While the economy has taken its toll on some area businesses, one local retailer is expanding because of the downturn. Norma Santamaria, who owns Baggio on Gayton Road near Quioccasin Road in Henrico County, has moved her store to accommodate the increase in traffic and inventory she’s seen since the economy began to sour last year. Baggio is a consignment shop that deals in high-end women’s clothing, bags, shoes and jewelry.

The next time you spring for a Slurpee at a 7-Eleven, you could be buying it from a neighbor. The Dallas-based convenience store chain is looking to sell its Richmond-area company-owned stores to franchisees. It began the process here in 2007 but is making a bigger push now by reaching out to possible store owners. Of the 96 stores in the Richmond/Petersburg market, the chain has sold about 11 to franchisees. In the Philadelphia market, only two of its 155 area stores remain company-owned. In the Baltimore market, all but nine of the 175 stores have been sold to franchisees. Both markets have been pushing to sell their stores to franchisees for several years.

With lighted columns in the lobby, a second-floor terrace complete with swimming pool, and high-end lighting in the halls, the new Hotel Sierra seems more like a boutique hotel in Manhattan than an extended-stay lodge backing up to a Dick’s Sporting Goods. But the latter is exactly what it is. The Hotel Sierra is at the rear of the Short Pump Town Center, across the walkway from the Baker’s Crust Café. The hotel, which opened about two months ago, will hold an invitation-only open house on Thursday.

Nothing ruins a lazy summer day like knowing that lurking somewhere on a honey-do list are friendly reminders to cut the grass, paint a room or clean the garage. For the least motivated in our midst, the list gets ignored while weeds grow and laundry piles up. And even the best-intentioned do-it-yourselfers can wind up spending the entire weekend doing chores.

Posted on the Biz Buzz Blog last week
  Starbucks will open a new full-service shop in downtown Richmond this summer. It will be inside the Richmond Marriott, which is undergoing a $14 million renovation. It will replace a stand inside the hotel, which closed last week. The stand only served brewed Starbucks coffees, while the new location will carry the entire Starbucks menu. Tom Underwood, the Marriott’s general manager, said the hotel decided to open the full-size Starbucks because it helps bring in customers off the street and is attractive to travelers planning trips. “Starbucks is a brand that adds a lot of value,“ he said.

Richmond is a business town. From large corporations such as Altria, CarMax and Owens & Minor to mom-and-pop stores and service companies, the area’s business community is diverse and active. But the area’s newest corporate citizen brings something new: pro football. Richmond is now home to the Indoor Football League. In April, the 19-team league moved its headquarters from Odessa, Texas, to new digs in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom, at East Main and 21st streets.

Anyone running a store knows that there is a lot more to it than selling merchandise stocked on shelves. Just to operate day to day, business owners have to buy pens, toner and paper clips. They need coffee cups for the break room, toilet paper for the bathrooms and tape for the cash registers. Some businesses need uniforms and janitorial services.

In a fast-paced world, the wine business moves at a crawl. While most household items are mass produced and speed is of the essence, the glass of Chardonnay you have with dinner took years, if not decades, between planting and consumption. So it’s hard to imagine the patient world of wine and the ultra-fast world of the Web joining forces.

Thom Suddeth is tired. It’s Wednesday afternoon and he’s working at his Carytown shop after a morning filled with going over marketing budgets and meeting with city officials. His plans for the afternoon include pulling weeds around a sign at the entrance to Carytown. “It’s a lot of work,“ he said. Suddeth owns the Road Runner Running Store at 3002 W. Cary St.

Bogart’s has reopened. Again. It is the second time in just a few months that the Fan District eatery is reopening. The first time was Feb. 15 after a six-month hiatus when it moved from its home of 38 years to 1903 Cary St. Then two weeks ago it reopened after a fire in a back storage shed shut it down for three weeks. “This time it was much smoother,“ said co-owner Nick Hanson. “The scope of work was a lot greater the last time.“

Posted on the Biz Buzz Blog last week
  Schwarzschild changes:
Edward S. Croft has stepped down as president of Schwarzschild Jewelers. Croft, who joined the company in 2006, left about two weeks ago to return to Atlanta. The company is doing away with the president’s position and will staff each store with an independent manager. Rick Santackas has replaced Croft as store manager of the Short Pump Town Center location. Before Schwarzschild, Santackas was part owner of Rees Jewelers in Henrico County.

Posted on the Biz Buzz Blog last week
  Md. chain coming here: The Green Turtle Sports Bar & Grille is looking to expand into the Richmond area. The Maryland-based chain has 22 restaurants throughout Maryland as well as in the District of Columbia, Delaware and Northern Virginia. It is now looking to add 150 franchised restaurants along the East Coast. Richmond is one of three target markets in Virginia where the Green Turtle first expects to franchise. The company already sold a three-unit deal for Northern Virginia, is close to finalizing another in the Chesapeake area and will next target Richmond.

Sitting in her small shop on Quioccasin Road in Henrico County, Evelyn Bagala is in the midst of the busiest time of the year. Bagala is a dressmaker and with late spring and summer approaching, prom and wedding orders need to be filled.

Cafféspresso in Henrico sells more than coffee In Italy, and across most of Europe, a cup of coffee isn’t brewed so you can drink it out of a plastic foam cup while driving to work. It’s meant to be enjoyed at a sidewalk café while reading or socializing.

It’s a long way from Carytown to Kirkuk. And in the middle of a war, the distance is even farther. But one area businesswoman has found some steady customers in the Iraqi desert among the men and women serving in the U.S. military.