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The Olympics are here and athletes will be running, jumping and swimming their way to gold, silver and bronze. Throughout this period, lots of sports drinks will also be consumed. While sports drinks can effectively replenish electrolytes and fuel athletes through exercise, they are full of sugar and can be harmful to teeth. Sports drinks are highly acidic and some contain up to 13g of sugar per bottle — which is more than a can on Coca-Cola.
Dr. Peter Alldritt, chair of the Australian Dental Association’s Oral Health Committee said: “Not only are sports drinks acidic and high in sugar, but people tend to sip on them frequently during exercise rather than consuming them all at once. This increases the time that teeth are exposed and leaves them vulnerable to dental damage.”
“Sports drinks are designed for elite athletes and not the average weekend warrior. Frequent use can cause teeth erosion and increase your risk of tooth decay. We are alarmed that people consume these drinks even when they’re not exercising — when they are working at their desk or watching TV,” Dr Alldritt added.
Although there will be many sports drinks in Rio this August, note that, even for world-class athletes, sometimes water can’t be beat. When it comes to hydration, it is best to drink water.


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Jagler: Grangaard is the perfect fit for Allen Edmonds
When Paul Grangaard greets you, he smiles, looks you squarely in the eye and presents a firm handshake.
Then he looks down and checks out your shoes.
“Yes, I do. I can’t help it,” said Grangaard, the chief executive officer of Port Washington-based Allen Edmonds Corp.
A couple years after acquiring the shoe manufacturer for $100 million in 2006, Minneapolis-based private equity firm Goldner Hawn appointed Grangaard to the helm at Allen Edmonds.
And then the Great Recession hit. You want a challenge? Try selling expensive, luxury brand shoes as the economy is collapsing around you.
“When I got here, we were bankrupt and in need of recapitalization to do a turnaround,” Grangaard said.
RELATED: Allen Edmonds sold to St. Louis-based Caleres
Over the next few years, Grangaard then enacted a series of bold steps to revive the company.
The first key decision was to take a “lower-than-normal” salary to free up capital so he could add “the best” members to his management team.
“When I got here, this team was in silos,” Grangaard said. “I took less than most CEOs take so I could spread more around to my team and we could hire the people who make me look good. I like to say, ‘Leaders don’t hog the ball.’ There’s too much selfishness in American business. If I had taken the normal amount, I wouldn’t have been able to hire the team I did and we may have failed.”
Once his new management team was in place, it was time to “recommit” to the core Allen Edmonds customer, Grangaard said.
The first step there was to identify who that customer is: a professional male who appreciates quality, who wants to “look good without looking like he’s trying too hard” and who sees value in the “Made in the USA” brand.
“We needed to get out and walk the streets in New York and pay attention to what people are wearing in airports,” Grangaard said. “Yogi Berra had a great line: ‘You can observe a lot just by watching.’ ”
Those observations led to Grangaard’s next bold decision: To bring back the Fifth Avenue, the Strand and the McAllister — three classic, black leather dress shoe models that the company had discontinued.
“Our customer said, ‘OK, my Allen Edmonds is back,’ ” Grangaard said. “We had to bring back those shoes. They turned around the company.”
However, simply holding on to the core customers provided little catalyst for growth.
So, Grangaard expanded the Allen Edmonds line to carry additional shoe colors, including walnut, bourbon and oxblood, which widened the target audience to a younger, hipper generation. He also expanded the company’s casual shoe models to cater to executives after hours.
“Innovation is being ahead of where the trend is already going,” Grangaard said. “There’s been a real flight to quality among consumers’ products. A lot of young people don’t want to be part of the disposable economy.”
Allen Edmonds continued to grow and received another boost in capital when it was acquired by Brentwood Associates of Los Angeles for $180 million in 2013. Brentwood liked Grangaard and kept him as CEO.
Next, Grangaard expanded the Allen Edmonds brand to include more apparel and other leather goods.
That expansion enabled the company to sell a “lifestyle” to its customers in more than 70 Allen Edmonds stores across the nation. The firm now receives 80% of its revenues through its stores or online.
“We know our guy. Our guy is a hunter, not a gatherer. He doesn’t like to shop,” Grangaard said. “We’re creating a lifestyle brand by leading with great shoes.”
Allen Edmonds’ next store will open next to the lobby at the Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, in space that was formerly occupied by Roger Stevens Menswear.
Grangaard is bullish on downtown Milwaukee.
“What’s been happening the past few years is amazing,” said Grangaard, who grew up in the Twin Cities. “There’s an authenticity to the people in the Milwaukee region that is really refreshing and inspirational.”
Allen Edmonds received yet another infusion of capital when it was acquired by Caleres Inc. of St. Louis last December for $255 million.
Through it all, the owners have maintained Grangaard and his team — and the factory that crafts the shoes in Port Washington.
“We have a plant in the midst of our customer base,” Grangaard said. “Speed to market … having a plant in the middle of the country is a significant advantage.”
Looking back, Grangaard said, “This success has been shared by a lot of people. Some of this was, ‘Let’s try it.’ Having an innovative company is having a license to fail. We used our license to fail to innovate.”
Steve Jagler is the business editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Send C-Level ideas to him at firstname.lastname@example.org.
CEO, Allen Edmonds Corp., Port Washington
Background: Commercial banking
Hometown: The Twin Cities area
Education: Bachelor’s degree, economics, Stanford University; master’s, business administration, University of Chicago
Family: Wife, Margot; four grown children; and a dog, Harmon (as in former Minnesota Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew)
Favorite musician: Maynard Ferguson
Favorite book: “Great Expectations”
Favorite Wisconsin restaurant: Lake Park Bistro
Best advice ever received: “Paul, your friends don’t care what you do for a living.”
Best lesson learned: “How you treat people matters. Never alienate your current customers to try to attract new ones. Your customers end up being your best advocates.”
New company tagline: “Allen Edmonds: An American Original.”

domain: news


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We found 222 items for the tag: live
Microsoft says Xbox Live switch from MS Points to real money a "glitch"
Aug 9, 2012 11:27 pm
Microsoft blames a "glitch" for Avatar items showing up in real currency instead of MS Points
Square Enix announces Ouya support
Jul 31, 2012 9:29 pm
Square Enix announces its support for the upcoming Ouya Android gaming console.
USB 3.0 Promoter Group Announces Availability of USB Power Delivery Specification
Jul 19, 2012 5:15 am
Watch the 2012 Olympics live on your iOS or Android-based device if you're in the U.S.
Jul 13, 2012 6:29 am
Want to watch the 2012 London Olympics live? You can use your iOS or Android device to watch it live
Google now offering support to developers during office hours with "Developers Live"
Jun 19, 2012 8:31 pm
Google to offer live support to developers during office hours through new program
Enhanced version of 'My Xbox LIVE' app arrives on iOS, Android
Jun 14, 2012 3:45 am
Latest 'My Xbox LIVE' app for iOS and Android has been released
A peek at the AverMedia booth
Jun 7, 2012 4:18 am
AverMedia's booth at Computex shows off their Game Capture HD device, Live Gamer PCI-e based device
Far Cry 3: E3 teaser trailer
May 30, 2012 3:29 pm
Ubisoft releases a Far Cry 3 trailer ahead of E3 to announce the live stream of their press conferen
Watch the live stream of the GALAXY S III launch on Thursday, thanks to Vodafone Australia
May 30, 2012 2:14 am
Vodafone Australia to live stream Samsung GALAXY S III launch event on Thursday
Team Immunity smashes into Diablo III for 48 hours straight, all LIVE!
May 16, 2012 4:11 am
48 hours straight of Diablo III is underway by Team Immunity, check out the live stream!
Google announce Google+ Hangouts On Air, lets you broadcast live video to anyone
May 8, 2012 7:19 am
Google+ Hangouts on Air, lets you broadcast live video to anyone, anywhere
Max Payne: Valhalla - a fan film of pure quality
May 7, 2012 2:21 am
Max Payne has a new fan film in Max Payne: Valhalla
Microsoft to drop the "Windows Live" brand when Windows 8 arrives
May 4, 2012 4:27 am
Microsoft's "Windows Live" brand to disappear when Windows 8 arrives
'Woodstock', a new Xbox music service to be unveiled at E3 2012
Apr 27, 2012 6:25 am
Microsoft to unveil 'Woodstock' Xbox music service at E3 in June
NBC will be streaming the London 2012 Summer Olympics Live over the Internet
Apr 19, 2012 3:21 am
The London 2012 Summer Olympics will be streamed Live across the Internet, thanks to NBC
Microsoft to offer free Xbox Live media apps for five days
Apr 17, 2012 8:11 pm
Microsoft will offer Xbox Live Gold for free for five days to hook more people.
OnLive Desktop, that popular app that gives you a VDI has changed over to Windows Server 2008
Apr 11, 2012 5:25 pm
OnLive Desktop switches to Windows Server 2008 in an attempt to meet licensing requirements.
Thousands of New York sex offenders blocked from online gaming networks
Apr 5, 2012 11:37 pm
A joint effort between NY and game companies has resulted in sex predators being removed from online
Deal of the Day: Microsoft XBOX 360 Live 12 month Gold Card - $33.99 shipped free!
Mar 30, 2012 12:23 pm
Today's daily tech deal is Microsoft XBOX 360 Live 12 month Gold Card - $33.99 shipped free!
Microsoft's XBLA 'Arcade NEXT' sports Minecraft, drops on May 9 - possible hint of the next-generation Xbox NEXT?
Mar 23, 2012 10:24 am
Microsoft XBLA 'Arcade NEXT' starts in early-April, provides you with Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition
Mobile App of the Day: TuneIn Radio Pro
Mar 13, 2012 9:33 am
Browse and listen to radio -- live, local and global. Listen to the world.
OnLive Desktop launch Android app, lets you run an instance of Windows 7 through the web
Mar 2, 2012 4:29 am
OnLive launches Android app, brings Windows desktops in cloud to Android
Windows 8, Xbox and Windows Store set to become BFFs
Feb 14, 2012 12:19 pm
Microsoft set to launch Windows Store, with Xbox and Windows to finally join forces
Mobile App of the Day: 2012 Australian Open for Android
Jan 19, 2012 1:26 pm
Tennis Australia and IBM are pleased to offer the official Android app for the Australian Open Tenni


