01/29/2026
A thank you to our customers for twenty great years…
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the end of Park-Lane Tobacconist. It was a tough decision, and one we gave a lot of thought to. We love the business… I personally put my heart and soul into its creation, but the time has come for us to say “goodbye”.
Clifton Park is a great area, but we can’t tolerate the politics of the state any longer. Our elected officials just can’t understand how difficult it is for brick-and-mortar stores to make money. With all the competition from the internet and neighboring states, it shouldn’t be hard to understand. NYS residents can buy product just about anywhere, and for so much less than New York retailers can sell it for in their stores. Keep the taxes low enough, and you will keep those sales in the state… they would generate even more revenue.
NYS raised the to***co tax from 35% to 75% as soon as we returned from the COVID shut down. That was the “Thank You” we received for being closed for a year with no income, and not being allowed to run our businesses and our lives as we saw fit. We’ve never been able to recover from that “one-two” punch.
Curiously, Ma*****na, a dangerous “gateway” drug for most of our lives, is now somehow “good” for you, and is taxed at only at 22%. How is that fair, or make any sense? Ask your Senator or Assemblyman that question, maybe you’ll get the answer I never could.
Our official last day will be Saturday January 31st, and Park-Lane as we all knew it, will be closed for good. We continue to work with an interested party to re-open the store and are hopeful that will still happen… so stay tuned!
So many of you have become such good friends, and that is the part I will miss most of all… the people. It’s been a great ride, and I thank you so much for coming along…
Farewell, and may all of life’s good blessings come your way.
PAUL BONACQUISTI
OWNER & PIPEMAKER
