by KREM.com, David Nutt, Andrew Casler and Simon Wheeler, The Ithaca (N.Y.) Journal

KREM.com

Posted on June 24, 2014 at 5:45 AM

ITHACA, New York. A truck driver from Spokanecrashed into a New York restaurant Friday, killing a bartender andinjuring at least seven others.

Witnesses estimated the truck was traveling as fast as 60 mph when it crashed into the building in Downtown Ithaca.

The CBS affiliate in Syracuse reported the tractor trailer hauler was owned by Auto Star Transport in Spokane. The 37-year-old driver was ticketed for having an inadequate braking system and violating length restrictions, according to CBSNews.

The driver of the truck sustained superficial injuries and was being questioned by Ithaca police. The cause of the crash was being investigated Friday evening.

Lindsey Pou, 26, a pastry chef at a nearby restaurant, said she was sitting outside when she saw the tractor-trailer barreling down the street and smash into the building. She said the driver did not sound the horn, and she did not hear any screeching brakes.

There were a number of diners sitting in Simeon's restaurant, and more employees were arriving for the evening shift when the accident occurred, she said.

A group of construction workers were standing in the truck's path and had to leap out of the way to avoid being hit, according to Pou.

Original post:
Spokane truck driver involved in fatal NY restaurant crash

TAMPA Now that the Epicurean Hotel is open and the Elevage restaurant, Edge Social Drinkery and Chocolate Pi patisserie are serving customers, the owner of Berns Steak House announced Monday that sister restaurant SideBerns will get a major makeover.

David Laxer said the changes at the 18-year-old South Howard Avenue restaurant were long planned following Berns Fine Wine & Spirits relocation south to the Epicurean from SideBerns. With all the bottles moved and the space empty, renovating the modern fusion restaurant is now possible.

SideBerns will close on June 24 so that construction can begin at the award-winning 150-seat restaurant, Laxer said. No reopening date has been set, but it is expected service will restart near the end of the year.

For the past five years, the restaurant has closed for 10 days each summer for maintenance and decor improvements. Laxer said this years renovation plans are too extensive to complete in such a short amount of time.

Its a bigger endeavor than tearing up some floor, putting paint on the walls and moving furniture around, Laxer said. We just cant continue to have that dead space in the former wine store. Now its about figuring out the nuts and bolts of what to do.

In 2012, Berns joined with Mainsail Lodging & Development and Marriott to build the food-themed Epicurean Hotel across from the steak house on South Howard Avenue.

The land for the hotel, as well as the parking garage behind the resort, was provided by Laxer. Mainsail built the hotel and oversees its operations. Marriott provides the reservations and booking system.

Staff from Berns and SideBerns operate the Elevage restaurant, Chocolate Pi bakery and the Edge rooftop bar, as well as in-room and spa food and beverage hospitality. The restaurant also provides food for catering events in the ballroom as well as private functions inside the Epicureans Culinary Theater.

It takes time to do something right and we want to do it right, Berns spokeswoman Brooke Palmer said of the renovation. We want to bring SideBerns to the level of the hotel and Elevage.

In 1996, SideBerns started as three separate buildings, including the wine shop, the restaurant and a warehouse. As the restaurant grew from a dessert and wine space into a full-fledged restaurant under former chef Jeannie Pierola, the land between the wine shop and dining room was enclosed as The Brick Room to accommodate large groups and functions.

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SideBernand#8217;s to close during renovation

DECATURCome September, what will be a new restaurant for community members will serve as a laboratory for students at Richland Community College.

When people think of a lab, they usually picture beakers and Bunsen burners, instead of forks, spoons and duck pat, said Greg Florian, Richland vice president of finance and administration.

After about $1 million and a year of construction, the college invited the public Wednesday to get a peek of Bistro 537, the Culinary Arts Institute student-operated restaurant. The ribbon-cutting doubled as a Business After Hours event for the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce where food, beverages and tours of the facility were provided to more than 150 attendants.

Chamber President Mirinda Rothrock said Bistro 537 will give students real-life experience that could lead to one day opening their own restaurant and spurring commerce in the community.

The culinary institute is one great way to think of economic development, Rothrock said. Students here receiving their education are becoming our future work force.

Though most of the construction on the facility, located adjacent to the Shilling Center, has been completed, the college will focus on finalizing detail work during the summer, Florian said.

Once open, the restaurant will offer lunch and dinner on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the menu changing each month.

From a fast lunch service to a fine dining experience and everything in between, the menu will evolve each month as students progress, Chef Ryan Rogiers said.

The restaurant serves as one project in a long list of construction developments taking place at the college this summer.