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The Appraisal Lane co-founder and chief executive officer Jeff Risner will host a workshop at the upcoming 2018 NADA Show titled "Counting Cars: Stop Gambling with Used Car Appraisals."
The workshop is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. on March 23 and March 24 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Along with how to improve the appraisal process for core and noncore inventory, attendees will learn common used-car appraisal pitfalls and new processes that improve inventory management and disposition.
"A sizeable 60 percent of vehicles that dealerships process today consists of noncore makes, models and trims," Risner said in a news release. "With over 2,600 make/model/trim combinations manufactured this year alone, it's a challenge for dealers to accurately appraise every vehicle they process, and understandably so. More than ever, today's dealers need new techniques and resources to improve the appraisal process, increase incremental sales and mitigate exposure to wholesale loss."
The workshop is designed to teach dealers how to improve the overall appraisal process, optimize inventory disposition and increase conquest sales, aged inventory sales and fixed operations profits.
Risner said the informative workshop is fitting for anyone interested in improving their used-car operations, such as used-car managers/pre-owned directors, dealer principals and general managers.
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Bollywood actress Disha Patani took time off from posting hot photos last week for a noble cause as she shifted her attention to the raging fire in the Amazon rain forest. Her social media posts showed just how concerned the Bharat actress was about the devasting impact of the Amazon rain-forest fire on our environment. She slammed media representatives for not giving adequate coverage to the fire.
She first posted the photo of the fire with a question to the Indian media. Disha wrote, “Terrifying to think that the Amazon is the largest rain forest on the planet, creating 20% of the earth’s oxygen, basically the lungs of the world has been on fire and burning for the last 16 days running, with literally NO media coverage whatsoever! Why?”
Disha found plenty of support from her fans. One wrote sarcastically, “If Ram Temple in Ayodhya is to be built then we must sacrifice all other news items.” Another wrote, “Because they think money is most important that safe the earth. It’s sad.” “Our media only shows waste news.. sad reality of India,” commented another user.
Disha did not stop here. Days later she updated her Insta story to reiterate her earlier stand on the damaging impact of the fire in the Amazon rain-forest. One of her photos showed a ‘before’ and a current photo of the rain-forest.
The raging fire in the Amazon rain-forest has sadly failed to find adequate coverage in the Indian media, particularly on TV channels, whose editors and founders have been busy playing the India-Pakistan game in their prime time TV debates.
Disha also found support from several other Bollywood stars including Akshay Kumar, Dia Mirza and Arjun Kapoor among others. Akshay wrote on Twitter, “Been seeing heart-breaking & alarming pictures of the Amazon rainforest which has been on fire since more than 2 weeks!It is responsible for 20% of the world’s oxygen. This affects each one of us…the earth may survive climate change but we won’t.”
The news of the fire that lasted for several weeks had dominated conversations of the heads of seven developed countries during their G-7 summit in France this month.


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John Lewis profits hit £315m for 2009 furnishing partners with bonuses
Partners at department store John Lewis are today expected to celebrate weightier bonuses following a profits bounce.
The Waitrose supermarket group, which is co-owned by its employees, is predicted to announce pre-tax profits of £315million for the year to January 31, compared to £280million in 2008.
Bonus payments are expected to reach 14 per cent of salary - or the equivalent of about eight weeks pay - from 13 per cent the previous year, although this is still much lower than the 20 per cent enjoyed by staff after the 2007 results, which was the biggest proportion of wages in a decade.
An analyst said the group has seen a 'very good start to the year', with recent weekly like-for-like sales expected to be 10% ahead on last year
All 69,000 John Lewis employees - from weekend checkout workers to the chairman Charlie Mayfield - receive the same percentage payout.
The partnership has seen sales rally as consumer spending remained robust despite the economic gloom, while strong growth at its supermarket business is thought to be behind the profits improvement.
Nick Bubb, an analyst at Arden Partners, is forecasting the profits figure, which is before tax, the bonus paid to staff, and exceptional items.
He said the group has seen a 'very good start to the year', with recent weekly like-for-like sales expected to be 10 per cent ahead on last year.
Sales figures from the group have shown both the department stores and the supermarkets outperforming last year in recent trading.
The department store business did suffer the detrimental effect of the snow and ice - keeping shoppers away from its outlets during its peak post-Christmas clearance week - but pent up demand has seen a strong rebound since.
Waitrose has also been steadily improving its standing in the supermarket stakes.
According to recent figures by industry researcher Kantar Worldpanel the grocer saw its market share rise to 4.3 per cent in the 12 weeks to February 21 from the same period a year ago.
A rise in store numbers and the tendency for economising shoppers to seek stay-at-home treats rather than eat out has helped the retailer.
Overall the group operates 29 John Lewis stores - including one stand-alone home store in Poole in Dorset - and 225 Waitrose supermarkets.
It is planning to open a second home outlet in Croydon this autumn and a further two are reportedly in the pipeline.
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BEIJING, Nov 2 (Reuters) - China's central bank will keep monetary policy prudent and money supply reasonable to prioritise the job of encouraging economic growth, the bank's latest monetary policy report showed on Friday.
The People's Bank of China said in the report that although China's inflation trend is stable, the country needs to guard against imported price pressures stemming in part from ultra-loose U.S. monetary policy.
The central bank also said that the recovery in the world's second-biggest economy is far from solid.
Official and private sector factory surveys showed on Thursday that the economy is finally regaining some traction, although they pointed to a sluggish rebound, with the latter recording its 12th straight month of slowing growth.
(Reporting by Aileen Wang and Koh Gui Qing; Editing by Kim Coghill)


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Xiaomi India on Tuesday announced that the Mi 4i 16GB starting Wednesday will be available at Rs. 11,999, down Rs. 1,000 from the launch price.
The company had recently slashed the price of the 16GB variant of the Mi 4i in India to Rs. 10,999 for its Diwali sale. That price was valid only for the sale period, and now Xiaomi India confirmed on Tuesday the handset will now get a permanent price cut of Rs. 1,000. The company said in a tweet, "It's official! Starting 17th Midnight our favourite Mi4i 16GB will be at an all new price of Rs.11,999."
It's worth noting that there is no change in price of the Xiaomi Mi 4i 32GB and it will continue to sell at Rs. 14,999 for now.
(Also see: Moto G 3rd Gen vs. Xiaomi Mi 4i: Which One Should You Buy?)
To recall, Xiaomi Mi 4i was initially launched in India at Rs. 12,999 for the variant with 16GB internal storage (non-expandable). It features a 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) OGS Corning IPS display; 441ppi; MIUI 6 based on Android 5.0 Lollipop; a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor; Adreno 405 GPU; 2GB of RAM; a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/2.0 aperture and dual-tone flash; a 5-megapixel front-facing camera; and a 3120mAh battery.
(Also see: Xiaomi - From China's Apple to China's Samsung?)
Xiaomi India had also revealed a new Dark Grey variant of the Mi 4i smartphone for the Indian market. The smartphone was made available initially via the company's own website, Mi.com/in. This was the first instance when Xiaomi India kicked off sales of a new phone via its own website.
Earlier this month, Xiaomi India announced Mi Protect insurance service for smartphones and tablets bought through the Mi.com website. The new Mi Protect plan covered accidental and liquid damages.
The Mi Protect plan will be available at Rs. Rs 275 for the Redmi 2 and Redmi 2 Prime smartphones, and at Rs. 499 for the Mi 4 16GB, Mi 4i 16GB, and MiPad.


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Chevrolet has disclosed that the C8 Corvette Stingray Convertible will be unveiled next month.
Even before the new mid-engined Corvette was unveiled, we knew a Convertible was in the works, and at the C8’s global unveiling, Chevrolet even dropped a few images of the car. While talking about it at the National Corvette Museum’s 25th Anniversary Celebration event last weekend, Corvette Assembly Plant Manager Kai Spande provided us with a solid timeframe as to when the car will debut.
“I don’t think that detail [the exact date] has been out there,” he started in response to an audience question. “At the reveal, there was, 1-second here and 1-second there [showing the Convertible] but what we have said is that in the October timeframe there will be the reveal of the Convertible so that’s coming.”
A handful of Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible prototypes have been spied testing since the coupe’s unveiling in the middle of July. Images of the car have revealed that it will sport two buttresses directly behind the passenger cell, and while we don’t yet know exactly how the roof’s stowing mechanism will work, we do know that it will be a folding hardtop.
Powering the droptop C8 will be the same naturally aspirated, 6.2-liter V8 as the Coupe, with 490 HP in base trim and 495 HP with the Z51 Performance Package and exhaust. A recent document revealed that the Convertible will weight just 102 lbs (46 kg) more than the Coupe.


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Uber Dismisses Claim That it Planned to Exit Indian Market
NEW DELHI, (IANS) – Uber on June 23 refuted a report that claimed the ride-hailing major planned to exit the Indian market and held discussions with potential buyers to sell its India business.
Bloomberg reported that the US-based company explored selling the India business, but “suspended discussions after tech startup valuations cratered.”
In a statement, an Uber spokesperson said the company never explored exiting India — not even for a minute — and the report is “categorically false.”
“India is as important to Uber today as it was when we launched nine years ago. We are serving riders and drivers across more than 100 cities, hiring Indian talent aggressively, and planning for the next decade and beyond,” the company spokesperson said.
Uber competes with SoftBank-backed Ola in the country.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in April that it will expand its product offerings and its team in India. Uber aims to expand its engineering talent in India to more than 1,000 people from 700 at present, he had announced.


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Pakistan’s textile industry is facing a liquidity crunch. Five export-oriented sectors were removed from zero rating from July 2019. This was followed by a 17 per cent sales tax on exports on the assurance that refunds would be paid within 72 hours. However, the software developed for payment of refunds has failed to operate properly, resulting in blocking of significant sums. Exporters say promises of timely payment of refunds never materialise.
Zero rating, which means no collection of sales tax but no refunds, helps exporters fulfill their commitments without facing a liquidity crunch. As of now exporters say they cannot meet their commitments when they have no funds to pay salaries, utility bills or purchase raw materials for new orders. They say such a situation will directly damage the country’s exports.
Pakistan has faced a failure of cotton crop, which is not expected to be more than nine million bales. The target was an estimated production of 15 million bales. The next cotton crop is expected to be even smaller in size because of issues related to quality. Another issue is that of the supply of substandard pesticides to growers. There are some 700 pesticide supplying companies operating in Pakistan.


