5 days agoBlogsComments Off on Blue Jackets rumors: Insider makes Ivan Provorov trade prediction with 1st-round pick revelation
Although the Columbus Blue Jackets currently occupy the top wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference — and have been surging as of late — general manager Don Waddell has a couple of tough decisions to make ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline. Maybe the most difficult will be regarding the future of pending UFA Ivan […]
5 days agoBlogsComments Off on Barack Obama goes viral for appearance at game with Steve Ballmer
Barack Obama made an unexpected courtside appearance at the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Detroit Pistons game on March 5, drawing excitement from fans in attendance, per Heavy. The former U.S. president, a well-documented Chicago Bulls supporter, found himself in Clippers territory for the night, sitting alongside team owner Steve Ballmer. The game itself was a […]
5 days agoBlogsComments Off on Blue Jackets rumors: Insider makes Ivan Provorov trade prediction with 1st-round pick revelation
Although the Columbus Blue Jackets currently occupy the top wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference — and have been surging as of late — general manager Don Waddell has a couple of tough decisions to make ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline. Maybe the most difficult will be regarding the future of pending UFA Ivan […]
5 days agoBlogsComments Off on Ex-Bills Pro Bowler retires after 1 season with Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of work to do this offseason after enduring a massively disappointing campaign in 2024. On top of the areas of need they already had to address, they have a new one that popped up on Thursday morning when veteran center Mitch Morse announced his retirement after just one season […]
5 days agoBlogsComments Off on Astros’ Jose Altuve position change gets evasive response from GM Dana Brown
As Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown looks for his team to have a great season, there could be a change of position for one of the team’s main stars. Astros star Jose Altuve has been playing outfield in multiple points this spring training rather than his usual second base as Brown spoke about the […]
5 days agoBlogsComments Off on Astros’ Jose Altuve position change gets evasive response from GM Dana Brown
As Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown looks for his team to have a great season, there could be a change of position for one of the team’s main stars. Astros star Jose Altuve has been playing outfield in multiple points this spring training rather than his usual second base as Brown spoke about the […]
5 days agoBlogsComments Off on Astros’ Jose Altuve position change gets evasive response from GM Dana Brown
As Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown looks for his team to have a great season, there could be a change of position for one of the team’s main stars. Astros star Jose Altuve has been playing outfield in multiple points this spring training rather than his usual second base as Brown spoke about the […]
5 days agoBlogsComments Off on Restaurant chain with 8 venues across UK closes branch after eight years with owners blaming cost of living crisis
A POPULAR restaurant chain has closed one of its branches after eight years, blaming the cost-of-living crisis and tough economic conditions.
The Dunfermline restaurant, located next to the Alhambra Theatre, closed at the end of 2024 and has yet to reopen, despite being initially marked as a temporary closure.
Monterey has been a staple in Dunfermline for several yearsThe leasehold for the premises has already been placed on the market
It’s also been removed from the Monterey Jack’s website, which now lists locations in Braehead, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow City Centre, Glasgow Fort, Perth, Stirling, and M&D’s Scotland’s Theme Park.
Richard Fergie, a spokesperson for the restaurant group, confirmed that the Dunfermline branch is under review after temporarily closing due to staff shortages.
He explained: “The store was recently closed temporarily due to staffing issues, but it is now under review for its viability.”
Fergie added that no final decision has been made yet, saying: “Like many hospitality businesses in the UK, we have to assess all locations to determine if they are sustainable moving forward.”
Monterey Jack’s, known for its gourmet American-style burgers, hot dogs, nachos, and cocktails, has been a staple in Dunfermline for several years.
However, the rising cost of goods, energy, and staffing issues have made it increasingly difficult for the business to remain sustainable at its current location.
While the future of the Dunfermline branch remains uncertain, Fergie hinted at the possibility of relocating to a new site in the area that may be more suitable for the business’s long-term goals.
The leasehold for the premises has already been placed on the market.
Store closures are hitting not just restaurants but major retailers too.
Superdry, with 84 locations, is shutting its Eastgate Shopping Centre store in Basildon this Saturday, followed by another in Bradford soon.
