CLAY — The first Graze Craze location in New York started operations in the town of Clay on Jan. 6.

Graze Craze offers graze-style dining with its “artfully designed” charcuterie spreads. The new 1,200-square-foot store is located in the Clay Marketplace at 4599 State Route 31.

It’s operated by franchise owners Christine Rawda and Colleen Rajkowski, who were both born and raised in the Liverpool area.

“We’re excited to introduce Graze Craze to Clay,” Rawda said in the announcement. “Charcuterie is growing in popularity and people enjoy having boards made to their specific tastes. Graze Craze’s custom, made-to-order boards make it easy to create a unique presentation, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to be involved in our customers’ celebrations.”

The franchisees will lead a team of “expert Grazologists,” who curate charcuterie boards made from a variety of specialty ingredients, like meats and cheeses, fresh fruits, crisp vegetables and more, accompanied by house-made sauces, dips and jams.

Each grazing spread features a “complementary blend of flavors, colors and textures that produce an eye-catching work of edible art that can be both admired and enjoyed,” as described in the announcement.

“We’re so excited for the opening of our flagship New York location,” Cory Hibbard, president of Graze Craze, said. “Chris and Colleen just get it — they’re passionate about their community and take pride in what they do. We’re thrilled to have them bring Graze Craze to the Upstate and help create memorable experiences for our clients.”

“We both come from big, sports-oriented families,” said Rajkowski, who formerly worked as an executive VP for a local retail company. “Our families love to celebrate life with food and gatherings, and we want to bring that kind of joy to our customers at Graze Craze.”

As of mid-January, the Clay location of Graze Craze had two employees and a third employee was preparing to join the business, a company spokesperson told CNYBJ.

Clay Marketplace, where Graze Craze Clay is located, is a brand-new, multi-use development that includes the David’s Landing apartment complex. The new Graze Craze store is open for pick-up, catering, and delivery Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

About the franchise

Graze Craze is an affiliated brand of United Franchise Group, a global franchising company, within the United Franchise Group’s food division, Big Flavor Brands.

United Franchise Group is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Big Flavor Brands says it “specializes in franchises dedicated to creative eating, offering a zesty menu of fast-growing, award-winning food brands with a proven track record of success,” according to the United Franchise Group website.