Running a restaurant is not a piece of cake
By Christine Huang When Brian Huston opened the doors to Evanston restaurant Boltwood in June 2014, he envisioned it as a neighborhood bistro with an emphasis on market-driven, locally sourced ingredients. A native Evanstonian, Huston credited Found Kitchen and Social House, a seasonally driven restaurant and lounge that opened in 2012, as his inspiration for […]
American Eagle stock sinks on soft outlook
By Christine Huang American Eagle Outfitters Inc. stock plummeted 9.5 percent after the retailer predicted an earnings drop in the current quarter. Shares closed at $14.34, down $1.51. American Eagle reported net income of $54.6 million, or 30 cents per diluted share, in its fourth quarter ended Jan. 28, down 33 percent from $81.7 million, […]
Consumer sentiment dips slightly but remains high
Consumer sentiment remained high in February but fell slightly from the 13-year peak reached in the previous month. The Index of Consumer Sentiment was 96.3 in February, down 2.2 percent from 98.5 in January but up 5 percent from 91.7 a year earlier, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. Economists surveyed by […]
Existing-Home Sales Jump to 10-Year High
By Christine Huang Existing-home sales leapt to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.69 million in January, up 3.3 percent from an upwardly revised 5.51 million annual rate in December 2016, beating estimates of economists polled by Bloomberg. The National Association of Realtors reported that total sales of pre-owned homes in January was up 3.8 percent […]
Groupon soars on higher adjusted earnings, expense cuts
By Christine Huang Groupon Inc.’s stock skyrocketed 22.8 percent to $4.64 per share after the company reported increased revenues, better-than-expected adjusted income and strategic changes including reduced expenses and a scaled-back global footprint. Groupon, a Chicago-based daily local deals platform for goods, services and experiences, has over 52 million active customers worldwide, as of the […]
Consumer sentiment highest since 2004
By Christine Huang Consumers expressed overwhelming optimism about the economy in January. The Index of Consumer Sentiment reached a 13-year high of 98.5, surpassing last month’s 98.2, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. It was the highest reading since 2004.
Yelp expected to swing to profit in 2017
By Christine Huang One month after opening the doors to Yeero Revolution, a trendy gyro joint in Evanston, co-owner John Nikolaou decided to advertise on Yelp, a popular online review platform. The owner of the two-month-old restaurant says he’s already seeing benefits. “Yelp definitely drives a lot of people,” Nikolaou said in an interview. “They’ll […]