This comes after the closure of its Aberdeen store just a month ago, with staff redirecting customers online.
Kaspa’s Desserts in Basildon closed earlier this year due to landlord issues, while a Homebase in nearby Vange also shut last month.
The Nisa Local chain, which operates over 1,300 stores, is also feeling the strain as the retail landscape changes.
Why are retailers closing shops?
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
GettyA sign in the window initially indicated a short-term closure, but weeks later, the restaurant has yet to reopen[/caption]
5 days agoBlogsComments Off on Restaurant chain with 8 venues across UK closes branch after eight years with owners blaming cost of living crisis
A POPULAR restaurant chain has closed one of its branches after eight years, blaming the cost-of-living crisis and tough economic conditions.
The Dunfermline restaurant, located next to the Alhambra Theatre, closed at the end of 2024 and has yet to reopen, despite being initially marked as a temporary closure.
Monterey has been a staple in Dunfermline for several yearsThe leasehold for the premises has already been placed on the market
It’s also been removed from the Monterey Jack’s website, which now lists locations in Braehead, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow City Centre, Glasgow Fort, Perth, Stirling, and M&D’s Scotland’s Theme Park.
Richard Fergie, a spokesperson for the restaurant group, confirmed that the Dunfermline branch is under review after temporarily closing due to staff shortages.
He explained: “The store was recently closed temporarily due to staffing issues, but it is now under review for its viability.”
Fergie added that no final decision has been made yet, saying: “Like many hospitality businesses in the UK, we have to assess all locations to determine if they are sustainable moving forward.”
Monterey Jack’s, known for its gourmet American-style burgers, hot dogs, nachos, and cocktails, has been a staple in Dunfermline for several years.
However, the rising cost of goods, energy, and staffing issues have made it increasingly difficult for the business to remain sustainable at its current location.
While the future of the Dunfermline branch remains uncertain, Fergie hinted at the possibility of relocating to a new site in the area that may be more suitable for the business’s long-term goals.
The leasehold for the premises has already been placed on the market.
Store closures are hitting not just restaurants but major retailers too.
Superdry, with 84 locations, is shutting its Eastgate Shopping Centre store in Basildon this Saturday, followed by another in Bradford soon.
This comes after the closure of its Aberdeen store just a month ago, with staff redirecting customers online.
Kaspa’s Desserts in Basildon closed earlier this year due to landlord issues, while a Homebase in nearby Vange also shut last month.
The Nisa Local chain, which operates over 1,300 stores, is also feeling the strain as the retail landscape changes.
Why are retailers closing shops?
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
GettyA sign in the window initially indicated a short-term closure, but weeks later, the restaurant has yet to reopen[/caption]
5 days agoBlogsComments Off on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari under FIA investigation after Red Bull complain about 2025 car in huge blow ahead of F1 season
LEWIS Hamilton’s Ferrari faces a thorough FIA investigation after Red Bull complained about it’s rear wings, according to reports.
The new 2025 F1 season is set to be one of the closest title fights in modern history after a promising pre-season test in Bahrain.
AFPLewis Hamilton’s Ferrari team are under investigation by the FIA[/caption]
RexRed Bull technical director Pierre Wache accused Ferrari and McLaren of still using ‘mini-DRS’ design tricks[/caption]
GettyMcLaren had already changed their rear wing designs once last season[/caption]
But FIA inspectors will head to Maranello to inspect Ferrari‘s latest F1 car after Red Bull’s complaints during pre-season testing.
Christian Horner‘s team argued Ferrari and McLaren were using a flexible rear wing trick to gain a performance advantage.
The FIA has promised to clamp down on it and run checks before the season opener in Melbourne on March 16.
F1’s governing body will place rear wings under increased scrutiny at the Australian Grand Prix next weekend.
Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache raised fresh concerns last week, and told The Race: “It is still going on.
“I think Ferrari and McLaren are doing the mini-DRS stuff still.”
The extra investigation will include cameras on the rear wings of all 10 teams, allowing the FIA to monitor any flexibility outside of the regulations.
The Scuderia reject Red Bull accusations and don’t believe that they’ll face “too many problems”, according to Italian outletFUnoAnalisiTecnica.