The Workforce Development Institute, a 45,000 square-foot building costing about $16 million, is slated for completion in October and will house the college's auto body, auto technology, diesel technology and construction trades programs along with the fitness and wellness center as well as space for Heartland Technical Academy students. Equipment will start to be hauled into the building in July.

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Beyond the kitchen

Sweet season: Shakamak wins Class A baseball title

Shakamak baseball wins the IHSAA Class A state baseball championship.

June 21, 2014 15 Photos

Sweat poured from the faces of about 110 high school football players attending Saturdays fifth annual Union Hospital Steve Weatherford Football Camp.

June 21, 2014 5 Photos 1 Story

Steve Weatherford, a New York Giants punter, continued his day of giving back to his home town Saturday afternoon at the Childrens Museum after hosting his annual football camp at North Vigo High School.

June 21, 2014 3 Photos 1 Story

A ceremonial groundbreaking will take place Monday for the new, $9.8 million Vigo Schools Aquatic Center, which will be located at Voorhees Park. The event will take place at 9 a.m.

June 21, 2014

The Vigo County School Board on Monday will consider revisions to its anti-bullying policy to comply with a new state law.

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After delays, construction resumes

Austin, Texas (PRWEB) June 16, 2014

Once a relatively quiet suburbia, the Anderson-Shoal Creek-Burnet corridor is now home to a booming population, including a bevy of young Austin professionals. Recognizing the energy of the neighborhood, restaurateur Brendan Puthoff called on the collaborative power of Dick Clark and Associates and Pinnacle Construction to design and build his latest epicurean venture, Fork & Vine (http://www.forkvine.com).

Construction has ofcially begun on the 5,200+ square foot, 229-seat Austin-inspired kitchen and wine bar, taking the anchor spot of the Creekside Square Shopping Center. Fork & Vine is a natural evolution for Puthoff Holdings, developer of Third Base Sports Bars and Mighty Bird restaurants and past owner of Hickory Street.

We wanted to bring to Shoal Creek a restaurant with rened food and excellent service, yet have it remain casual in spirit, said Puthoff. And nobody expresses this concept through architecture better than Dick Clark and Associates (http://www.dcarch.com).

I really love their design style, Puthoff said of Dick Clark. The rm is well known for creating sleek, comfortable interiors including their creative use of unique materials. Dick Clark has designed an incredible restaurant that exceeded our expectations from a functionality, style, and renement perspective. Our customers are going to love Fork & Vine.

The Austin Power Team

Since 1979, Dick Clark and Associates has helped shape Central Texas architectural design through its restaurants, mixed-use projects and custom homes. According to Katy Wise, Project Manager and Architect, the rm has designed over 50 restaurants, including Austins FINO, Soleil, Ruths Chris Steakhouse and Kenichi.

By the end of 2014, the trending phrase for going out for a memorable evening in Austin will be, Lets go to Anderson, said Wise.

The Dick Clark team brought in long-time partner Pinnacle Construction (http://www.pinnacleaustin.com), a 25-year industry construction veteran, for their technical expertise, superior eye for detail, and rich history in restaurant construction.

Founded by Beth Selbe Lasita in 1989, Pinnacle is the only female-owned Austin construction company that specializes in restaurants and retail. Lasita has led her team to complete over 250 restaurants, including the latest new eateries la V, Odd Duck and Midnight Cowboy, and established names like Ranch 616, Bess Bistro, and her own investments, The Grove Kitchen and Lola Savannah Coffee.

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Award-winning Design & Construction Teams Pair Up to Build Austin Kitchen and Wine Bar, Fork & Vine

Weston,FL (PRWEB) June 16, 2014

The month of June has been incredibly busy for the Florida Restaurant Franchise Group (FRFG), a subsidiary Jafrejo Holdings, LLC. The company had recently announced the acquisition of a new location and the start of construction on their first site in Davie, Florida. The group is now proud to announce I-526 approvals in their Group 8 project that is being used to fund the development of Twin Peaks restaurants throughout South Florida.

While this news was expected, it is always exciting when one of our projects begins to see the I-526 approvals start rolling in, said Fred Burgess, Director and Chief Legal Officer of the Florida Restaurant Franchise Group (FRFG) and operator of Twin Peaks Restaurants in South Florida. The Florida Restaurant Franchise Group (FRFG) is the subsidiary of Jafrejo Holdings and is responsible for all EB-5 fundraising efforts of the companies various restaurant brands. Receiving these I-526 approvals simply reaffirms our position that USCIS believes in our projects as being sound and fully compliant with program guidelines and that is reassuring to our EB-5 partners and those who are still considering our projects as a way to obtain permanent U.S. Residency through the EB-5 Visa program, said Mr. Burgess. We expect this news will bring even more notoriety to our Twin Peaks EB-5 projects.

