Kroger ups ante in grocery fight

There’s a food fight brewing in Carytown, where Kroger is about to make a not-so-subtle push to lure customers from the Ukrop’s across the street.

The chain has new carts for bag boys to use when they shuttle customers’ bundles to their cars. Read more

Flay throws down in Va. again

Richmond restaurant owner Francis Daniel will be a judge on the next episode of Food Network’s “Throwdown with Bobby Flay.” Read more

Board Paradise back in retail heaven

Phew, that was close.

Board Paradise is open for business today after a sign was posted on its door Friday from Thalhimer warning the tenant to not change the locks or enter the premises.

The Thalhimer agent in charge, Michael Shaia, told BizSense that the surfing and snowboard shop had fallen behind on rent but that they had paid it off.

Shaia did not say how much the proprietor was behind, only that it was enough to take action.

David Larter is a BizSense reporter. Please send news tips to david@richmondbizsense.com

Local biz owner hits Capitol Hill

Local small business owner Tammy Rostov made an appearance at the U.S. Capitol yesterday to support a healthcare reform drafted by House Democrats. Read more

“Don’t even think about changing the locks” — landlord

Another one bites the dust.

Board Paradise — a snowboarding gear and apparel retailer in Carytown — is locked and there is a sign out front possibly warning the store’s owners not to have the locks changed. Read more

Carytown after hours

Carytown has a case of copycat fever.

Merchants in Carytown have organized their version of the First Fridays Art Walk, which brings an after-work crowd to Broad Street downtown.

Starting in July, on the first Thursday of the month, Carytown businesses will be open until 8 p.m. The retailers there generally close closer to 5. Read more

Retailers combine forces as Carytown vacancies rise

Vacancies are on the rise in Carytown, and some businesses have joined together to save money and boost income. BizSense counted 25 vacant street-level storefronts in Carytown, for a vacancy of 13.9 percent. That is up from September, when we counted 17 empty or unused storefronts.  With vacancy up and national statistics indicating a significant pullback in consumer spending,  some Carytown merchants have turned to creative methods in their quest to remain profitable. Read more

Two more businesses hit with ADA lawsuits

A Maryland lawyer has sued two more Richmond businesses for failing to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

In March, RBS reported that Joel Zuckerman had filed more than 70 ADA compliance lawsuits on behalf of a handful of plaintiffs.

Two more cases have been filed by Zuckerman since that report.

Full Kee restaurant and Mexico Restaurant, both on Horsepen Road, are being sued for failure to meet the requirements of the act, which was passed to provide equal access of public places to people with disabilities. Both suits allege the properties do not have accessible parking, among other violations. The plaintiff in both cases has appeared as a plaintiff in 32 similar suits.

BizSense has also heard of at least one more Carytown business that has received a letter  from Zuckerman requesting compliance with the act since our story first ran.

Two restaurants close

It’s looking like two more Richmond restaurants have closed shop.

One blog is reporting that Shockoe Bottom eatery Relish has closed after two years in operation.

And the popular foodie blog in vino veritas has posted that that upscale Carytown restaurant Karsens is also closing. I went by last night and it wasn’t open, but lots of restaurants are closed on Monday.

Local consumers mixed about holiday shopping

In a good sign for retailers, five of the shoppers said they plan to spend the same amount as last year. But the other four said they plan to spend less.

Retailers here and across the country are wondering how consumers will spend their money during the holiday season, so BizSense headed to Carytown on a Friday afternoon and asked nine shoppers about their holiday plans. Read more

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