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Retail and Business

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Aug. 27: Making Your Commercial Lease the Least of Your Problems

Host: Iowa Center for Economic Success
About: Commercial leases often contain provisions that business owners (especially new ones) have never encountered. This can lead to headaches, frustration, and occasionally legal fees once an attorney gets …

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Mediterranean restaurant franchise plans expansion into Des Moines area

The Colorado-based Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh plans to open five restaurants in the Des Moines area within the next 24 months, a company official said.

The restaurant chain, described as fast-casual, allows guests to customize their …

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NOTEBOOK: After a home baker experiences violent assault, Crème Cupcakes opens doors to tightknit community

Hours after learning that a home bakery owner was sexually assaulted at gunpoint in her home during a supposed delivery handoff, Crème Cupcake owner Christina Moffatt decided her business could step in for other home …

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Ricochet game lounge, bar set to open in long-vacant space at Capital Square

This first-floor space at Capital Square, 400 Locust St., has been vacant since the Embassy Club moved to the Ruan Center about 15 years ago. Ricochet Game Lounge & Social Bar is slated to open …

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Bed Bath & Beyond at Jordan Creek is closing

Des Moines Register: The Bed Bath & Beyond at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines is going out of business. Store manager Ariel McNight said the store is in the process of closing, but …

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Amazon makes ‘casual’ inquiry Iowa City space for distribution center

Corridor Business Journal: Rumors that e-commerce giant Amazon is eyeing a former Procter & Gamble distribution center in Iowa City for a “last-mile” fulfillment center appear to have some basis in fact. Though no lease has …

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NOTEBOOK – One Good Read: Cashless stores alienate customers in the name of efficiency

Brands increasingly seek to provide “frictionless” experiences — a sense of ease and efficiency that enables users to engage with them on their terms. However, in a small but growing number of cases, frictionless means …

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Gusto Pizza closing its Waukee restaurant

Gusto Pizza Co. is closing its Waukee site, which has been open six years. Sunday is the restaurant’s final day open. The owners of the local restaurant chain plan to open El Guapo, a tequila …

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DMACC honors small businesses

Des Moines Area Community College has announced its Small Business Awards, which will be presented on Sept. 10 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny. Dinner and the awards program will begin at 6 p.m.

The winners …

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New hotels are going up all over the Quad Cities

Quad-City Times: Hotel construction in the Quad Cities is booming, with 15 new properties opening in the past nine years. One more will open in downtown Moline, Ill., this fall, and another new hotel will welcome …