Investments Blog

Happy Wednesday morning, Columbus.

I just got finished shopping for my wife's Christmas presents.

Don't tell my bosses, but I did it from my desk at work. Online shopping, baby. No muss, no fuss.

But right after I clicked the last button and fired my order off to Jeff Bezos, I felt a bit of guilt.

Remember how shopping used to be? How you would go from store to store looking for that perfect gift? Heck, back in the day, you might have had to go to a second mall across town for the right size…

Chick-fil-A is growing so fast it's on pace to become the country's third-largest restaurant chain this year, according to a new report by restaurant analyst Kalinowski Equity Research.

The No. 3 spot is now held by Subway, behind No. 2 Starbucks and No. 1 McDonald's, and followed by Taco Bell at No. 4, Burger King at No. 5 and Wendy's at No. 6.

Chick-fil-A was at No. 7 last year, but Kalinowski estimated the privately held company's annual sales have been growing by double digits, exceeding $9…

After nearly three decades on West End Avenue, a local Italian restaurant is on the move.

Nashville Post reports that Valentino’s Ristorante will move at the end of the year from its home at 1907 West End Ave., where it has operated since 1990. The restaurant plans to reopen next month at 1808 Hayes St. Among other restaurants, the Hayes Street space was previously home to Mambu.

The co-owners of Valentino’s include Kevin Beitter, Bill Freeman and Jimmy Webb.

A St. Paul charter school is asking the city to void a liquor license from Gray Duck Tavern, a restaurant that opened in the same building a year ago, arguing that city rules prohibit bars from operating that close to schools.

The Star Tribune has a report on the dispute, which illustrates the problems of managing growth in dense commercial areas.

In a Dec. 12 letter to Mayor Melvin Carter, City Council President Amy Brendmoen and City Attorney Lyndsey Olson, the board of the St. Paul Conservatory…

The Brentwood Golf Course at 1157 Golfair Blvd. was temporarily shut down on Dec. 13 after inspectors found a dead rat on a sticky pad and 138 rodent droppings on the floor, on mannequins, window seals, storage closets and counter with golf supplies. No soap or paper towels were available at the sink, and no proof of training was available either. A follow-up inspection is required but it reopened on Dec. 14.

The Loop Pizza Grill at 101 Marketside Ave. in Ponte Vedra was temporarily shut down on…

The CEO of Flipdaddy's Brilliant Burgers & Craft Beer Bar said he inherited a bad situation that resulted in the chain declaring bankruptcy earlier this month, but he has plans to expand once the restaurant makes it through that.

Money magazine released a new list of best places to live today, but for one Greater Cincinnati community the result was a familiar story.

West Chester Township was named the top community to live in Ohio in Money’s first ever Best Place to Live in Every State released Tuesday. The new honor comes on the heels of the Butler County township earning a No. 38 ranking in Money’s Best Places to Live in the U.S. in September. It marked the seventh time West Chester has landed on that top 100 list…

Chef Angelo Elia, the restaurateur behind Angelo Elia Pizza, Bar and Tapas, is set to open a fourth location of Casa D'Angelo.

The 140-seat restaurant will launch May 2019 at 2950 N. E. 207 St. in Aventura. Eighty workers will be hired to staff the nearly 5,5000-square-foot eatery. Open daily, it will feature a full bar, open kitchen and private dinning.

Elia said he secured a 20-plus year lease two years ago and construction began Dec. 10.

“Aventura is an incredible market [with] … a lot…

After more than a decade on the job, Fogo de Chão CEO Larry Johnson is stepping down and will become chairman of the company’s board.

Succeeding him will be Barry McGowan, president of the Plano-based Brazilian steakhouse chain, reports Nation’s Restaurant News. The five-year Fogo veteran will take on the chief executive position at the end of the year, following Johnson’s retirement, which is effective Dec. 31.

Johnson, who has been with Fogo for 11 years, has helped grow the chain to a…