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Jones Soda is bringing back its limited-edition turkey and gravy flavor just in time for Thanksgiving.
More than a decade after it was taken off the shelves, the soda company is bringing back the savory fizzy drink that has been described as “gag-inducing,” “less than palatable,” and “one of the weirdest things we’ve ever tasted.”
Only 35,000 limited-edition bottles of the drink will be sold, and the brand promises that tweaks to the recipe will make it taste even more authentically like a turkey dinner than when it debuted in 2003.
Jones Soda is bringing back its limited-edition turkey and gravy flavor just in time for Thanksgiving
More than a decade after it left shelves, the soda company is bringing back the savory fizzy drink that has been described as “invigorating” and “less than tasty”
Jones first sold the drink in 2003, with the limited run selling out online within three hours, according to CNN. Proceeds went to Toys for Tots.
It was in 2004 as part of a themed vacation package, which also included green beans, mashed potatoes, fruitcake, and cranberry flavors for $15.95.
Despite the questionable taste of these flavors, the 15,000 five-packs sold out within an hour.
Another holiday pack was released in 2005 that included turkey and gravy, corn on the cob, broccoli casserole, smoked salmon pie, and pecan pie.
One selling point was that, unlike an actual Thanksgiving dinner, the soft drinks were diet-friendly.
“We realized that consumers are concerned about the 2,000 calories each full holiday meal contains. That’s why we made our soft drinks zero calories and zero carbohydrates,” said Peter Van Stolk, the former president and CEO of Jones Soda, in a 2004 statement.
Jones first sold the drink in 2003, with the limited edition selling out online. It was in 2004 and 2005 as part of themed holiday packages
“We’ve breathed enough out of this flavor, and we think now is the right time to bring it back,” said Jones CEO and president Mark Murray.
Although the potion was only available for a short time, it made countless lists of bizarre potions, including:
Now, in honor of Jones Soda’s 25th anniversary, they’re bringing back the turkey and gravy soda.
Each of the 35,000 bottles will be “individually numbered for collectability” and are expected to hit US stores next week. They are already available in Canada.
“We’ve breathed enough out of this flavor and we think now is the right time to bring it back,” said Mark Murray, Jones’ CEO and president, according to AdWeek.
“There’s an entire generation — a whole demographic of Gen Z and younger millennials — who’ve never tried it, but may have just heard of it.”
He did admit, however, that the soda is “more of a joke than drinkability (which, frankly, is challenging for even the most adventurous of tasters).”
“It all sounds absurd, but it’s unique and different and funny, and it makes people remember who you are,” Murray said.
Jones Soda is known for its outrageous flavors, which also include ham, fish tacos, jelly, and bacon.


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A recent analyst report suggests that the Steam Deck is expected to surpass three million in lifetime sales this year.
🎙 Listen to this article:
Valve's portable PC launched in February of last year, and is said to have already surpassed the 1 million lifetime sales milestone — despite having no retail presence beyond Valve's digital-only storefront.
Compared to other players in the gaming space, such numbers (in the low millions) may be deemed as somewhat niche when stacked up against the likes of Nintendo and PlayStation. However, as this report highlights, having such a relatively small install base is "unlikely to be an area of concern in the short term" for Valve, as the company is focused on a larger long-term strategy.
Valve's broad approach seems to be one where the Steam Deck acts as something of a "halo product" flagship device, showing other hardware manufacturers just what can be achieved with both custom hardware and the SteamOS software.
The report adds:
"Steam Deck will open the door to a new PC gaming product category in 2023, as Valve is expected to release its SteamOS operating system to the public in 2023. Boutique hardware manufacturers currently making competing handheld PCs are expected to adopt Valve’s gaming-first operating system for their own devices."
The benefit here? Whether folks are playing on a Steam Deck, or one of countless Steam Deck alternatives, or future devices running SteamOS — they will all be a part of Valve's ecosystem, buying games from the Steam Store and giving Valve their 30% cut on all sales.


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RWANDA has a reputation for enterprise. Its government has largely stamped out small-scale corruption and trimmed regulations, making the country the second-best place in Africa to do business, according to the World Bank’s widely-followed ranking. But the dominant political party, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), does more than help business: it runs its very own conglomerate.
Crystal Ventures, the RPF’s holding company, has investments in everything from furniture to finance. It owns the country’s biggest milk processor, its finest coffee shops and some of its priciest real estate. Its contractors are building Kigali’s roads. There are several firms offering security services in Rwanda but the guards from ISCO, part of Crystal Ventures, are the only ones who tote guns. The company is reckoned to have some $500m of assets.
Its expansion is aided by the fact that its chief rival is Horizon, a similar group that is accountable to the ministry of defence, with interests in construction and logistics. Critics argue that Crystal Ventures and Horizon both get cushy government deals which mask the failures of their enterprises, several of…Continue reading


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Editor’s note: This story was originally published by DNAinfo Chicago in 2015. It was updated by Block Club in 2020. Fiore’s closed in 2021.
LITTLE ITALY — For Chicago’s Italian Catholics, Fridays during Lent mean one thing: pepper and egg sandwiches.
“I really think it’s tied to Chicago,” said Kathy Catrambone, executive director of the University Village Association. “It’s like the Italian beef.”
It’s a decidedly simple, and decidedly Chicagoan, concoction. The classic version features eggs scrambled and mixed with bell peppers served on French bread.
The sandwich was created by immigrants who came to Chicago from Italy in the late 19th century and early 20th century, though exactly who paired eggs and peppers together first is unclear.
The sandwich has long been a centerpiece for Friday meals among Chicago’s Italian Catholics, who, until 1965, were required to not eat meat on Fridays. After 1965, that requirement only covered Fridays during Lent.
Initially made in batches in home kitchens, today the sandwich is served in delis and restaurants owned by Italian American families across the city.
Michael Fiore, who for decades has run Fiore’s Delicattesen on the corner of Erie Street and Oakley Boulevard in West Town, says his deli was the first to have sold the sandwiches in Chicago.
After more than 40 years, they remain a hit, he said on Tuesday.
“I get a lot of demand,” Fiore said. “We sell these sandwiches every day.”
When Fiore first started selling his sandwiches — which he said are special because of the way he spices the peppers and roasts them — the deli only sold them during Lent.
But the sandwich’s enduring popularity has led Fiore to sell them year-round, and while they’re most popular during Lent, he gets an order — or two or three — every day, he said.
Once Lent starts Wednesday, Fiore’s will start getting larger orders, the owner said. Fiore suggested fans call ahead to order the sandwich, especially if they have multi-sandwich orders.
Fiore’s isn’t the only deli to serve the sandwiches year-round.
“We have them for lunch all the time, all year long,” said Nacho Bautista, a Catholic and owner of Gio’s Cafe and Deli in Bridgeport, in 2015. Gio’s serves the sandwich in a classic form and “Sicilian” with diced potatoes inside.
Regardless of who created it, it’s become a comfort food for many Chicago Catholics.
“I’ve been eating them my whole life,” Catrambone said. “It’s the best thing about Lent. You get to eat pepper and egg sandwiches.”
Do stories like this matter to you? Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.
Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.


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Yesterday's post about Outlook for Android generated a lot of discussion about that app's shortcomings. Here are some alternatives to consider.
Recent Google Stories
Microsoft announced today that its Skype extension for Chrome has been updated to support Microsoft and third party email and calendar services, as well as Twitter.
Google revealed today that it is adding a placeholders-like feature to its Google Drive sync clients for PC and Mac. But perhaps only for businesses.
Microsoft announced today that it is adding support for Google Calendar and Contacts to Outlook 2016 for Mac.
Here is the service that Apple hoped to unveil with its latest Apple TV in late 2015: But Google today beat them to the punch in announcing YouTube TV.
Google today revealed that its virtual reality (VR) initiatives are more successful than many had realized. Augmented reality (AR)? Not so much.
As you may know, Google offers next-generation messaging clients like Allo and Duo. But the firm is also working to improve the normal SMS/MMS experience on Android too.
If you are experiencing any issues with your Google routers, the company has said that they accidently reset them to factory settings.
iPhone users know that its built-in virtual keyboard is lackluster at best. Fortunately, you have plenty of options. And one of the better choices, Google Gboard, just got a big update.
Google Maps has long supported the notion of favorite places. But with a new update to the Android and iOS apps this week, the way that Maps handles these places is getting much more sophisticated.
Google Maps is getting even better this week with an update for Android that provides real-time traffic data and other useful new features.
The original vision for Google Voice was solid, but Google has let the service languish for five years. Today, that is finally changing.
This week, Google updated its Google+ social networking service three useful new features. Yes, Google+ is still a thing.
The delayed launch of a Samsung Chromebook 2-in-1 is pretty much all you need to know about this erstwhile threat to Windows.
Google has issued a major update to its Google Maps mobile app, improving the ride-sharing experience and adding deep integration with Uber.


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Jane Huxley, the Australian managing director of music streaming service Pandora, told the audience at yesterday’s Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA) Sydney data day that although audiences see the offering as a personalised radio service, the value of the company is in data.
"I run a data company. Pandora is in the business of data,” she said.
Launched in 2000 by Tim Westergren, locally Pandora now has 1.5m registered users.
Westergren was a film composer who wanted to be able to group music for directors based on certain characteristics. With the help of data scientists and engineers the "music genome" project was built.
Before a piece of music is added to the system, a human "music analyst" listens to it and characterises the song by 450 unique attributes. This information then helps listeners to customise their radio listening experience by grouping songs with similar attributes.
The platform is currently in the process of monetising and Huxley describes the ad unit available on the service as "ear balls" saying that when listeners hear ads the "ear ball is followed by the eye balls" as listeners look down to their devices to see a corresponding advertisement.
While local advertising on the platform is still in its infancy, Huxley said: "The first three campaigns launched in December rebooked and doubled their spend."
Available across the web, Apple and Android devices as well as in a number of car models and even a Samsung fridge, data collected by the company shows that 70% of Pandora users are currently engaging with the service on smartphones, an environment which can be difficult for advertisers to tap into.
“Cookies don't exist in this space," Huxley pointed out.
When asked who Huxley sees as the platform’s main competitors, she said: "We are a disrupter to traditional radio."
Like Spotify, Pandora has been criticised by musicians as ripping off artists but the platform pays royalties to APRA/AMCOS in Australia and in the coming months is looking to utilise the data it is collecting to help artists further.
Musicians will be able to claim their profiles and access artist analytics which are similar to Google analytics.
The information will show performers information such as who is listening to their music and where, allowing them to directly access audiences to promote gigs and sell merchandise.


