Tag Archives: journalism

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Saks Fifth Avenue will have its own upscale place to dine

Photo courtesy of Fifth Dining LLC

By Justine Griffin for the Herald-Tribune.

When the new Saks Fifth Avenue department store opens at the Mall at University Town Center, shoppers can expect more than just expanded departments and two floors of merchandise. The 80,000-square-foot Saks space — one of the key anchors for the $315 million mall in Sarasota County — also will boast its own restaurant, and be one of the first in the chain to do so.

 

When Saks opens, so will “Sophie’s,” a new restaurant concept by Fifth Dining LLC, a new restaurant effort within the Saks brand. The elegant, gourmet restaurant will complement the department store’s look and feel but will offer a completely separate lunch and dinner dining experience for Saks shoppers.

…Saks Fifth Avenue is the latest upscale retailer to venture into the dining sector in recent years.

Nordstrom’s department stores, including the one in Tampa’s International Plaza, have their own line of in-store cafes, which serve lighter fare, coffee and cocktails.

The concept has helped make Nordstrom more of a destination for shoppers, said Darren Tristano, executive vice president with Chicago-based Technomic, a food consulting firm.

Read more here.

 

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Sarasota Film Festival Coverage for the Herald-Tribune

sundance

In January, I stood in line outside the famous Mary G. Steiner Egyptian Theater, shivering in the snow as I waited to watch “To Kill A Man,” a feature film, and the first film of my Sundance Film Festival experience.

As a self-proclaimed movie buff I was ecstatic to check off my bucket list attending one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals.

Before attending Sundance, I’d only experienced film festivals in Florida cities — Orlando, St. Augustine, Fort Lauderdale and Sarasota. While the crowds, the parties, and the number of celebrities elevate the Park City festival to a different status, the spirit of the festival is very much the same in Sarasota. People who love movies gather in theater settings to watch the final polished product and listen intently as filmmakers, actors and crew members explain the passion and work that went into creating what we see on the big screen.

Read more here.

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Additional coverage for the Herald-Tribune:

15 years of celebrating women film making, March 28, 2014

The Through Women’s Eyes Film Festival will celebrate its 15th year of promoting international women filmmakers in Sarasota this year.

A film festival plan of attack, April 4, 2014

Are you planning on seeing multiple movies at the film fest this year? Here are a few things to consider before you go. Take it from me, a seasoned volunteer with experience at film festivals across the state.

Doctor who lost daughters in Israeli tank strike will sign books at film festival, April 8, 2014

Forgiveness doesn’t always come easily.

But after losing his three daughters and a niece when an Israeli tank mistakenly fired into their home in 2009, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish found it in him to forgive the tragic acts that violently ended the lives of those he loved. His emotional trek that led him to forgiveness is detailed in Abuelaish’s book, “I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Journey.”

 

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Column: What Sweetbay shoppers need to know

My What’s In Store column from March 4. Published in the Herald-Tribune.

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In less than a month, Southwest Florida residents will see a surge of Winn-Dixie grocery store openings.

 

Sweetbay Supermarket will follow the same path into extinction as its predecessor, Kash N’ Karry.

At the same time, the rechristened Winn-Dixie stores will seek to increase their footprint and compete with dominant grocer giants Publix and Walmart in Florida — and specifically in the Sarasota-Bradenton market.

Last year, Tampa-based Sweetbay was bought by Winn-Dixie’s parent, Bi-Lo Holdings. The $265 million deal included 72 Sweetbay stores in the Sunshine State and the leases for 10 that were closed before the sale.

Sweetbay had closed 33 stores just before the sale, or 30 percent of its operations in Florida, including four stores in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Those stores will stay closed.

But the remaining open stores — 10 in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties — will temporarily close March 22 and reopen March 28 as Winn-Dixies.

So Sweetbay shoppers, here’s what you need to know if you plan on switching over to the Winn-Dixie brand:

Read more here.

 

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Sarasota sports strategy: Just build it

By Justine Griffin for the Herald-Tribune.

Sarasota BMX Park

Photo by Thomas Bender, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

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Sarasota County officials have developed a formula they hope will grow a variety of sports in the region: Build it and they will come.

Following the success of Nathan Benderson Park, once a mining pit used for highway construction and now the site of the 2017 World Rowing Championships, Sarasota County plans to build an Olympic-level supercross BMX track for cyclists at the existing Sarasota BMX Track on Tuttle Avenue and 17th Street.

The 40-year-old park is the longest-standing BMX track in the United States and will soon be one of only two in the country that boasts an Olympic-level supercross track, said Carolyn Brown, Sarasota County’s director of parks and recreation.

“Over the years the park has served thousands of children and adults, but the improvements will allow Sarasota to host a higher level of competition,” Brown said. “More people can stay here and train. The economic impact will be great — these people will use our hotels and possibly even move here.”

The county has allocated $1.7 million, partially funded through tourism development tax dollars, to go toward building the professional-level track, which will run alongside the existing amateur track. The new track requires an 8-meterstarting ramp, compared with the existing 5-meter ramp, and larger obstacles.

Construction is set to begin in October, Brown said, and the new track is expected to be completed by summer 2015. Officials are considering doing the construction in phases, which would allow the track to remain open.

Read the full story here.

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Forging a new path for Robb & Stucky

By Justine Griffin for the Herald-Tribune.

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The return of one of the premier brands in the furniture industry bodes well for the Southwest Florida region, the housing market and the local economy.
Robb & Stucky reopened its store at 7557 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota in early December. And while shoppers may remember the Robb & Stucky name and its upscale line of furniture and home decor merchandise, the chain is now under new ownership and forging a new path in Florida.

This isn’t your grandmother’s Robb & Stucky, said Steve Lush, president and CEO of the new brand.

“There are a lot of misconceptions out there about who we are as a brand,” Lush said. “We offer the same quality customers remember. But we’re under new ownership and management and have more furniture arrangements than ever before that cater to all price points.”

The company’s stores across Florida closed in 2011, including the 68,000-square-foot location in south Sarasota, despite having been one of the top sellers in Southwest Florida just five years earlier.

The brand started making a comeback in 2012 by opening stores in Fort Myers, where the chain is headquartered, and in Naples, before opening its third and largest store in Sarasota.

Read more here.