Restaurant supply company US Foods is opening its first Chef'Store in east Charlotte, a new supply store concept for restaurant operators and other food service professionals.
There's a video tour of the new store posted to the right. The store, at 3304 Eastway Drive, is holding a grand opening Thursday morning with a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting.
The store, open to chefs and other professionals, is 30,000 square feet, with 30 employees. The Chef'Store has foods such as seafood and meat, and restaurant supplies such as cookware and knives. Products will generally be available in individual or case sizes.
“There are many busy chefs and restaurant owners in Charlotte looking for an easier, more convenient way to get the products they need at competitive prices,” said Bob Stout, US Foods' southeast region president, in a statement. “Chef’Store is bright and clean with an intuitive layout and wide aisles for fast, easy maneuvering."
The store will be open seven days a week. Building permits filed earlier this year show US Foods spent more than $2.3 million renovating and refitting its space.
Privately-held US Foods has over $20 billion in annual revenue. The company also plans to open Chef'Store locations in Oklahoma City and Columbia, S.C.
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3 Ocak 2013 Perşembe
New Chef'Store opening in former Wal-Mart location
Men's boutique Silverfly to hold grand opening
A new menswear store in the Metropolitan complex outside of uptown, Silverfly, is having a grand opening celebration Saturday, Dec. 1.
The store opened its doors in early November. "offers a polished, edited and reinterpreted classic look," according to its description of itself. Silverfly carries menswear brands including DL1961, Joe's, Hudson Jeans, Silver Jeans, Chadburry, Alternative Apparel and Ben Sherman.
The company's grand opening celebration will feature food and drinks with a DJ from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., as well as promotional give-aways with purchases throughout the day.
Here's a link to a CLT Buzz story about the opening with a picture of the store's interior.
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Family Dollar CEO Levine to ABC's 'Nightline'
Howard Levine, CEO of Matthews-based Family Dollar, was set to appear on Tuesday's edition of "Nightline," talking about the growth of dollar stores and defending the practice of importing cheap goods from overseas.
During the segment, Levine told the interviewer he doesn't mind when he - or his 7,550 stores - are called cheap.
"If somebody told me I was cheap, I would take that as a compliment," Levine said. "That means we are looking for value. That means we don't overpay for stuff."
He also defended the fact that about a third of the goods the company sells are made overseas, much of it in China, as a necessity. "Unfortunately, a lot of manufacturing has gone overseas," Levine said. "They have a cheap way of doing it and consumers accept it. There is no backlash from that so you got to go where you get the value and you got to go where you have the workmanship and the factories to do that."
So, did you see the video? What did you think?
(Editor's note: The show featuring Levine was bumped for extra coverage of a mall shooting in Oregon that happened earlier in the day).
Vinnie's Grill & Raw Bar closes on South Boulevard
After 20 years, Vinnie's Grill & Raw Bar has closed up shop at its South Boulevard location.
Former general manager David Luckey said the restaurant's last day of business was Sunday. The closure is permanent, he confirmed.
He said the general economic conditions had caused Vinnie's to struggle. "This economy makes everybody broke," said Luckey, who was helping to clean out the restaurant Thursday afternoon.
There are no plans to close the second Vinnie's location in Mooresville, which remains open, Luckey said.
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What's open on Christmas day?
If you need a last-last-last-minute gift, some toothpaste, or just to get away from the family for a few minutes on Christmas, there are a few stores that will be open Christmas day itself.
Here's a list of some of the chains that aren't closing:
- Walgreen's
- CVS Pharmacy
- 7-Eleven
- Denny's
- IHOP
- Starbucks
- Waffle House
- McDonald's is reportedly urging its franchised locations to stay open
For more information, check out a summary of personal finance site GoBankingRates.com's survey of retailers.
2 Ocak 2013 Çarşamba
Men's boutique Silverfly to hold grand opening
A new menswear store in the Metropolitan complex outside of uptown, Silverfly, is having a grand opening celebration Saturday, Dec. 1.
The store opened its doors in early November. "offers a polished, edited and reinterpreted classic look," according to its description of itself. Silverfly carries menswear brands including DL1961, Joe's, Hudson Jeans, Silver Jeans, Chadburry, Alternative Apparel and Ben Sherman.
