Category: Business

Posted on

Greensburg restaurant adapting, plans indoor farmers market

GREENSBURG, Pa. —A Greensburg restaurant owner is continuing her mission to adapt to changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Lisa Hegedus has owned Caffe Barista for 23 years. This year, she was forced to adapt quickly when the coronavirus pandemic hit in March.

“We developed a box meal program, we delivered to all essential workers and offered curbside pickup,” Hegedus said.

The business is located across the street from the Westmoreland County Courthouse and has always relied on foot traffic. With her catering business taking a hit, Hegedus focused more on getting individual meals to customers.

“You have to pivot your business,” Hegedus said. “If you don’t look at the way things are happening around you and adapt to them, you’re not going to stay open.”

Now, Hegedus is planning to pivot again with an indoor farmers market in her store, starting early next year. The goal is for customers to be able to pick up fresh produce and dairy products, while still offering the food and beverages customers are used to.

“We’re just adding a new dimension to what we already offer. It brings more people into town shopping at all the other businesses,” Hegedus said. “We’re very thankful for everything, for all of our customers the 23 years we’ve been here, and hopefully another 23 more.”

Hegedus said work on the new setup is set to get underway soon, with the goal of having the farmers market open in the early months of 2021.

Source: Greensburg restaurant adapting, plans indoor farmers market

Source: Caffe Barista

Posted on

Live! Casino Pittsburgh Holds Grand Opening, Opens To The Public For First Time – CBS Pittsburgh

HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP (KDKA) — After months of construction and planning, Live! Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall will open to the public today.That project has brought a lot of jobs to the area and opening in the middle of a pandemic is no easy feat.The casino will hold its grand opening on Tuesday morning, not too much longer before those doors open and people get to press their luck.
With the casino opening during the Coronavirus pandemic, safety measures will be in place.There will be mask requirements, temperature checks, physical distancing, and repeated cleaning of high-traffic areas, slot machines, and table games.

Source: Live! Casino Pittsburgh Holds Grand Opening, Opens To The Public For First Time – CBS Pittsburgh

Posted on

L.A. County suspends outdoor dining at restaurants as coronavirus surges – Los Angeles Times

In a devastating blow to Los Angeles’ struggling restaurant industry, L.A. County public health officials on Sunday announced they will suspend outdoor dining at restaurants amid a surge of new coronavirus cases.

Customers dine in the Hollywood Riviera area of Redondo Beach. L.A. County has suspend outdoor dining Sunday due to the rise in coronavirus cases. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

Few segments of the L.A. retail economy have been hit harder by the pandemic than the once-booming dining world, with many landmark names closing in recent months and many more on the brink. After they were forced to close indoor dining rooms in the spring, many eateries got a lifeline when officials allowed them to serve outdoors, often in patios and makeshift dining halls built in parking lots and streets.

The new rule takes effect at 10 p.m. Wednesday and restricts restaurants — along with breweries, wineries and bars — to takeout and delivery only for the first time since May. It will remain in place for at least three weeks, officials said.

Wineries and breweries can continue retail operations.

“The persistent high number of cases requires additional safety measures that limit mixing in settings where people are not wearing masks,” Barbara Ferrer, the L.A. County health director, said in a statement.

 

Officials had warned earlier in the week that the new rule would be imposed if the five-day average of new cases reached 4,000, or if hospitalizations topped 1,750 per day.

Source: L.A. County suspends outdoor dining at restaurants as coronavirus surges – Los Angeles Times

Posted on

Hiring push is on at 84 Lumber, Pittsburgh agency tapped to create recruitment program

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh-based BLD Marketing on Thursday said it has created and launched a recruitment marketing program for 84 Lumber Co.

The nation’s largest privately held building materials supplier, 84 Lumber operates about 250 stores, plants, custom millwork and door shops and engineered wood product centers in more than 30 states. It is hiring for various positions due to increased residential construction and, as of Thursday, listed 478 open positions from labor to management on its website.

The Business Times recently reported that 84 Lumber said it topped $4 billion in annual sales for the first time in its history with projections to reach more than $4.5 billion by year-end. Expansion is underway into Detroit; Stockton, California; and Boise, Idaho, with new stores scheduled to open in early 2021.

 

Source: Hiring push is on at 84 Lumber, Pittsburgh agency tapped to create recruitment program

Posted on

Dow futures rise 300 points after Biden wins presidency as post-election rally continues

All three major averages notched their best weekly performance since April last week.

