Why do college coaches get guaranteed contracts?

UVA’s athletic department is making the same mistakes over and over, and it's costing a fortune. The school’s head football coach, Al Groh was fired on Sunday. He will be paid the remainder of the $4.33 million he was owed for two more years of coaching.  He won three games this year and got killed by Virginia Tech again.

Restaurant roll call

We hope you’re hungry, because there’s a smorgasbord of restaurants applying for ABC licenses and preparing to open in the next couple of months. Several restaurants have opened recently, including the Republic and F.W. Sullivan’s (formerly Easy Street Café). Another restaurant that recently opened but is awaiting its ABC license is Mama J’s Kitchen at 415 N. 1st St. in Jackson Ward. But there are several more in development, including Sakura Sushi and Steak at 711 N. Lombardy St. The hibachi restaurant is in the process of building out the vacant Movie Gallery across from Kroger. This will be a second location to the one located at 9008 W. Broad St.

Monday Q&A: This development thing can’t be so hard

Some guys hit their mid-40s and get a Harley. David Gammino is starting something that could be even scarier: a new career direction as a commercial property developer.

In 2005, Gammino started City & Guilds general contracting. He has worked with some of Richmond's big-time developers, such as Robin Miller and Justin French. But now Gammino has gotten the itch to start working on his own projects, and the timing adds the element of risk: many other developers are sitting on the sidelines, riding out the rocky economy.

NewsFeeds 11.30.09

Va. to borrow $1.26 billion for depleted unemployment funds (Virginian-Pilot) As Virginia wrestles with ways to replenish its depleted fund for unemployment benefits, Hampton Roads employers expressed concern about the impact that higher unemployment taxes could have on the health of their businesses. Auto parts retail competition revs up (Roanoke Times) Advance Auto Parts faces a challenge for the No. 2 spot in the parts-retailing industry from a Missouri chain that is big in the Midwest and expanding to the Mid-Atlantic, including Southwest Virginia. Shoppers Showed Up, but Spent on Bargains (NY Times) More consumers flooded the nation’s stores on Thanksgiving weekend in search of bargains. But with retailers dangling rock-bottom prices and consumers only biting at less expensive merchandise like small appliances and winter clothes, the average amount spent by each shopper declined from last year. Unemployed U.S.-born workers seek day-labor jobs (USA Today) Growing ranks of U.S. ...

Restaurants to quit cigarettes cold turkey

On Dec. 1, Virginians can no longer light up in most restaurants. If statistics provided by Virginia Department of Health are accurate, it will be business as usual for 73 percent of the commonwealth’s fast food and full-service restaurants that already are smoke-free. For the others, owners and managers must decide how much time and money they’re willing to spend to comply with new regulations while continuing to offer patrons the opportunity to smoke on premises. Christine Johnson, general manager of Milepost 5 in Midlothian, is in discussions with a state health inspector to determine whether putting up a door between the restaurant’s smoking and non-smoking sections will be enough to keep the facility in compliance. Milepost 5 already has separate rooms and separate ventilation systems for smoking and non-smoking areas, which would appear to satisfy two of the exceptions specified in the smoking ban.

Guest Opinion: A GPS for business

The views expressed in Guest Opinions are those of the author and do not represent BizSense or BizSense reporters. Have you ever started out on a long trip using a set of directions from Google or MapQuest and found yourself off the path or found that the road was closed? Once that happens, your only choices are to retrace your steps or stumble along, hoping to get back on track. Many growing businesses face the same situation in today’s uncertain economy. They know where they are, and they know where they want to be, so they develop a business plan that provides great directions to their destination. But somewhere along the way, they run into a roadblock or take a detour, and their business plan is no longer as useful.

NewsFeeds 11.27.09

Synchrony lands $16 million deal (Roanoke Times) The magnetic-bearing manufacturer, which is based in Roanoke County, will build drive trains for an air conditioning company. 'Cash for Clunkers,' household edition (Washington Post) On the heels of its ballyhooed "Cash for Clunkers" program for cars, the federal government is expected to finalize details in the coming weeks of another tax-supported shopping extravaganza, known as "Cash for Appliances." More shoppers use smartphones to study, find, buy (USA Today) Some 19% of Americans will use their mobile devices for shopping this holiday season, according to a Deloitte survey. The number is twice as high for young consumers: 39% of those 18 to 29 say they'll use their phones to find store locations, obtain coupons and sales information and research products and prices. One-quarter of all who plan to use their phones to shop say they will make purchases on the devices....

Expressing free speech but scaring off customers?

There’s a great conversation going on in the comments section of a story about a mural on the back of a computer repair business in the Fan. It raises a fascinating topic: When and how should business owners express their personal views. How do you perform a cost/benefit: You may lose customers who disagree – but what do you gain? Perhaps personal satisfaction? And how do you calculate or measure that?

Rock the shareholder vote

A local investment fund wants to spread democracy among the stock-holding populace. After toying with an idea for a website that makes it easier for shareholders to vote on issues at public companies, Richmond-based TFS Capital plans to invest $2 million.

NewsFeeds

Ukrop's site hits auction block early next month (Roanoke Times) A month after Ukrop's Super Market closed its Roanoke store, the grocer's vacant real estate is in foreclosure. Tire producer in Scottsville shutting down (Daily Progress) The shutdown of Scottsville’s longtime tire plant will leave 106 residents without a job, according to the town mayor. For SBA Loans, Stimulus Well Runs Dry (WSJ) Two popular stimulus provisions that drew hundreds of banks back to the small-business lending arena ran out of funding Monday, setting the stage for a potential new credit squeeze for business owners. As Bank Failures Rise, F.D.I.C. Fund Falls Into Red (NY Times) The government-administered insurance fund that protects depositors fell into the red for the first time since the fallout from the savings-and-loan crisis of the early 1990s as the pace of bank failures accelerated. Inside Goldman’s $500 Million Small Business Initiative (Inc.) Goldman Sachs ...

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