The company's grand opening celebration will feature food and drinks with a DJ from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., as well as promotional give-aways with purchases throughout the day.
Here's a link to a CLT Buzz story about the opening with a picture of the store's interior.
View Larger Map
Family Dollar CEO Levine to ABC's 'Nightline'
Howard Levine, CEO of Matthews-based Family Dollar, was set to appear on Tuesday's edition of "Nightline," talking about the growth of dollar stores and defending the practice of importing cheap goods from overseas.
During the segment, Levine told the interviewer he doesn't mind when he - or his 7,550 stores - are called cheap.
"If somebody told me I was cheap, I would take that as a compliment," Levine said. "That means we are looking for value. That means we don't overpay for stuff."
He also defended the fact that about a third of the goods the company sells are made overseas, much of it in China, as a necessity. "Unfortunately, a lot of manufacturing has gone overseas," Levine said. "They have a cheap way of doing it and consumers accept it. There is no backlash from that so you got to go where you get the value and you got to go where you have the workmanship and the factories to do that."
So, did you see the video? What did you think?
(Editor's note: The show featuring Levine was bumped for extra coverage of a mall shooting in Oregon that happened earlier in the day).
Vinnie's Grill & Raw Bar closes on South Boulevard
After 20 years, Vinnie's Grill & Raw Bar has closed up shop at its South Boulevard location.
Former general manager David Luckey said the restaurant's last day of business was Sunday. The closure is permanent, he confirmed.
He said the general economic conditions had caused Vinnie's to struggle. "This economy makes everybody broke," said Luckey, who was helping to clean out the restaurant Thursday afternoon.
There are no plans to close the second Vinnie's location in Mooresville, which remains open, Luckey said.
View Larger Map
What's open on Christmas day?
If you need a last-last-last-minute gift, some toothpaste, or just to get away from the family for a few minutes on Christmas, there are a few stores that will be open Christmas day itself.
Here's a list of some of the chains that aren't closing:
- Walgreen's
- CVS Pharmacy
- 7-Eleven
- Denny's
- IHOP
- Starbucks
- Waffle House
- McDonald's is reportedly urging its franchised locations to stay open
For more information, check out a summary of personal finance site GoBankingRates.com's survey of retailers.
Savvy Spaces furniture stores closing
Savvy Spaces, a pair of furniture stores that opened last year, is closing, the retailer announced last week.
The company is holding a going-out-of-business sale to liquidate current inventory. The owners, who also operate Ashley Furniture HomeStore locations, said they are closing the Savvy Spaces locations to focus on their Ashley Furniture business.
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| Inside Savvy Spaces (courtesy the company) |
"We’ve enjoyed wonderful growth in sales at Savvy Spaces, but in the end, we had to choose between our two brands. As owners, we simply don’t have the time to oversee and properly manage both companies," said Charlie Malouf, in a statement. He co-owns the stores with Jonathan Ishee. They're in the midst of opening a new Ashley location in Raleigh.
Furniture, clocks, rugs, bedding and other goods are all discounted now at both locations, in Pineville and the Northlake area (The Pineville location was in a former Boyle's furniture store). Rugs are 65 percent off, mattress sets over $499 are $100 off, and accessories are 50 percent off.
No final closing date has been set, and an employee said the stores will remain open until they're sold out.
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1 Ocak 2013 Salı
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
This year Valentine's Day is Tuesday, February 14th.
My memories of Valentine's Days go all the way back to childhood. The sweet and chalky taste of conversation sweethearts always comes to mind. These classics included "Kiss Me," "Sweet Talk," "Charm", "Dream", "Be a Sport", "Teach Me", "Wild Life", and "Be Mine." Sitting at my desk, I often wished for a dictionary that would help me to decipher the meaning of a saying so arrogant as "Top Dog" or enigmatic as "Help Me". Don't we all remember that Necco, the maker of sweetheart candies beat Facebook to the punch with "Be my Friend" and "Like Me". And, finally, there was the oh so special "I Love You" reserved for the one and only.Sitting in a second grade classroom, boys and girls spent countless hours deciding who would get what saying. Furtive glances were exchanged accompanied by the low level chatter of excited schoolchildren. Watching over all of us from her desk at the front of the classroom, sat our teacher. For her, we reserved the biggest Valentine and the candy that said "Ur Great". I suppose the teacher forgave the misspelling.