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Toyota, the world’s largest automaker closed three affiliate factories, said Shiori Hashimoto, a spokeswoman in Tokyo. The Toyota City-based carmaker began production at a new plant in Miyagi this year that makes Yaris compact cars and has capacity to make 120,000 vehicles a year.
Toyota Motor Corp. said its own auto plants were operating but production had been halted at some subsidiary factories producing components, and the employees had been evacuated to safer areas.
Honda Motor Co. closed two factories, said Hajime Kaneko, a spokesman for the Tokyo-based carmaker. A 42-year-old male employee was crushed to death by a collapsing wall at a research and development center in Tochigi prefecture and about 30 other employees were injured, Kaneko said.
Nissan Motor Co. closed four factories including car plants in Tochigi and Kanagawa and engine factories in Kanagawa and Fukushima, Mitsuru Yonekawa, a spokesman for the Yokohama-based company, said by phone. Two workers suffered minor injuries, he said.
Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the maker of Subaru cars, closed five factories, said Kenta Matsumoto, a spokesman for the Tokyo-based company.Toyota Boshoku Corp. (3116), a Toyota Motor supplier, reported damage at a plant in Miyagi.
Roads were also cracked near its factory, said Misako Nagata, a spokeswoman for the parts maker. Denso Corp. (6902), Japan’s biggest auto-parts maker, said a plant under construction south of Miyagi was damaged. All of its workers were safe, said Goro Kanemasu, a spokesman for the company.
The following is a summary of what companies have said regarding damage from the earthquake:
Toyota Motor Corp. Three group factories halted
Nissan Motor Co. Halted production at four plants; two injuries
Honda Motor Co. Halted two plants; one employee killed; about 30 injured
Toyota Boshoku Corp. Damage at plant in Miyagi
Denso Corp. Damage to plant under construction in Fukushima
Fuji Heavy Industries Five plants halted


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|Last 7 Days News :
Friday, December 20, 2013
BlackBerry Reports $4.4B Loss For 3Q, Partners With Foxconn
BlackBerry on Friday reported a massive $4.4 billion loss in the third quarter and 56 percent drop in revenue. The company also announced a parnership with Foxconn to jointly manufacture new BlackBerry devices.
Revenue for the third quarter of fiscal 2014 was approximately $1.2 billion, down $380 million or 24% from approximately $1.6 billion in the previous quarter and down 56% from $2.7 billion in the same quarter of fiscal 2013. The revenue breakdown for the quarter was approximately 40% for hardware, 53% for services and 7% for software and other revenue.
During the third quarter, the Blackberry recognized hardware revenue on approximately
1.9 million BlackBerry smartphones compared to approximately 3.7 million BlackBerry smartphones in the previous quarter. Most of the units recognized were BlackBerry 7 devices.
During the quarter, approximately 4.3 million BlackBerry smartphones were sold through to end customers, which included shipments made and recognized prior to the third quarter and which reduced the company's inventory in channel.
Of the BlackBerry smartphones sold through to end customers in the third quarter, approximately 3.2 million were BlackBerry 7 devices.
The results are the Blackberry's first under new chairman and interim chief executive John Chen.
"With the operational and organizational changes we have announced, BlackBerry has established a clear roadmap that will allow it to target a return to improved financial performance in the coming year," said John Chen. "While our Enterprise Services, Messaging and QNX embedded businesses are already well-positioned to compete in their markets, the most immediate challenge for the Company is how to transition the Devices operations to a more profitable business model."
Chen added: "We have accomplished a lot in the past 45 days, but still have significant work ahead of us as we target improved financial performance next year. However, the company is financially strong, has a broad and trusted product portfolio to work with, a talented employee base and a new leadership team dedicated to implementing our new roadmap."
BlackBerry also announced a joint device development and manufacturing agreement with Foxconn. The initial focus of the partnership will be the development of a consumer smartphone for Indonesia and other fast-growing markets in early 2014, Blackberry said.
"This partnership demonstrates BlackBerry's commitment to the device market for the long-term and our determination to remain the innovation leader in secure end-to-end mobile solutions," said Chen. "Partnering with Foxconn allows BlackBerry to focus on wh
at we do best - iconic design, world-class security, software development and enterprise mobility management - while simultaneously addressing fast-growing markets leveraging Foxconn's scale and efficiency that will allow us to compete more effectively."
BlackBerry will own all of its intellectual property and perform product assurance on devices through the Foxconn partnership, as it does currently with all third-
During a financial conference call, BlackBerry's CEO said he would be "very interested" in trying to replicate some of the company's security and enterprise productivity on rival platforms.
"We'd love to do it," he said when asked about the possibility of expanding the BlackBerry platform to smartphones running Apple's iOS and Google's Android.
"The one great thing about BlackBerry is that we are well known in security and productivity," Chen said.
"I would love to find a way to make our BlackBerry experience [available] on Android and iOS. It's not without difficulties, as you all know, but it's something that we are very interested in trying."


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Gordinier Group staff closed out the auto show season at downtown Manhattan’s Jacob Javits Center at the New York International Auto Show. Camp Jeep has become a staple at the show since its debut in 2004. There is something amazing about an off-road course in the middle of the city that keeps the crowds coming back. The popular interactive ride pulls in the masses each year to experience the sky scrapping Jeep Mountain with its 40-degree incline and decline as well as other various obstacles demonstrating stability, suspension, ground clearance and articulation of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Gladiator and Grand Cherokee.
That’s a wrap….we’ll be back to auto shows in the fall!
Stellantis and the Canadian International Auto Show collaborated to add Camp Jeep to the floorplan this year for the first time! This addition proved to be a good choice as attendance broke records at over 350,000 visitors at the Metro Toronto Convention Center and the interactive ride was a huge attraction. Gordinier Group Drivers and Product Specialists were there to surprise the masses for the debut of Camp Jeep. Attendees were amazed by the obstacles and how the Jeeps can maneuver through the 4×4 challenge. As Camp Jeep has proven over the years, there is no better way to show consumers firsthand how capable these vehicles are. GG drivers love bringing that talent to a new market with a variety of Jeeps on course including the Wrangler Rubicon 4xe and 392, the Gladiator, the Grand Cherokee and Compass Trailhawks, as well as the Grand Cherokee L with the 3 row seat. The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer also made the trip to showcase the Full-Size SUV aspects in the Jeep lineup.
The Gordinier Group descended on the 2023 Chicago Auto Show to celebrate two milestones: the 20th anniversary of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and the 3 millionth Camp Jeep ride.
In preparation for the reveal of the 20th Anniversary Jeep Wrangler Rubicon to the automotive media, our team choreographed the installation of a dynamic setting only a Jeep could conquer. The reveal stage buildout required the following:
- 120 tons of boulders
- 200 yards of topsoil
- 120 yards of mulch
- 30 evergreen trees
Once complete, our drivers were tasked with precisely navigating the rough terrain on cue while Jim Morrison, Head of Jeep Brand North America, spoke about the incredible capabilities of three different 20th Anniversary Jeep Wrangler Rubicon models. The drivers nailed their spots and the resulting images and stories flooded social media channels.
After the press conference, the Camp Jeep activation kicked off with rides for the media. Once the show opened to the public, the 28,000 square foot off-road adventure went into full swing. Our professional drivers gave participants an opportunity to experience several challenging off-road obstacles that included the 28-foot high Jeep Mountain with 40-degree approach and departure angles, an extreme break-over obstacle, and a 30-degree articulation wedge.
You could be the 3 millionth person to ride on Jeep’s indoor track at this year’s auto show – YouTube
Adding to the excitement this year was the anticipation of the 3 millionth ride at Camp Jeep and on Saturday, January 11th, 2023, our Gordinier Group drivers conquered that milestone! We can’t thank our partners at Stellantis and George P. Johnson enough. It is an incredible team, and we are so proud to be part of the Camp Jeep legacy.
RAM Truck Territory also drew in massive crowds at the nation’s largest auto show in Chicago. Back again for 2023, RAM trucks were on course to showcase the latest and greatest in the lineup. Gordinier Group drivers work vigorously on que to keep the lines moving and get the product in front of the passionate truck enthusiasts. On the RAM track, our staff has the ability to highlight a variety of the truck’s strong proficiencies such as towing, torque, traction, technology and stability. With different engine options and trim levels on the track, consumers can see first-hand the choices these trucks have to offer.


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The Amarillo, Texas, jury decided that Oprah Winfrey did not libel the beef industry. One tipoff was when the jurors were watching Oprah's TV show during deliberations.
- Texas cattle raisers sued when Oprah said on her show that she would never eat another burger. The jury was right. After all, nobody sued George Bush back when he said broccoli was worse than Hitler.- We still don't know just exactly how safe our meat is. I want to know how many government inspectors got their jobs through Vernon Jordan.
- The Oprah case has brought about strict talk show guidelines to avoid charges of food libel. Never say the following: "There's a rotten apple in every barrel," "That's just sour grapes," "Something smells fishy," "Suffering succotash," and "I'll never eat another organic veggie burger."