The first two EB-5 phases (FRFG 8 and FRFG 9) that are being used to partially fund development of Twin Peaks Restaurant locations in South Florida are already sold out, but according to Burgess, there are positions remaining in Twin Peaks FRFG 10 which will fund two (2) additional locations. The first of ten South Florida Twin Peaks locations is expected to open in January 2015 with additional locations to follow shortly thereafter. Burgess is quick to point out that this latest news should create even more awareness in FRFGs Twin Peaks projects with those considering the EB-5 program.

In addition to Twin Peaks being one of the hottest sports themed restaurant brands in the United States, the FRFG business model carries its own appeal to EB-5 investors, EB-5 agents, consultants, and immigration attorneys alike because of the simplicity of the project structure and the fact that unlike many other EB-5 projects these do not wait for EB-5 funding to begin construction or development of locations:

FRFGs Twin Peaks offerings are presented under the Palm Beach Regional Center, the first EB-5 Regional Center to have been approved in the State of Florida and one of the few Regional Centers in the United States that can boast a 100% success rate on all previous I-526 petitions. The Palm Beach Regional Center operates in nine Florida Counties including Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.

About the Florida Restaurant Franchise Group (FRFG):

The Florida Restaurant Franchise Group, based in Weston, Fla., and is subsidiary of Jafrejo Holdings, LLC, a private entity that develops and markets franchise restaurant concepts throughout Florida. The company has a development and operations team with more than 30 years of combined success in various national franchise operations. The group is currently developing VooDoo BBQ & Grill and Twin Peaks restaurants throughout South Florida. For more information, log on to http://www.eb5restaurants.com or http://www.jafrejo.com.

About Twin Peaks:

Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Addison, Texas by successful restaurant veterans Randy DeWitt, Scott Gordon and Jack Gibbons to meet the needs of an untapped market, Twin Peaks Restaurants features quality made from scratch man food and ice cold draft beer served at 29 degrees into frozen mugs by friendly and attractive Twin Peaks Girls in a mountain sports lodge setting. Named a "2010 Hot Concept!" by Nation's Restaurant News and among 2011s and 2012s Future 50 concepts by Restaurant Business magazine, the national chain has more than 50 locations throughout Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. For more information, log on to http://www.twinpeaksrestaurants.com.

Originally posted here:
Florida Restaurant Franchise Group Continues EB-5 Success with Twin Peaks

Davie, Fl (PRWEB) June 13, 2014

The month of June has been very exciting for the South Florida group developing Twin Peaks the nations hottest sports themed restaurant chain that prides itself on being the ultimate man cave! The Florida Restaurant Franchise Group (FRFG) a subsidiary Jafrejo Holdings, LLC which is developing ten (10) locations across South Florida announced today that they have acquired a new location in Davie, FL and have begun to prepare the site for construction. This Davie site will be FRFGs first South Florida location and is expected to introduce South Florida to the East, Drink and Scenic Views of Twin Peaks in January 2015.

We are very happy with the progress we have been making and we are excited to finally begin the construction process on our first South Florida location. Davie is the perfect location to introduce our brand to South Florida, said Jack Flechner of the Florida Restaurant Franchise Group (FRFG) and operator of Twin Peaks in South Florida as well as other franchise restaurants in Florida. Acquiring this property and beginning the construction process on our first of ten locations are exciting milestones for us, we couldn't be more excited about working with the Town of Davie in developing our first location at the Tower Shoppes, added Flechner.

The Florida Restaurant Franchise Group (FRFG) has also indicated that it is working on plans to quickly expand with additional locations in Pembroke Pines, West Palm Beach, Doral and Fort Lauderdale.

About the Florida Restaurant Franchise Group (FRFG) :

The Florida Restaurant Franchise Group, is a Subsidiary of Weston, FL based JaFreJo Holdings, a private company that develops and markets franchise restaurant concepts throughout Florida. The company has a development and operations team with more than 30 years of combined success and experience in various national franchise operations. The group is currently developing VooDoo BBQ & Grill and Twin Peaks restaurants throughout South Florida. For more information, log on to http://www.jafrejo.com .

About Twin Peaks:

Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Addison, Texas by successful restaurant veterans Randy DeWitt, Scott Gordon and Jack Gibbons to meet the needs of an untapped market, Twin Peaks Restaurants features quality made from scratch man food and ice cold draft beer served at 29 degrees into frozen mugs by friendly and attractive Twin Peaks Girls in a mountain sports lodge setting. Named a "2010 Hot Concept!" by Nation's Restaurant News and among 2011s and 2012s Future 50 concepts by Restaurant Business magazine, the national chain has more than 50 locations throughout Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. For more information, log on to http://www.twinpeaksrestaurants.com.