Stocks were set to continue their big post-election rally as futures rose in overnight trading on Sunday. The gains came as Democrat Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential race to become president elect, according to NBC projections.

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 319 points, implying an opening gain of about 300 points on Monday. S&P 500 futures climbed 1.1% and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 1.4%.

The former vice president won after his projected victory in Pennsylvania as well as Nevada, according to NBC News projections on Saturday. The call came four days after Election Day and amid close counts in several battleground states.

Wall Street hoped the call would reduce the odds of a drawn-out election fight, even as Trump refused to concede. Many traders had put on bets for market volatility in November and were unwinding those positions, helping fuel a rally.

Source: Dow futures rise 300 points after Biden wins presidency as post-election rally continues

Posted on

Turkey replaces central bank head as lira sees record lows

Former Finance Minister Naci Agbal was brought in to replace Murat Uysal, according to a presidential decree announced in the Official Gazette.

  • Former Finance Minister Naci Agbal was brought in to replace Murat Uysal, according to a presidential decree announced in the Official Gazette.
  • The decision came after the lira lost nearly a third of its value since the start of the year — hitting a record low of 8.58 against the U.S. dollar on Friday — and annual inflation stood at 11.89%.

Source: Turkey replaces central bank head as lira sees record lows

Posted on

Rupert Murdoch: Australians sign petition calling for probe of billionaire’s media empire – CNN

Hong Kong (CNN Business)More than 500,000 Australians have signed a petition calling for an inquiry into the dominance of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

The petition to parliament was launched by former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd a little over three weeks ago and closed on Wednesday. It calls for a Royal Commission — Australia’s highest form of public inquiry — to “investigate threats to media diversity.” It also accused media businesses of encouraging “deliberately polarizing and politically manipulated news.”
While the petition raised several points of concern, including Google (GOOGL) and Facebook’s (FB) relationship with the news media, it singled out Murdoch’s News Corp (NWS) as a potential threat to free speech and public debate.
“We are especially concerned that Australia’s print media is overwhelmingly controlled by News Corporation, founded by Fox News billionaire Rupert Murdoch, with around two-thirds of daily newspaper readership,” the petition said. “This power is routinely used to attack opponents in business and politics by blending editorial opinion with news reporting.”

Source: Rupert Murdoch: Australians sign petition calling for probe of billionaire’s media empire – CNN

Posted on

Walmart Scraps Plan to Have Robots Scan Shelves – WSJ

The retail giant is ending its push to have machines developed by Bossa Nova Robotics rove stores to keep track of inventory, after discovering during the coronavirus pandemic that humans can help get similar results.

Walmart Inc. has ended its effort to use roving robots in store aisles to keep track of its inventory, reversing a yearslong push to automate the task with the hulking machines after finding during the coronavirus pandemic that humans can help get similar results.

The retail giant has ended its contract with robotics company Bossa Nova Robotics Inc., with which it joined over the past five years to gradually add six-foot-tall inventory-scanning machines to stores. Walmart had made the robots a frequent topic of conversation…

Source: Walmart Scraps Plan to Have Robots Scan Shelves – WSJ

Posted on

A new Goodwill store is coming to Penn Hills and it has set its grand opening date for the first week of November – Pittsburgh Business Times

A new 15,000-square-foot Goodwill store is slated to open in the Penn Hills area with a grand opening date set for Nov. 5.

The store, located at the Penn Hills Shopping Center along Keleket Drive, is expected to create 30 new jobs.

“We are so pleased to move to into this new community. We’ve had many of our shoppers tell us it would be a good location for a Goodwill Store,” Andrew Marano, vice president of donated goods retail at Goodwill SWPA, said in a statement. “We also know there are many donors from the area who will help make this an excellent spot for a Goodwill thrift store.”

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the new store will offer contact-free delivery options for donated goods via a designated drop-off point behind a nearby Giant Eagle location.

Source: A new Goodwill store is coming to Penn Hills and it has set its grand opening date for the first week of November – Pittsburgh Business Times

Posted on

Surge in COVID-19 cases creates another roadblock for office workers | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

By Mark Belko

It’s 15 minutes past noon on a sunny October weekday — typically a bustling time for the food court at Fifth Avenue Place, Downtown.

But with the pandemic still raging and much of the city’s office staff working from home, the lunch counters are dark — and it’s eerily quiet.

