop every day.
"You'd think we would need more tables, but it always seems to work out right," Roy added. "We urge people to share tables because we like a friendly atmosphere in here."
The friendliness is evident in the lively conversation heard at the tables and the cheerful assistance offered in finding that special item you need.
Both merchants accommodate special orders. The Yum Yum Tree delivers to locations around the world. The truffles are sent in special sleeves on birthdays, holidays and other special occasions.
The Gift Corner orders special items for many people and is ready to help anyone who walks in.
"We try to find whatever people need," Fredenburgh said. "If we don't have it here, we'll send the people to where they can get what they're looking for."
The building, located in the historic district of the village, was renovated before the stores opened. Ever since, the Yum Yum Tree and Gift Corner have been ready to give the public what it wants. Fredenburgh gave an example of the kind of business they do. She said an out-of-town man came in one day to buy a newspaper, and she only had one copy left which she was holding for a regular customer.
"I offered to let him sit down and read the paper in the store," she said. "He was so impressed. He said to me, 'Only in Saranac Lake do you get hospitality like this.' "
So, if you're looking for the finest in gifts, food and hospitality, try the Yum Yum Tree and Gift Corner on Main Street in Saranac Lake.