After the momentous decision of who got what was made, the candies were inserted into a self-made Valentine's card. I loved words even as a grade-schooler and always chose my words as carefully as I did my candies. Those deserving poems usually received a variation of something that sounded like, "Roses are red, violets are blue, you are swell and cute too." Those less deserving might receive a similar poem, but accompanied by an ending that was sure to bring a chuckle among friends.
(After all these years, the one ending I remember goes like this, "You look like a monkey, and smell like one too." This, of course, was too racy for a second-grader to write down and could only be said out of earshot from the teacher.)
Now that I am older, Valentine's Day has a deeper meaning than childhood crushes. Valentine's is a celebration of love and friendship. And what better way to celebrate than with a poem.
My love is like a Valentine,Caring beyond measure,Sharing all that is mine,With memories to treasure.
So, on this Valentine's Day
Be my true friend
In every way
Until the world shall end.
President's Day 2012
Presidents' Day in 2012 is on Monday, the 20th of February. This date is a compromise of sorts, for it was suppose to honor both George Washington's birthday, which falls on February 22nd, and Abraham Lincoln's birthday, which falls on February 12th. In 1968, Congress chose the third Monday in February to allow federal workers a Monday off.
Perhaps, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota symbolizes President's Day best. The project, under the direction of Gutzon Borglum, was begun in 1927, and most of the work was completed during the Great Depression. The granite faces of our four most illustrious presidents face south into the sun as if still watching to be sure that America is still strong. Two million visitors come to South Dakota annually to pay homage to what the memorial stands for.
The name "President's Day" is what the public commonly calls the holiday, a day celebrating all the presidents who have served their country. Actually, it is still officially called "Washington's Birthday", since Congress could never agree on a change of names. I think we can all agree that dedication to the service of one's country is one of the highest callings. This nation has much to be grateful for. We should be thankful to the presidents who have served it so well.
At Traditions Furniture in Overland Park and Traditions Home in Wichita, Kansas, we are choosing to celebrate the day by having a sale on Stickley Furniture, one of the oldest furniture companies in America and the standard of American Arts & Crafts design. For our sale we are offering 45% off any one piece of Stickley Furniture and 40% off all other pieces.
Stickley Style You, the customer, can choose from Stickley's iconic Mission collection, or any of the other red, white, and blue styles including Colonial Williamsburg, Traditional, Finger Lakes, Valley Forge, and Metropolitan. Stickley has even given a nod to our British cousins with other collections - English Oak Antiquities, John Widdicomb, and Edinburgh, to name a few.
Celebrating President's Day means celebrating a tradition.And we at Traditions Furniture believe that nothing epitomizes tradition better than Stickley Furniture. And that tradition is one of excellence in design and manufacture, backed by a company that is over 100 years old and still growing.
Gustav Stickley
Gustav Stickley and his four brothers burst into prominence at the turn of the 20th century with their American Arts & Crafts design. This style became popularly known as the Mission furniture. Gustav Stickley's simple idea was that furniture should be “honest” and that it should reflect the ideals of the American people with its use of native American oak and cherry wood and in its construction which emphasizes quality, construction, and beauty.
Over the years at its plant in upstate New York, Stickley Furniture has maintained its rock solid commitment to the same ideals that Gustav Stickley and his brothers began. Their motto then, "Als ich kan" or "to the best of my ability" still holds true.
And today Stickley is ever moving forward while looking to the past for inspiration. The new Finger Lakes collection draws on the ruggedness of frontier life and the beauty of nature. American cherry woods from New York combined with a hand-planed look recreate the craftsmanship of the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York. The same area where Stickley still makes its furniture. Stickley's unique design in its round pedestal table incorporate a bird-cage pedestal base and the beauty of cherry wood. It is destined to become a classic.We think that you will agree that any time is a good time to invest in Stickley Furniture. It is destined to be around for a good long time, like America.