Read more:
Twin Peaks Begins South Florida Expansion

Chris and Toula Linville got started early this year, filing in January for a building permit to build a new Louie's Coney Island restaurant on the site of the tornado-ravaged store on East Hoffer Street.

Their ability to line up a contractor and building plans so quickly paid off of the Linvilles, who re-opened Louie's to widespread public acclaim June 4.

With tornado damage in need of repair, as well as a national economy on the rebound, local planning officials are hoping this will be the best post-recession year for Kokomo and Howard County construction yet.

In the southwest and eastern edges of the city, the recession-stalled build out of subdivisions has restarted.

In March, the Kokomo Plan Commission issued 13 building permits for new homes. Locations included Crooked Stick Drive near the Wildcat Creek Golf Course, Schick Drive in the new Quail Run subdivision, and Morrow Drive in the Highland Springs area.

The numbers were encouraging, as homebuilders have endured some horrific years since the economy faltered in 2008. In 2006, more than 2,500 people were employed in the construction trades in Kokomo and Tipton counties. By mid-2009, that number had been cut in half, with residential housing jobs taking the brunt of the hit.

So far builders have filed for 23 building permits for single-family homes in Kokomo and Howard County this year, after filing for 26 permits in all of 2013, and only 17 in 2012. Between 2009 and 2011, there were only 11 new home permits issued.

"It's a busy time, but it's a good busy," Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight said Friday, as workers could be seen from his office window working on the city's new $6 million parking garage, due to be finished by year's end.

The city is gearing up for a downtown baseball stadium project, with site work set to begin this year.

Original post:
Construction trending up in Kokomo

Juleps New Southern Cuisine is leaving Shockoe Bottom and moving to East Grace Street downtown.

Owner Amy Ayers said Thursday night before the restaurants 11th anniversary celebration that the restaurant will move to the former Shields Shoes store at 420 E. Grace St.

She hopes to finish construction on the building by the end of 2014 and open Juleps in its new location by March 1. The restaurant will remain open at its current location until the move.

Were going from one historic building to another, Ayers said.

Ayers bought the three-story Shields building with Tom Dickey and Chris Johnson, principals of The Monument Companies. The first floor will hold the 128-seat restaurant, up from 74 seats in the current location. Eight apartments will be built on the second and third floors.

Ayers will remain sole owner of Juleps, which will rent the space from the three-person partnership. The Monument Companies will handle construction.

The partnership 420 E Grace Richmond LLC bought the property for $630,000, according to the commercial real estate firm CBRE|Richmond, whose agents represented the seller and the buyer.

Juleps will be next door to Pasture, which has served Southern-focused food since chef-owner Jason Alley and co-owners Michele Jones and Ry Marchant opened the restaurant in 2011.

Like Juleps new digs, a storefront that once catered to downtown shoppers houses Pasture. The restaurant is the former home of the high-end womens clothier Montaldos.

When she was fresh out of college, Ayers worked at Downtown Presents, which had been Richmonds urban festival promoter. One of her tasks was to hang event posters in the windows of downtown retailers.

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Juleps restaurant moving downtown

Construction on Highway 36, which resumed this spring, is affectin area businesses differently. Some are seeing declines in sales, but others are not. (Gazette staff photo by Jonathan Young)

Businesses along state Highway 36 between Washington/Norelle Avenue and Highway. 95 offer mixed reports on the effects of the construction. While some businesses simply note minor inconveniences to customers, others recognize a noticeable decrease in sales.

Richard Rose of Rose Floral and Greenhouse sees no significant negative effects from the construction.

Its been a lot of inconvenience but nothing really big, Rose said.

Since the road is still open, customers figuring out how to navigate to the business is the main challenge. It can look confusing, he added.

A couple businesses, such as Phils Tara Hideaway and Acapulco Restaurante Mexicano, herald local support as key during this time. They say loyal customers have kept them from feeling a significant negative impact.

Nik Barbatsis, manager at Phils Tara Hideaway, said. I think the community is doing a great job of supporting the businesses along the highway, Barbatsis said.

Getting to the restaurant is a little tricky but still possible.

People are pretty clever, Barbatsis said.

Harrel Perez of Acapulco Restaurante Mexicano noticed pros and cons from the construction. He appreciated the construction workers who stop in for meals, and the continued support of the Stillwater community.

The rest is here:
Construction on Highway 36 causing drop in sales for some businesses but not all