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Auto Pros on the Road is a video series that presents the Babcox Media team on location. Sponsored by Autolite.
In Episode 3 of Auto Pros On The Road, the team visits Dawn Byrne, owner of
Four new MBS splicers are helping meet the surge in demand for sanitizing and protective products.
Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website
When it comes to dip molding products with emulsions of liquid rubber, it is necessary to complete a series of process steps to assure proper formation, vulcanization and finish treatment to mee
© 2017 Power Automedia. All rights reserved.
Off Road Xtreme’s audience includes all types of enthusiasts with varying levels of knowledge and experience. We cannot all be experts re
The company says it will increase the use of recycled content in its products.
Aluminum rolling and recycling company Novelis Inc., Atlanta, says it will further its sustainability c
Literally a cover-up scam, rattle can repair scams using cheap canned spray paint to make repairs look new and/or coverup problems with a car, are one of the easiest (and laziest) attempts to sc
Dale Adrian now serves as sales manager of CM’s Industrial Shredder Division.
Sarasota, Florida-based CM Shredders has announced the appointment of Dale Adrian as sales manager for CM’
It's still fall. Did you know that? The first day of winter is set for December 21 but more snow is in the forecast this week for the Yakima Valley and for the Washington Cascades. In fact


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|In the first nine months of 2019, the country's total seafood exports were estimated at nearly $6.3 billion, down slightly by 0.8 per cent against last year. — Photo tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn
HÀ NỘI — Lack of production materials and flagging export value have caused seafood companies to suffer losses in the third quarter of this year.
The Đồng Tháp Province-based Vĩnh Hoàn Company (VHC), the largest tra fish exporter in Việt Nam, saw post-tax profit drop by 58.3 per cent year-on-year in Q3, reaching VNĐ254 billion (US$10.9 million).
VHC’s net revenue also dropped by 25 per cent against last year, totalling VNĐ1.88 trillion.
The company attributed the sharp fall in profit in the third quarter to the significant decrease in export volume. VHC’s revenue from exports declined from $40 million in June to $22 million in September.
In the first nine months, net revenue at VHC decreased by 13 per cent to VNĐ5.69 trillion, while post-tax profit fell by over 5 per cent to VNĐ981 billion.
Minh Phú Seafood Joint Stock Company (MPC), one of the world’s biggest shrimp firms involved in farming, processing to sales, also experienced a plunge of 31 per cent in gross profit in Q3 to VNĐ249 billion.
MPC’s net revenue totalled VNĐ3.2 trillion, a decrease of 15 per cent year-on-year. Revenue from its financial segment also plummeted 71 per cent to VNĐ24 billion.
The company also saw lower export value in July, August and September, down by 3 per cent, 20 per cent and 34 per cent, respectively.
The company’s revenue from exports to the US plunged 59 per cent in September and 14.3 per cent in the first nine months of this year.
In the first nine months, MPC’s total revenue from exports reached $198 million, down 20.5 per cent over the same period last year and only reaching 57 per cent of the target set for 2019.
Minh Phú said that since July, due to prolonged heavy rains, the amount of shrimp fingerlings in Việt Nam had declined significantly, so the company had been unable to meet customer demand.
In August, MPC's inventories fell by more than 60 per cent and there were fewer products to export, forcing the firm to stop taking orders for the remainder of the year.
As a result, Minh Phú's third-quarter post-tax profit was only VNĐ103 billion, down 54 per cent compared to the same period last year. In the first nine months, the company's revenue increased by 1.7 per cent to VNĐ8.39 trillion but post-tax profit dropped by 10 per cent to VNĐ484 billion.
Currently, the company is trying to complete its Lộc An hi-tech farming area in order to be able to meet demand in the years to come.
Cửu Long Fish Joint Stock Company (ACL) witnessed revenue and post-tax profit down by 44 per cent and 80 per cent in Q3, reaching VNĐ261 billion and VNĐ19 billion, respectively.
In the first three quarters, ACL achieved VNĐ1 trillion in revenue and VNĐ132 billion in post-tax profit, both down by 10 per cent year-on-year.
The last quarter of 2018 was a great period for the pangasius catfish industry as prices climbed sharply. ACL earned a record profit of VNĐ230 billion during that time. However, pangasius prices then gradually fell in the second quarter of 2019, affecting the business of ACL and many other companies.
Mekong Fisheries Joint Stock Company saw revenue rise by 8 per cent in Q3, reaching VNĐ55 billion, but gross profit was down by 31 per cent, touching VNĐ3.3 billion.
In Q3, revenue at Hùng Vương Joint Stock Corporation (HVG) plunged by 64 per cent to VNĐ527 billion, and the company suffered a loss of VNĐ129 billion.
HVG attributed the drop in revenue to its divestment from Việt Thắng Feed JSC that cut its revenue from the sale of animal feed.
One of the few seafood processors to report higher profit in Q3 is Nam Việt Corporation (ANV).
In Q3, ANV recorded a net revenue of VNĐ1.12 trillion, up 7 per cent compared to 2018. Post-tax profit reached more than VNĐ152 billion, up 34 per cent year-on-year, marking eight consecutive quarters of growth.
ANV has three factories with a capacity of 600 tonnes per day and is working on its Bình Phú project with over 200 ponds of mature fish and 40 ponds of fingerlings.
ANV's export markets are quite diverse, including the US, Mexico, Brazil, the EU, China and Southeast Asia.
Nguyễn Duy Nhựt, deputy chairman of the board of directors cum deputy general director, said the company had increased its market share of pangasius exports in China from 17 per cent to over 26 per cent, and was striving to reach 35 per cent.
According to the Việt Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in the first nine months of 2019, the country's total seafood exports were estimated at nearly $6.3 billion, down slightly by 0.8 per cent against last year, of which exports of shrimp and pangasius had dropped by 7 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively. — VNS


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For the second consecutive year, Southampton 7-Eleven owner Lorie DeFelice has been named the Coffee Queen because her store sold the most coffee of any 7-Eleven franchise in the U.S.
The store sells 1,250 cups of coffee each day and is on pace to serve 450,000 cups of coffee in 2015. DeFelice says it is an 15,000-cup increase over last year. On Wednesday, 7-Eleven reps came to Southampton to crown DeFelice.
“The Long Island area brings in the most coffee sales in the entire country. Winning the title of Coffee Queen two years in a row is now easy and takes hard work and dedication,” said Laura Gordon, the vice president of marketing and brand innovation for 7-Eleven. “Lorie’s level of customer service and dedication to her community is what makes her so successful. It’s more than having fresh coffee and a clean store; it’s about connecting with your customers and employees.”
This year’s celebration included complimentary muffins and crullers for customers, just like at 2014 coffee queen coronation. New this year were free Coffee Queen T-shirts, a number of vendors giving out free samples and a visit by WALK 97.5 FM.
“We wanted it to be about customer appreciation,” DeFelice said of this year’s festivities. “Even though I stand there and get the award, I couldn’t get it if I didn’t have all the great customers that frequent the store and I didn’t have great people that work for me. t’s really about appreciating all of them.”
“Southampton is an awesome community,” she said. “It’a great place to have a business. It’s a great place to have a family.”


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Our East End Report, a wrap-up of the week's news from Greenport to Riverhead to Montauk, recaps each Patch site's most compelling story. Below, we bring your our weekly business wrap-up, so you're in the know on which businesses are coming and going in the area.
Let us know if you have any news tips you'd like to see reported by emailing your local Patch editor. And for the small business owners out there, one way to market your business is by
Online grocer, Fresh Direct, is touting fresh vegetables from area farmers. North Fork visitors who live in New York City have the opportunity to have fresh East End produce delivered right to their homes. Fresh Direct, has spent the last two years growing its inventory of North Fork grown produce to satisfy the demands of its clientele. Fresh Direct, which has no physical stores, delivers groceries to New York City and the surrounding areas.
Emma Frelingheysen, director of front of store merchandising for Fresh Direct, said to stay within the company's policy of selling high quality, perishable foods they wanted to develop partnerships with a number of North Fork farms to sell in season products. Currently, Fresh Direct is working with Satur Farms in Cutchogue, Wickam's Fruit Farm in Cutchogue, Latham Farm in Orient, Lyle Wells of Wells Farms in Aquebogue and Fox Hollow Farms in Baiting Hollow.
Dan Gerstl of "Drink This" interviews brewer and sales manager Spencer Niebuhr of at the second annual Great International Beer Expo on Feb. 4 at the Meadowlands Expo Center. Niebuhr talks about the Publick House's popular Double White, a Belgian witbier.
The will open for the season at 9 a.m. on May 5, according to the , which runs the market.
Victoria Hedberg Kingwell, market manager said Tuesday afternoon that the opening will be marked with a vine cutting ceremony in which village and chamber officials will attend.
The opening will also feature music by Grant Werner of the group, The Boomers.
Health food consumers, rejoice; Whole Foods is coming to town.
While the commitment so far is only seasonal, the natural and organic grocery store chain confirmed this week that it is opening a "Whole Foods Market Farm Stand," a pop-up venue, according to spokesman Michael Sinatra.
The location, the former Plitt Ford dealership at 368 Montauk Highway, has long been a place that Whole Foods has been suggested for. Gregg Saunders, a retail and shopping center developer who lives in Sagaponack, owns several shopping centers where Whole Foods have been located and has expressed his desire see such a store, like Traders Joes, open there.
If Norm Peterson, a fixture who stopped in regularly to raise a pint on the popular television series “Cheers,” were a real person, odds are he’d feel right at home bellying up to the bar atin Jamesport.
Cliff’s Elbow Room, a mainstay in the community since 1958, is, as the old “Cheers” theme song goes, a restaurant where everybody knows your name.


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It's said that a deal regarding the controversial Chinese firm is set to be singed this month following 260 requests.
Commerce secretary Wilbuer Ross told Bloomberg: "That's a lot of applications - it's frankly more than we would've thought."
He noted most will likely be approved.
The report comes after Huawei's Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro launched in September without Google software.
The Chinese company's smartphones do not feature Google's Play Store, which is usually pre-installed on Android handsets but they include the company's own Huawei App Gallery.
Huawei has pre-loaded new alternative apps of its own and a spokesperson told the BBC that Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp will all be available via the App Gallery.
Consumer devices chief Richard Yu said: "Today you know because of the US ban... this phone cannot pre-install the GMS [Google Mobile Services] core. It forced us to use the HMS [Huawei Mobile Services] core."
He revealed that the firm had set aside $1bn (£801m) to encourage developers to make their apps compatible with Huawei.
Huawei was blacklisted by US President Donald Trump's administration in May over claims it posed a threat to US security.