43rd Annual Kansas City Symphony Designers' Showhouse
There is only one week left to see the 43rd Annual Kansas City Designers' Showhouse, located, just off of the Kansas City Plaza, at 47 W. 53rd Street.The historic house was built in 1909 for businessman and civic leader Wallace Goffe and his wife Beverly. The style is English Tudor Revival. The home was designed by famed Kansas City architect Henry Hoit and later remodeled in 1937 by his successor firm, Hoit, Price and Barnes. In 1984, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The walls of the Showhouse are even rows of coursed limestone. the roof contains a steeply pitched gable and there is half-timbering on the central bay which projects from the second story, supported by curved volutes.
The houses of the district were built to the natural contours of the landscape.Thus, many of the houses in this district are located on rises with steps leading to the main entrance. There are uniform setbacks from the street of 40 feet.Read the full story of the house. Kansas City Symphony Alliance.
The Showhouse is a project sponsored by the Kansas City Symphony Alliance, a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting classical music throughout the Kansas City area, and in particular the welfare of the Kansas City Symphony. Hundreds of volunteers and the area's top designers work together to create something magical. Traditions Furniture is proud to again participate in the decoration of the sun room.
Traditions designers, Linda, Kathy, Julie, and Carol went for a coastal theme. This is in keeping with the naturalness of the setting and lightness of the sun room, which catches the afternoon sun. The upholstery is by Stickley Furniture. Stickley is perhaps best known for American Arts and Crafts, but, as the room demonstrates, there is a softer side to Stickley. The art is modern, pulling in a blue shade to complement the azure blue of the sky. The sideboard is Pasadena Bungalow by Stickley. The matching lamps are faux stone.There are many other designers who have contributed to the beauty of this year's Designers' Showhouse. And, while we would like to show you everything, we will give you just a tease. Better that you come and see for yourself, and support a great cause, The Kansas City Symphony Alliance.
Bless us O' Lord
One custom my family had while growing up was to say grace before dinner. It began, "Bless us O' Lord ..." It was a good traditions, one that I carry on with my own family. Whoever gives thanks, add a special thought asking for extra care to be given to those less fortunate.
While at the Atlanta market, we came across many unusual items. One such item was a collection of handmade crosses in a wide assortment of colors, sizes, and shapes. We think that these crosses remind us of our traditions and the reasons we have for giving thanks for family and friends.
We hope that you enjoy them too.
Santa's Coming to Town
In the 4th Century, Saint Nicholas, bishop of Myra on the southern coast of present day Turkey, became famous for his generous gifts to the poor, including his presents of dowries to the three daughters of a pious but poor Christian. Today this spirit of gift giving is embodied in the person of Santa Claus, a jolly figure who is often dressed in a red suit and cap lined with fur. Santa lives at the North Pole and year-long with the help of his elves makes toys for good boys and girls. Then, each Christmas Eve he travels across the globe in a sleigh driven by eight reindeer. Santa lands on the roof of each house, slides down the chimney, and leaves gifts. Before parting, he enjoys a cookie and a cup of warm milk and utters a merry, "Ho, ho, ho."
In addition to Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus has many names - Father Christmas, Pere Noel, Belsnikle, Kris Kringle, and Sinterklaas.
This beloved figure has been adopted by many cultures, each of which has its own unique customs and traditions. In Scandinavia, Kris Kringle appears in white and the celebration with food and gifts begins on Christmas Eve. In the 1800's, German immigrants to the US from the Palatinate Region brought with them the character of Belsnickle, a sterner version of Santa, who scared children with threats of whippings but always came through with a gift. In the Black Forest of southern Germany, Santa is often depicted as a rustic figure carved from the pine trees of the region. And, it was in Bavaria that the Christmas tree was born.
In England, Santa Claus is usually shown in a long green coat lined with white fur. A Christmas Story, is Charles Dickens' memorable holiday tale of a rich but unhappy man and a poor but happy family. Christmas, Dickens wrote, is a time for family and friends to share laughter and good humor. We should remember that giving is better than giving, and that we are blessed for that which we have.
And in the spirit of Christmas, let us all keep in our hearts the words of Ebeneezer Scrooge, who learned the true meaning of Christmas.
“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!”