Instead of the chattering din of a crowd, the only sound that can be heard is the whirring of the escalators rotating in a ghostly, endless loop. A sign declaring “Line Starts Here” at the end of a retractable rope at the shuttered Rosso Pizzeria stands as a mocking reminder of normal times.

Just outside, despite the unusually warm weather, the sidewalks are sparsely peppered with pedestrians.

Let’s talk: High office vacancies forcing landlords to wheel and deal, report finds

Across the street, there are no lines at McDonald’s, while the swanky Eddie Merlot’s restaurant is closed except for takeout until dinnertime. Down the street at the Sly Fox Taphouse, just two outdoor tables are occupied. There are no customers inside.

During these unsettling times, parking garages sit nearly empty, and many restaurants and businesses that rely on the regular swarm of office workers into town have been forced to close, at least temporarily.

Amid a fall surge in COVID-19 cases and with the governor’s mandate to work remotely still in force, the scene is unlikely to change any time soon.

Image Description
“Closed until further notice” sign posted in a store window in the deserted Fifth Avenue Place on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020, in Downtown.(Andrew Rush/Post-Gazette)

One of Pittsburgh’s signature skyscrapers, Fifth Avenue Place is the headquarters for health care giant Highmark Health, which occupies 26 floors in the now largely empty 31-story building.

“We continue to plan for a safe, phased and gradual return to work for our non-clinical employees after Jan. 1, subject to re-evaluation … as we draw closer to that date,” spokeswoman Janice Maszle said recently in an email. “The health and safety of our employees remain paramount.”

Source: Surge in COVID-19 cases creates another roadblock for office workers | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Posted on

Contractor Accused Of Taking More Than $38,000 And Not Finishing Job In Westmoreland Co. – CBS Pittsburgh

WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. (KDKA) — A local contractor is accused of taking more than $38,000 for a construction job and never completing the work.

The alleged victim in the case says contractor Frank John Pasquarelli was hired to remodel a house on Home Drive in Penn Township.

“I hired him, we started off doing a step-by-step job,” said the homeowner.

The home’s owner, whom KDKA is identifying as Jeff at his request, said he gave Pasquarelli more than $38,000 in cash and checks to do the job, a claim backed by investigators.

“He claimed this was right up his ally,” Jeff said. “He’s built homes from the ground up. … He and his crew started off fine.”

Three months after the project began during the summer of last year, things went south quickly.

“I made the mistake of trusting him,” Jeff said.

The homeowner says he traveled out of state while Pasquarelli was supposed to be working on the house. He says that did not happen, and Pasquarelli did nothing, with the home sitting incomplete for months.

Pasquarelli allegedly blamed an electrician and then he stopped answering Jeff’s calls. So Jeff called the Penn Township Police Department.

Investigators obtained Pasquarelli’s bank account via search warrant. According to court records, Pasquarelli deposited Jeff’s $18,000, plus $20,000 more, into an account that he set up in his wife’s name and started spending, including just over $1,000 for an Ocean City, Maryland trip. After the trip and some spending, the account was drained to $3.58.

When police tried to contact Pasquarelli, they couldn’t and when they finally did, he said he’d call them back. He never did.

Pasquarelli, of Monroeville, faces multiple felony counts, including home improvement fraud. This isn’t the first time he’s been brought up on these charges. Pasquarelli faces a preliminary hearing on home improvement fraud in Allegheny County.

KDKA’s attempts to contact Pasquarelli were unsuccessful.

Posted on

Paid Extras Wanted For New Netflix Series Filming In Pittsburgh Area – CBS Pittsburgh

A Netflix series that will start filming in the Pittsburgh area next month is looking for paid background actors.

The series is pitched as a “supernatural, mystery that follows two star-crossed lovers – Dan Turner and Melody Pendras – whose dual investigations unearth an inter-dimensional portal which puts them in the crosshairs of rival factions engaged in a battle for control of its power.”

No experience is necessary, and a press release says there will be opportunities for multiple days of work.

You can visit Movie Casting PGH’s website for more information.

Source: Paid Extras Wanted For New Netflix Series Filming In Pittsburgh Area – CBS Pittsburgh

Posted on

What’s the status of a second $1,200 stimulus check? – CBS News

Stocks tumbled on Monday amid dimming hopes for a stimulus bill and rising coronavirus cases.

