GUILDERLAND, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A Mediterranean dining and catering business with multiple locations in the Capital Region is planning to shut its doors permanently before the year’s end. Tara’s Kitchen will close its Guilderland location on December 24.
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Officials at Tara’s Kitchen announced the closure in a social media post on December 19, stating that the Guilderland grocery store and restaurant would cease dine-in and takeout services. According to the post, the catering business will continue operating in Guilderland until the building is sold, after which it can relocate to Tara’s Kitchen in Schenectady.
Owner Aneesa Waheed told NEWS10 that the business has been navigating a challenging economic environment marked by rising operational costs, inflation, and shifts in consumer spending in the past year. Waheed said the financial challenges made it difficult to sustain dine-in services in Guilderland.
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“After careful consideration, we made the difficult but necessary decision to close dine-in there in order to protect the long-term health of the Tara Kitchen brand and to focus our resources more strategically,” Waheed said.
Until the restaurant and market’s closure on Wednesday, officials said there was a 50% off sale on market goods, including spice kits, jarred or canned goods, and more. Waheed emphasized her gratitude for the Guilderland community and stressed that the closure in no way reflects on the city or the customers who stopped in.
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“At the same time, we are looking ahead with intention and optimism,” Waheed said. “As we move into 2026, we have several new growth initiatives underway, including plans for a new Tara Kitchen location in a new market, expanded media and storytelling work highlighting global cuisine and culture, and consulting projects across larger sectors, including government and institutional partnerships.”…