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If you’ve been keeping up with the latest updates, you would know that the goods and services tax (GST) on mobile phones was hiked from 12% to 18% in India in March. It comes as a huge blow for phone makers and Xiaomi seems to be the first one to have announced a price hike for its entire portfolio.
No, this is not an April Fool’s joke as many Mi fans suspect. This is 100% real. Xiaomi India MD Manu Kumar Jain took to Twitter last night to break this news. The caption of his tweet, as you can see below, read – “After much deliberation & in keeping with #Xiaomi policy of maintaining <5% margin on our hardware products, we will be increasing prices of our products.”
The GST rate hike comes in effect today, i.e 1st April 2020, and Xiaomi has now taken the necessary measures to counter the effect on its business. The reasons for the price hike are cited in the open letter attached below. Jain mentions that the GST rate hike, combined with depreciation in Rupee vs US Dollar rates has led to this decision.
Mi fans, #GST on mobile phones has increased by 50% from 12% to 18%.
After much deliberation & in keeping with #Xiaomi policy of maintaining <5% margin on our hardware products,we will be increasing prices of our products.
New prices will be effective immediately. Thank you! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/mdTqKdXm3r
— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) March 31, 2020
Also, if you are not aware, Xiaomi is determined to stick to less than 5% profit margin on all of its products. This move was announced back in 2018, making it possible for the Chinese giant to offer its devices at so-called “honest prices.” So yeah, there wasn’t much choice left for Xiaomi except for bumping up the retail prices of its smartphones.
What does this mean for you? Well, all of your favorite Xiaomi, Redmi, as well as Poco phones, are going to be more expensive going forward. The company is yet to update its official website but the newer prices for some phones have already gone into effect on e-commerce platforms. You cannot place an order due to the ongoing lockdown in India but yeah, the updated prices are live on Flipkart.
The newly launched Redmi Note 9 Pro that was launched starting at Rs. 12,999 back in March now starts at Rs. 14,999 for the 4GB+64GB base variant. The Redmi K20 series receives a huge price hike as well. Redmi K20 and K20 Pro now start at Rs. 21,999 and Rs. 26,999 respectively as opposed to Rs. 19,999 and Rs. 24,999 that the base variants were selling for.
In addition, Xiaomi’s sub-brand Poco has also confirmed the price hike in a letter on Twitter. Poco X2 today received a price hike whereas there’s no word on the Poco F1. Poco X2 debuted starting at Rs. 15,999 but its 6GB+64GB base variant is now selling for Rs. 16,999 over on Flipkart. The 6GB+128 and 8GB+256GB variants will now cost Rs. 17,999 and Rs. 20,999 respectively.
The increased tax rate on smartphones can be seen as a regressive move and one that stands opposed to the digital revolution that India may have been looking forward to. Apart from Xiaomi, it’s currently rumored that Oppo has hiked phone prices by 5% to balance the effects of the new GST rate.
Editor’s Note: Updated to include Poco’s price hike confirmation. Tweet attached and new pricing info included.


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Ecobank Group the pan-African banking group, is inviting African fintech entrepreneurs to enter the 3rd edition of the Ecobank Fintech Challenge. The Fintech Challenge gives African start-ups the opportunity to promote their fintech solutions, and potentially partner with Ecobank to roll-out their solutions across Ecobank’s 33 markets in Africa as well as France.
The Ecobank Fintech Challenge is an annual competitive programme for Fintechs to explore market integration opportunities with the Ecobank Group. Launched in 2017, it has run two editions and is now on its third edition.
Ecobank welcomes submissions from all start-ups and developers in any of Africa’s 54 countries to enter its 2020 Ecobank Fintech Challenge.
Participants will qualify to explore the following opportunities including:
- Multinational product roll-out: an opportunity to pursue integration with Ecobank and potentially launch products in Ecobank’s Pan African footprint
- Service provider partnerships. Ecobank may select start-ups as a pan-African service partner within the bank’s ecosystem.
- Access to Ecobank’s Pan-African Banking Sandbox: Fellows will be given access to Ecobank’s APIs to test and improve their products for the pan-African market.
- Mentoring and networking support in the network of global and African partners of the Group.
As a banking group we continue to be amazed at the many ways in which fintechs are transforming banking across Africa. We look forward to the new innovations and partnership opportunities that will come with the 2020 edition.Ecobank Group Executive, Operations & Technology – Eddy Ogbogu
This year, shortlisted Fintech’s will also be able to access the bank’s API which wasn’t the case before:
We took feedback from the past editions and one of the major innovation this year is the opportunity for shortlisted Fintech’s to access our APIs through our Pan African Sandbox.
Applications for the competition will close on 12th of April, 2020. Apply for the 2020 Ecobank Fintech Challenge.


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When I was watching my first TV, which featured a dedicated button for each channel and plenty of faux wood paneling, I couldn't have dreamed where we'd be today. Even my first progressive-scan set didn't quite prepare me for the future. Some of the panels on display at CES are nothing short of mindblowing. LG's 88" 8K TV is impressive, as is Samsung's 85" 8K set. But I think it's Samsung's 146" modular display, titled The Wall, that has me most excited. The company calls it the world's first consumer modular TV.
At last year's Cinemacon, Samsung built a gigantic, 34-foot, 4K HDR display. Now the company is working on downsizing that technology for home use, and that's where The Wall comes in. That 146" diagonal works out to about the height of a standard floor-to-ceiling wall. Samsung says the MicroLEDs in The Wall don't need color filters and are capable of hitting brightness levels up to 2000 nits.
The MicroLED technology is different from OLED, though similar in concept. MicroLEDs are capable of completely-black contrast because they're not lit from elsewhere on the panel like we see with LCD panels—each pixel is its own LED, which can be lit up or turned off as necessary. Each sub-pixel is about 15 microns wide. In other words, if you want to see the pixels, you'll have to get very close up. The technology isn't new—it's been in the works in some form or another since the early 2000s but it's just starting to mature.
The Wall is bezel-less and modular, too. Samsung says that "users can add or remove modules to make their TV bigger or smaller, in any configuration, removing previous limitations on screen size, with zero impact on the performance of the display."
There's no pricing on this just yet, and availability to those of us with realistic wallets is probably a few years off, but tech like this is a great reminder that our screens, as much as they've improved, still have a long way to go.


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There’s a story in every glass of water: the science, engineering, quality, and the people who produce the product. In Louisville, the water that’s delivered by Louisville Water Company even has a name, Louisville Pure Tap™. In 1997, Louisville Water became the first (and to date, the only) drinking water utility to trademark tap water. We gave our water a name to reinforce the quality and value of the drinking water and to highlight something most people take for granted. Water doesn’t “magically” appear from the faucet, right?
Beginning this week, you’ll see an updated look for the Louisville Pure Tap™ logo, and it’s the result of what we heard from customers and our employees. Over the past six months, Louisville Water polled hundreds of local residents and here’s what we learned:
- Customers love the quality of our drinking water, giving it an 8.8 ranking out of 10.
- 73 percent of customers consider the water a good value.
- Awareness of the name, Louisville Pure Tap™, is growing: 74 percent recognize the name, compared to 55 percent in 2011.
- 62 percent of customers say pure tap means “quality water.”
Within Louisville Water, the name Pure Tap is a source of pride with nearly every employee recommending Pure Tap to family and friends.
Those are good results for any brand. But our research highlighted an opportunity to improve. Despite the favorability, 43 percent of customers purchase bottled water monthly and for those moving here from another city, seeing the Pure Tap logo made them think it’s another bottled water and not the product from Louisville Water. That’s not the impression we want! Using the research as a guide, we’ve given Louisville Pure Tap™ a “refreshed” look, adding the company logo. Now, two great brands come together! The updated logo reinforces the quality that matters for us, and it makes it clear that Louisville Pure Tap™ is the drinking water that comes straight from your faucet, brought to you by Louisville Water.
Over the next few months, you’ll see this updated mark on the reusable bottle, cups, t-shirts, and bottle-refill stations. Why talk about tap water? Quality water equals quality of life, and it’s important for customers and stakeholders to know our story to appreciate the value we provide. Nearly one million people depend on Louisville Water to do their daily activities, open a business, manage public health and safety, and create a little fun. Our customers’ trust is key in gaining support for what it takes to produce and deliver Pure Tap.


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Internet Shutdown Tracker - India (2013-2016)
The number of internet blackouts in India is on a rise over the last few years. Most of these orders for internet shut down are given under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which authorizes state governments to take action to curb unlawful assemblies or to prevent apprehended danger.
United Nations passes a resolution condemning Internet Shutdowns
The United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution on 1st July, 2016, condemning network disruptions and measures resorted by states to curb online access and/or dissemination of information. Moreover, this resolution affirmed that rights in the online sphere, especially the right to freedom of expression requires the same standard of protection as in the offline world.


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May 31, 2008
LISTENING IN on a McCain press conference call. “What was striking about the call was how eager the conventional reporters were to lend the Obama campaign a hand.” Somebody should put the audio of these calls online.
This blog is an Amazon affiliate. Help support Instapundit by making purchases through Amazon links on this site.


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Dallas Fed president calls policies relief, rather than stimulus
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From emergency cuts to interest rates to providing capital for businesses, the Federal Reserve has taken numerous steps to curtail the economic fallout from COVID-19.
But even with various relief efforts from Congress and the central bank, many small businesses and consumers could take a while to recover, according to Robert Kaplan, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Kaplan spoke with “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal about how the Fed is navigating the pandemic, and what the economy will look like when it’s over.
“By the end of the year, we’ll have a higher unemployment rate than we did going into it. And we’ll have to spend 2021 working that down,” Kaplan said. “That’ll be a different situation, very different than the one we’ve been experiencing the last two or three years.”
Click the audio player above to hear the interview.
COVID-19 Economy FAQs
How are Americans feeling about their finances?
Nearly half of all Americans would have trouble paying for an unexpected $250 bill and a third of Americans have less income than before the pandemic, according to the latest results of our Marketplace-Edison Poll. Also, 6 in 10 Americans think that race has at least some impact on an individual’s long-term financial situation, but Black respondents are much more likely to think that race has a big impact on a person’s long-term financial situation than white or Hispanic/Latinx respondents.
Find the rest of the poll results here, which cover how Americans have been faring financially about six months into the pandemic, race and equity within the workplace and some of the key issues Trump and Biden supporters are concerned about.
Are people still waiting for unemployment payments?
Yes. There is no way to know exactly how many people have been waiting for months and are still not getting unemployment, because states do not have a good system in place for tracking that kind of data, according to Andrew Stettner of The Century Foundation. But by his own calculations, only about 60% of people who have applied for benefits are currently receiving them. That means there are millions still waiting. Read more here on what they are doing about it.
What’s going to happen to retailers, especially with the holiday shopping season approaching?
A report out Tuesday from the accounting consultancy BDO USA said 29 big retailers filed for bankruptcy protection through August. And if bankruptcies continue at that pace, the number could rival the bankruptcies of 2010, after the Great Recession. For retailers, the last three months of this year will be even more critical than usual for their survival as they look for some hope around the holidays.
As a nonprofit news organization, our future depends on listeners like you who believe in the power of public service journalism.
Your investment in Marketplace helps us remain paywall-free and ensures everyone has access to trustworthy, unbiased news and information, regardless of their ability to pay.
Donate today — in any amount — to become a Marketplace Investor. Now more than ever, your commitment makes a difference.


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The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Dr Naledi Pandor, in her capacity as the Chairperson of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU), presided over the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council of the AU.
The South African delegation will be led by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Ebrahim Patel, joined by the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Candith Mashego-Dlamini.
The meeting of the Executive Council is held in preparation for the upcoming 13th and 14th Extraordinary Summits on the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), and on Silencing the Guns in Africa, which will be held on 05 an 06 December 2020, respectively.
The Executive Council will consider the draft decision and draft declaration to be adopted by the Extraordinary Summit which will operationalise the start of trade under the AfCFTA on 01 January 2021. This includes the finalised schedules of tariff concessions by Member States and Customs Unions that have ratified the AfCFTA, the agreed rules of origin and the customs documentation necessary for the start of preferential trade.
Outstanding work on tariff offers, rules of origin and the services offers will form part of the agenda to be concluded by June 2021.
Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development
Guided by the theme of the AU for the year, “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development”, the Executive Council will also make an assessment of the peace and security situation on the continent. In this regard, the Executive Council will consider the proposed review of the implementation of the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa.
The Executive Council will recommend measures to be adopted by the Extraordinary Summits to resolve old and recent conflicts, and prevent new ones, in order to create conducive conditions to advance Africa’s socio-economic development.
First published on 02 December on http://www.dirco.gov.za/docs/2020/au1202.htm


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He said the move would be in retaliation for China's decision to raise tariffs on $50 billion in USA goods.
"Just about every major information and communication technology product was exempted", one USA industry told Reuters. China denies such theft and accuses Washington of "deviating from the consensus reached by both parties". A June monthly survey of 272 US business leaders by Chief Executive magazine found growing fear about global conflict on trade matters.
China's stock market dropped 2.7 percent, while Japan's Nikkei ended down by 1.7 percent.
The dollar index.DXY rose 0.31 percent, with the euro EUR= down 0.46 percent to $1.1569, though the euro trimmed some losses as France's and Germany's leaders agreed on a euro zone budget.
The White House says the USA can withstand trade tensions See how American businesses are girding for new tariffs Trade war's coming for your hip pocket America The IMF says the global outlook is worse as tensions rise Here's what a full-blown global trade war might look like What economists say about Trump's new trade threats Trumps Tariffs spread pain to non-Chinese companies. On July 6th, both the US and China will impose 25% tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese and USA imports, respectively.
The president said the penalties will go into effect "if China refuses to change its practices" and proceeds with its plans for retaliatory tariffs.
Trump said that he had ordered US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to identify a second tranche of goods imported from China for tariffs of 10 per cent.
Beyond tariffs: How else can China hit U.S. products?More news: Costa Rica 0-1 Serbia: Kolarov decides Group E opener
National Trade Council adviser Peter Navarro waits on President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House, March 31, 2017, in Washington.
"There is going to be a sales lull that will keep these barrels trapped and the widening of the spread that we see will persist and get worse before it gets better", said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC in NY.
For months now, the United States and China have been exchanging ever-escalating threats, raising fear about a potentially destabilizing trade war.
Trump said after the legal process is complete, these tariffs worth United States dollars 200 billion will go into effect if China refuses to change its practices.
Trump has argued that it would be easy for America to win a trade war with the Chinese, since nations with trade deficits have an inherent advantage in such conflicts.
He doubts the latest dispute would damage the relationship between the two countries.
He also added the actions are (quote) "necessary to defend" the U.S.
A seagoing barge is loaded with crude oil from the Eagle Ford Shale formation at the newly expanded crude dock at the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S., April 10, 2014. China so far has said it would target only smaller versions of the jet and the country's options are limited since competing planes from Europe's Airbus are largely sold out for the next several years.
⦁ Dan Boylan contributed to this article, which is based in part on wire service reports.


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Online flights specialist Alternative Airlines is trying to combat online fraud through additional verification technology on its website.
The ‘3D secure’ payment card authentication enables Alternative to accept more Visa and Mastercard payments through the site as the technology receives transactions via a complicated authentication process.
Prior to adoption of the ‘3D secure’ system the company was rejecting about 40% of booking attempts on the site because it could not fully verify them.
Managing director John Pope said: “There may have been nothing wrong with a lot of what we were rejecting but the cost of getting it wrong can be huge, thousands. This is the equivalent of chip and pin for online sales.”
Pope added that prior to the implementing the technology the company had been working on a point scoring system on the probability of whether a card was stolen or not.
“Now we’ll only process Visa and Mastercard payments where the card issuer is a member of the scheme so we’re pretty much 100% covered.”
The latest figures published by Deloitte show a five-fold increase in fraud related loss for airlines since 2000.
The study estimates credit card crime costs airlines on average around £500,000 annually, with weak IT security predominantly to blame.
It also shows low-cost airlines are the hardest hit.


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New slots studio AvatarUX Studios has taken its first steps into the casino supplier market after a successful launch event in Malta during SiGMA 2019.
One of the original partner studios of Yggdrasil’s YGS Masters programme, the provider has plans to produce titles with Asian-influenced art and game mechanics, developed from its Hong Kong office. Lilith’s Inferno, the debut title released by the firm, is said to have been well received from both players and operators connected to Yggdrasil’s platform.
Set in the underworld, the protagonist Lilith duels with the denizens of the deep as rare relics are introduced which can lead to big wins. Players can win a total of up to 3968x their stake as they defeat bosses with Lilith’s crystal sword in the hero bonus feature.
The provider states that it “puts a keen focus on game mechanics,” with user experience set to form a key part of the development process. AvatarUX Studios aims to release four games in its first year, all through YGS Masters.
Marcus Honney, managing director at AvatarUX, said: “We are delighted to be officially announcing AvatarUX to the wider igaming industry after a great launch event during SiGMA week.
“We have already released our first title, Lilith’s Inferno, through Yggdrasil’s YGS Masters programme, and we have been really encouraged with the positive feedback.
“As an independent studio with high ambitions, we have a full roadmap in place and we are really excited about what the future holds.”
Honney said earlier this year about the studio’s first release: “We are delighted to release our first game in partnership with YGS Masters. Lilith’s Inferno does not only bring the stunning graphics that players associate with AvatarUX, but also advanced gamification features and the excitement of an Yggdrasil production.
“Initial feedback has been hugely positive with the game earning rave reviews so we can’t wait to see the reaction from the wider gambling industry!”


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General Motors Co (GM) on Tuesday announced plans to begin paying a quarterly dividend for the first time since the company’s 2008 government rescue.
GM is to begin paying a common stock dividend of US$0.30 per share in March, according to a statement released after the stock markets closed.
GM chief financial officer Dan Amman said in the statement that an “ongoing payout” was possible thanks to the company’s “fortress balance sheet, substantial liquidity, consistent earnings and strong cash flow.”
“This return to shareholders is consistent with our capital priorities and is an important signal of confidence in our plans for a continuing profitable future,” Amman said.
A GM spokesman confirmed that the dividend is the reborn company’s first since its initial public offering in November 2010
The prior company suspended its dividend in July 2008.
Earlier on Tuesday, GM said it sold 9.71 million cars and trucks last year, a 4 percent gain.
Sales grew 7 percent in the US and 11 percent in China, the world’s leading markets.
On Monday, Volkswagen said it sold 9.5 million light vehicles last year, setting a company record for overall sales.
Toyota, the sales champion in 2012 by selling roughly 9.7 million cars and trucks, is to report its sales next week.


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Latest News on Foxconn Acquires Sharp
Showing of 0 - 10 from 2 results
Foxconn Acquires Sharp - Total results - 2
Jun 22, 2017
Sharp Corporation says Foxconn to still push for acquiring ToshibaDue to cost overruns at the Westinghouse nuclear unit, the company wants to get out of the negative shareholders' equity.
Feb 05, 2016
Foxconn reaches concensus with Sharp Corp, regarding takeover of the Japanese giantTaiwan's Foxconn is aiming to finalise a deal to acquire Japan's Sharp Corp by the end of the month, after the two firms reached a consensus on most points, Foxconn Chief Executive Officer Terry Gou said.


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Ailene Siharath is a self-described fighter. She has used that mentality to survive two decades in an industry notorious for long hours and razor-thin profit margins.
Trying to keep two restaurants above water during the novel coronavirus pandemic has her considering all solutions, even one she previously would have previously thought unconscionable.
“I only fought to stay open because I thought I had a fighting chance,” Siharath said, who co-owns Katie’s Diner in Guthrie and The Hive Eatery in Edmond. “(After closing out) April’s numbers, frankly, I should’ve just shut down had I known what I know now and filed for unemployment. I would’ve come out ahead.”
Siharath said she’s had trouble figuring out how to meet the requirements for loan forgiveness from the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which is designed to reduce the skyrocketing number of unemployment claims. Her experience mirrors that of some other Oklahoma City area restaurant owners.
More than eight million restaurant workers have been laid off or furloughed since states forced dining room closures in mid-March due to coronavirus infections. Restaurant job losses represent a significant portion of the more than 30 million unemployment claims nationally. The industry was projected to lose $80 billion in sales through April, according to the National Restaurant Association.
The federal government injected a second round of funding into the Paycheck Protection Program late last month, bringing its total to more than $650 billion. The loan, administered by the Small Business Association, turns into a grant if a business reaches 100 percent of its pre-pandemic payroll by the end of an eight-week period. If not, funds must be repaid over two years with 1 percent interest.
“People are rightfully concerned about what they need to do to obtain forgiveness for that loan,” said Larry Weatherford, public affairs specialist for the Oklahoma City district office of the Small Business Administration.
Weatherford said that guidance from the SBA for reaching loan forgiveness remains forthcoming, but that restaurants should consider re-hiring staff for non-traditional work.
“I know of some businesses that were shut down and had their employees painting and cleaning, staff education,” Weatherford said. “Whatever you could do.”
Siharath has operated Katie’s Diner for over 17 years, building a successful business based on comfort classics. She recently expanded with the Hive Eatery in December 2019 by adding health-conscious meals and indulgent breakfast items. She received Paycheck Protection Program loans for both restaurants through her bank.
Longtime customer support in Guthrie gave her confidence that sales wouldn’t fall off too much in the first few weeks of to-go-only service, but sales started to fall as the state’s stay-at-home recommendation extended through April, Siharath said. Oklahoma became one of the first states to allow restaurants to reopen dining rooms following social distancing measures at the beginning of May.
Siharath is not going to give up yet. Katie’s Diner opened its dining room in May to customers, but she is wondering how to get back to 100 percent employment while the number of tables in the restaurant are reduced.
“How can you be at 13 employees by June 30 when they restrict you again when you can open? If it’s only 50 percent (of) employees, why do I need 13 people to wait on 10 tables? It’s all I can have now,” Siharath said.
“I reached out to (furloughed) staff, but it’s not going to be the usual job. They were going to have to paint or do whatever work we could find because they were servers. They were making more on unemployment, and I couldn’t compete with that, and if they do come back to work they risk their health.”
‘Not written for restaurants’
If employees decline to work, they risk losing unemployment benefits, which include an additional $600 per week as part of the CARES Act. The Department of the Treasury recently announced that employees who decline to return to work will not be factored into Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness, but it kept the same eight-week deadline. Hanging over employees is the prospect that restaurants might not be able to continue staffing them when the loan money runs out.
At 84 Hospitality Group, which operates restaurants such as Empire Slice House Goro Ramen and Gun Izakaya, CEO Rachel Cope furloughed more than 200 employees and has consolidated a few restaurants while managing about 90 workers as they concentrate on to-go service. Their dining rooms will remain closed indefinitely.
Cope said they received loans for six of their restaurants, but those funds remain untouched as they figure out the best way to spent them. Overall sales are down 60 to 75 percent as her restaurants have offered carryout-only options, she said.
“You’ve got an eight-week period and they want you to hire 100 percent of the staff,” Cope said. “For what? For one-third of the sales? That doesn’t make sense, and then you’re going to have to lay them off again, so you’ve gotten them off of unemployment only to put them back. It doesn’t work for us.”
Hot chicken restaurant Nashbird has been able to rehire about 75 percent of its normal workforce, thanks to a concept built on to-go and third-party delivery orders. It is in the process of opening locations in Edmond and Norman in addition to still operating its original downtown Oklahoma City location.
“We want people to come back, but we also don’t want people to come back for a few weeks and then have to furlough or fire them again,” Nashbird owner Marc Dunham said.
Kurt Fleischfresser trained many of the city’s chefs through his Coach House apprenticeship program. He also is the food and beverage director for Western Concepts (Sushi Neko, Mushashi’s, Lobby Café and Tasting Room, The Hutch on Avondale). He also serves as director of operations for Vast restaurant and works with Coury Hospitality for its restaurants in hotels. All of the Western Concepts restaurants received Paycheck Protection Program funds.
“PPP loans (are) kind of a learning curve. … We have to stay on top of it, and we actually have to stay active motivating our legislators – state and national – to kind of fix things,” Fleischfresser said.
The offices of Sens. Jim Inhofe and James Lankford did not respond to requests for comment.
At A Good Egg Dining Group, which includes nine concepts including Cheever’s Cafe, Tucker’s Onion Burgers and Republic Gastropub, CEO Keith Paul said they furloughed 400 workers in March. Paul said the company has used the federal loans to rehire all of its managers at full salary and a few hourly workers, increasing from a low of 35 employees to just over 80; its restaurants are focused on curbside to-go service.
The company has hosted biweekly grocery markets and to-go family meals for furloughed workers through the help of community sponsorships. Its leadership, including Paul and his wife, have not taken a paycheck during the pandemic.
“The PPP was not written for restaurants, and it’s not beneficial to restaurants and it will never be beneficial to restaurants unless there are changes. … They should give us more time to bring them back.” Paul said.
The Independent Restaurant Coalition is advocating for Congress to extend the Paycheck Protection Program deadline to reach 100 percent employment to three months after restaurants can legally operate at full capacity.
With Oklahoma becoming one of the first states in the country to reopen dining rooms, owners have tried to figure out how to make the numbers work. Oklahoma City requires tables to be six feet apart and to meet other health and sanitation requirements.
Restaurant groups like A Good Egg are keeping a few of their concepts shuttered or consolidated until they can figure out the best way to reopen. Paul said sales at the rest of their concepts are down 75 to 80 percent, except for the to-go-friendly Tucker’s Onion burgers, which is seeing an increase.
“A restaurant like Red Prime — we have to replenish inventory, and there is another $30,000 to get inventory back up and another $30,000 to bring everyone back to clean and get everything back open,” Paul said. “Then your revenue will be 50 percent at best. Fifty percent for most restaurants is not a winning proposition.”
Ned Shadid Sr. has operated Ned’s Catering for 37 years and became one of the state’s most successful banquet-sized catering businesses; he opened his restaurant Ned’s Starlite Lounge in 2018. Shadid said he received PPP funds at the end of April for both businesses and was able to rehire all 15 full-time workers at the catering business. He was able to keep all of his staff on the payroll thanks to supportive to-go customers.
The catering business is at a standstill, Shadid said, as gatherings larger than 10 people are still prohibited. He said unlocking the doors to his catering business recently was like “starting from scratch.” Those employees will work the next few weeks deep-cleaning the kitchen and warehouse facilities, but he’s worried there will be no clients for them to cater when the PPP money runs out in two months.
“It’s a possibility that neither the restaurant industry or the catering and banquet industry will ever come back to 100 percent,” Shadid said. “I think the numbers that people are talking about — 30 to 60 percent of these small businesses will possibly close. I’m trying my darndest that my two small businesses aren’t part of that. There’s no guarantee that I can make that happen.”
Shadid opened the Starlite Lounge’s dining room on May 1 and was thrilled to get 50 percent of its normal sales on the opening day, with that percentage, a restaurant is a hamster spinning its wheel without going anywhere.
“No restaurant can operate on 40 to 50 percent revenue,” Shadid said. “It’s not realistic at all. For the next two months I can because this loan will pay for employees, rent and utilities. For my friends that already have this money and they might only have two weeks, or a month left of it, it could be a tragic, tragic set of events.”
Restaurant groups have an easier time navigating the potentially rocky waters of the federal loan. Cope said that using the Paycheck Protection Plan money as a 1 percent loan isn’t the worst idea if it means expanding outdoor patio seating, which will be more attractive in the age of social distancing.
“It’s one of the cheapest loans you can possibly get,” Cope said. “Granted there are a lot of people that if they got a $100,000 loan and they’re already debt-heavy, they don’t want to take on any more debt. For us, a lot of our stores don’t really have a lot of debt, so I’m not really afraid if those are converted to a two-year loan, but not everyone is in that boat.”
Restaurants survive on small net profit margins under normal conditions, as full-service restaurants average about 3 to 5 percent profit margins nationally, and to survive post-pandemic they will have to rethink serving models and increase turnover.
Truong Le is the owner of the fast-casual Chick N Beer restaurant and Okie Pokie in the Collective Food Hall. Le previously owned full-service Guernsey Park and its sister restaurant Covell Park before transitioning to fast-casual concepts to better control food costs. He now hits double-digit profits with the help of alcohol sales at Chick N Beer.
“When I had Guernsey and Covell Park, it was six percent (profit margins) all day because you’re making everything from scratch, your menu is huge,” Le said. “Now, with fast casual at Chick N Beer and Okie Pokie, margins are much higher because I can predict very easily what is going to happen. Now I can focus on a few main proteins and the rest is sauces, and the sauces have a longer shelf life.”
Le said the dining room at Chick N Beer will remain closed as he monitors the partial reopening of the Oklahoma economy, designed to prevent a spike in COVID-19 infections. In the meantime, he’s adding a ramp to the back of the restaurant to make access easier for delivery drivers, and is a few months away from installing a locker system that will enable contactless food pickup.
Other owners are thinking of ways to reduce contact during service. Fleischfresser said Vast is considering making wine menus available only through a scanned QR code on mobile devices, and Dunham is working to add pay-at-the-table and other mobile payment options.
Before the pandemic, Goro Ramen did not offer to-go service, but Cope, of 84 Hospitality Group, said that it has been so successful that it will remain even when dining service resumes. She said other restaurants will potentially switch to counter service with a floating server for drinks and meal additions. Gun Izakaya recently added a three-course to-go meal from James Beard Award regional nominated chef Jeff Chanchaleune, available for pickup through a reservation system.
“The whole future of dining has changed and for how long, we don’t know,” Cope said. “We’re having to kind of rethink the way we’re doing everything. We need to go faster because we’re going to have less seats and we need to do more volume.”
Jacob Threadgill recently spent over two years covering the Oklahoma City restaurant scene for the Oklahoma Gazette, writing food reviews and following restaurant openings and closings. Prior to moving to Oklahoma, he spent five years at the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi. Follow him on Twitter at @JacoboLaSombra. See more of his work here.
The Coronavirus Storytelling Project is a collaboration between the Oklahoma-based Inasmuch Foundation, the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame and Oklahoma Watch to help state journalists who have been furloughed or displaced as well as those in struggling community news organizations. The Inasmuch Foundation has pledged $50,000 to launch the project and provide five $500 grants to those accepted into the project each week for the next four months. Apply here. Stories and photos are available for republication with appropriate credits. To republish, contact Mike Sherman at email@example.com.