The White House and Democrats have failed to agree on a new aid package. White House economics adviser Larry Kudlow on Monday told reporters that talks were continuing, but declined to say whether he was optimistic or pessimistic about a deal.

Shares fell on Monday as investor hopes faded that lawmakers would deliver more emergency financial support for the economy anytime soon. Rising coronavirus cases added concerns about headwinds for the U.S. economy, sending the Dow down more than 650 points, or 2.3%.

Source: What’s the status of a second $1,200 stimulus check? – CBS News

Posted on

Governor Tom Wolf to visit Pittsburgh to announce support for restaurant and bar industry

Visit planned for Thursday afternoonPITTSBURGH —

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf plans to visit Pittsburgh Thursday to announce additional support for the restaurant and bar industry amid the COVID

Wolf will be joined by state Reps. Dan Deasy, Ed Gainey and Jake Wheatley, as well as state Sen. Wayne Fontana, when he makes the announcement on Thursday afternoon

Source: Governor Tom Wolf to visit Pittsburgh to announce support for restaurant and bar industry

Posted on

North Huntingdon Kenny Ross dealerships sold | TribLIVE.com

The Kenny Ross Chevrolet Buick GMC was sold recently to Riverview Automotive Group and the name changed to Riverview Chevrolet, Buick GMC. Chris DeCuir owns Riverview Automotive with his father, Patrick DeCuir.

“This was an opportunity to be close to our other dealership,” DeCuir said. The family’s new dealership is about six miles from the family’s Riverview Chevrolet in White Oak. It also operates Washington Chevrolet in South Strabane, just outside Washington, Pa.

Source: North Huntingdon Kenny Ross dealerships sold | TribLIVE.com

Posted on

Fire reported at The Original Pie Shoppe in Westmoreland County

LAUGHLINTOWN, Pa. —Fire was reported at The Original Pie Shoppe on Route 30 in Laughlintown, Westmoreland County early Friday morning.The fire was reported shortly after 5:30 a.m. Friday

Sky 4 with Action Cam spotted crews on the roof of the building where some smoke was coming out.There were no initial reports of any injuries.The cause of the fire has not been determined.The Pie Shoppe posted on social media on Friday that they would still be  open as usual.

Source: Fire reported at The Original Pie Shoppe in Westmoreland County

Posted on

US STOCKS SNAPSHOT-Wall St skids after Trump’s positive COVID-19 test

Wall Street’s main indexes tumbled at the open on Friday after President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 weeks before the election, with an elusive fiscal stimulus and a slowdown in the domestic economic recovery also denting sentiment.

Source: US STOCKS SNAPSHOT-Wall St skids after Trump’s positive COVID-19 test

Posted on

GetGo celebrates store opening near Jeannette, presents grants to 2 school districts | TribLIVE.com

Nearly all of the 45 available parking spaces were full Wednesday afternoon as GetGo celebrated the grand opening of its 266th location along Route 30 in Hempfield.

Located at the intersection of Lewis Avenue, near the border of Jeannette, the 6,000-square-foot cafe and market employs 35. Offering made-to-order food, as well as convenience items and fuel, the store had a soft opening Sept. 9.

Formerly the site of a PNC Bank branch, the location offers accessibility from Route 30 and close proximity to customers in Hempfield and Jeannette, GetGo spokesman Dan Donovan said.

As part of the celebration, GetGo presented Hempfield Area and Jeannette high schools each with $5,000.

Source: GetGo celebrates store opening near Jeannette, presents grants to 2 school districts | TribLIVE.com

Posted on

Major Fire Hits Pittsburgh-Area Restaurant, Bravo Italian Restaurant | Pittsburgh, PA Patch

The fire broke out Sunday evening at the popular eatery.

According to various reports on social media, the fire broke out at around 8 p.m. Smoke could be seen coming from the roof, and firefighters opened the roof to battle the blaze.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

It’s unclear when the restaurant will reopen.

Source: Major Fire Hits Pittsburgh-Area Restaurant | Pittsburgh, PA Patch

Posted on

PS5 cost may have been leaked by Spanish retailer ahead of PS5 event | GamesRadar+

The price lines up with similar leaks from Amazon last month

Multiple images have surfaced from a major Spanish retailer that may have revealed the PS5 price. Photos from El Corte Inglés appeared overnight, potentially revealing the cost of both versions of the upcoming console ahead of official word from Sony.

Both images stem from El Corte Inglés, which is one of the biggest retailers in Spain, Pictures of the store’s internal systems that appear to show entries for both the standard and digital versions of the PS5 were shared on messaging service Telegram, listing two prices for the console. According to both of these photos, one version of the PS5 will cost €499.90 ($594/£460), while the other will cost €399.90 ($475/£369). The digital-only version of the console is very likely to be the cheaper version.

Source: PS5 cost may have been leaked by Spanish retailer ahead of PS5 event | GamesRadar+

Posted on

Gilead nears deal to buy Immunomedics for more than $20 billion, WSJ reports | Reuters

Gilead Sciences Inc is nearing a deal to buy biopharmaceutical company Immunomedics Inc for more than $20 billion in a deal that would further expand Gilead’s portfolio of cancer treatments, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

Source: Gilead nears deal to buy Immunomedics for more than $20 billion, WSJ reports | Reuters

Posted on

Say Goodbye To CoGo’s Name | Pittsburgh, PA Patch

PITTSBURGH, PA – The CoGo’s name, a staple in the Pittsburgh area since the mid-1980s, is about to be gone forever from the 38 convenience stores. Canonsburg-based Coen Markets, which bought the chain in 2018, will convert all of them to Coen locations.

Coen announced it also is bringing its Ruff Creek Market stores under the Coen name.

Additionally, Coen Markets will convert its stores’ gas pumps to Amoco gasoline by the end of the year. Coen operates nearly 60 stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

CoGo’s was funded as Stop-N-Go in 1962 and rebranded as CoGo’s about 20 years later.

Source: Say Goodbye To CoGo’s Name | Pittsburgh, PA Patch

Posted on

Mixed Reaction From Pittsburgh-Area Restaurant Owners To Gov. Wolf Increasing Indoor Capacity To 50 Percent

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Some good news for restaurants and their customers in Pennsylvania.

Governor Tom Wolf is allowing all restaurants to open to 50 percent capacity indoors. But that will help some restaurants more than others.

Local restaurants have been free to serve food and drink outdoors while following coronavirus safety regulations, but they have been limited indoors to just 25 percent of capacity. But that will change on Sept. 21.

“Step in the right direction, for sure,” Jeff Broadhurst, CEO and president of the Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, told KDKA money editor Jon Delano on Tuesday. “Great to hear that this morning. And I can tell you as an industry, we’re ready for it, and we’re prepared to serve people safely.”

Source: Mixed Reaction From Pittsburgh-Area Restaurant Owners To Gov. Wolf Increasing Indoor Capacity To 50 Percent

Posted on

Busy Beaver will move into former AMC Theatre in Salem Township | TribLIVE.com

The home improvement retailer officially announced plans to open at the Hollywood Squares shopping plaza off Route 22 with a target date of next May . At 55,000 square feet, it will be one of the chain’s largest stores among its locations throughout Western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia.

“The Delmont (Salem) location is a great fit for us in terms of demographics and geography,” CEO Joe Kallen said. “It’s a high-visibility location and easily accessible on the Route 22 corridor. The building itself is an ideal fit for us, since there aren’t too many big-box structures in the area.”

The company plans to hire between 40 and 50 full- and part-time employees, Kallen said. Plans for the store include a lumber yard, pet and farm departments, a designated contractor service center and an expanded outdoor garden center.

Busy Beaver was founded in 1962 with lumber yards in Verona, Clairton and Carnegie. Today, the company operates 24 stores with more than 550 employees.

Anyone interested in applying for a job can visit BusyBeaver.com/careers.

Source: Busy Beaver will move into former AMC Theatre in Salem Township | TribLIVE.com

Posted on

Forty percent of Americans back Trump executive order on TikTok: Reuters/Ipsos poll – Reuters

The poll published Monday, which surveyed 1,349 adult respondents across the United States, found that 40% backed Trump’s recent executive order forcing China’s ByteDance to sell its TikTok operations in the United States by Sept. 15. Thirty percent of the respondents said they opposed the move, while another 30% said they didn’t know either way.

The responses were largely split along party lines, and many of those who agreed with Trump’s order said they do not know much about TikTok. Among Republicans, for example, 69% said they supported the president’s order while only 32% said they were familiar with the app. Twenty-one percent of Democrats also supported Trump’s order and 46% said they were familiar with TikTok.

Source: Forty percent of Americans back Trump executive order on TikTok: Reuters/Ipsos poll – Reuters

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress
%d bloggers like this: