http://www.toledoblade.com The Latest News from Toledoblade.com (v5) Wed, 09 Sep 2026 04:02:49 GMT en-us hourly 1 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/09/06/kentucky-man-meat-allergy-craving-burger-ostrich-farming/stories/20260906142 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/09/06/kentucky-man-meat-allergy-craving-burger-ostrich-farming/stories/20260906142#comments Sun, 06 Sep 2026 12:41:41 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/09/06/kentucky-man-meat-allergy-craving-burger-ostrich-farming/stories/20260906142 DANVILLE, Ky. — When a friend approached Brent Williams four years ago with a business proposition to start an ostrich farm, he was more than intrigued — he had a personal motivation as someone who developed a life-threatening allergy to red meat, triggered by tick bites. In this photo taken with a smartphone, Brent Williams, who suffers from the tick bite allergy known as alpha gal syndrome, pets an ostrich at Alpha Roost Farms in Danville, Ky., on Aug. 18. This photo taken with a smartphone shows an adult ostrich at Alpha Roost Farms in Danville, Ky., on Aug. 18. Cuts of grilled ostrich meat on a plate in Danville, Ky., on Aug. 18. In this photo taken with a smartphone, Brent Williams, an alpha gal syndrome sufferer, prepares ostrich meat with farm owner W.D. King in Danville, Ky., on Aug. 18. In this photo taken with a smartphone, Alpha Roost Farms owner W.D. King holds a young ostrich in Danville, Ky., on Aug. 18. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/09/04/toledo-zoo-downtown-watering-hole-creamery/stories/20260902105 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/09/04/toledo-zoo-downtown-watering-hole-creamery/stories/20260902105#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/09/04/toledo-zoo-downtown-watering-hole-creamery/stories/20260902105 A new kind of “watering hole” has come to downtown Toledo. The Watering Hole Creamery inside Doc Martin’s Remedy Shoppe and Apothecary in downtown Toledo on Sept. 3. A strawberry milkshake, strawberry shortcake sundae, and strawberry spinach salad at the Watering Hole Creamery inside Doc Martin’s Remedy Shoppe and Apothecary in downtown Toledo on Sept. 3. An ice cream flight at the Watering Hole Creamery inside Doc Martin’s Remedy Shoppe and Apothecary in downtown Toledo on Sept. 3. People eat lunch inside the Watering Hole Creamery inside Doc Martin’s Remedy Shoppe and Apothecary in downtown Toledo on Sept. 3. A menu at the Watering Hole Creamery inside Doc Martin’s Remedy Shoppe and Apothecary in downtown Toledo on Sept. 3. Eric Laipply scoops ice cream at the Watering Hole Creamery inside Doc Martin’s Remedy Shoppe and Apothecary in downtown Toledo on Sept. 3. Kylie Leffel sits inside the Watering Hole Creamery inside Doc Martin’s Remedy Shoppe and Apothecary in downtown Toledo on Sept. 3. Karina Solis and Tori Ernst-Loughner enjoy ice cream and a salad at the Watering Hole Creamery inside Doc Martin’s Remedy Shoppe and Apothecary in downtown Toledo Watering Hole Creamery. Eric Laipply makes a strawberry milkshake at the Watering Hole Creamery inside Doc Martin’s Remedy Shoppe and Apothecary in downtown Toledo on Sept. 3. A strawberry milkshake and strawberry shortcake sundae at the Watering Hole Creamery inside Doc Martin’s Remedy Shoppe and Apothecary in downtown Toledo on Sept. 3. The Watering Hole Creamery inside Doc Martin’s Remedy Shoppe and Apothecary in downtown Toledo on Sept. 3. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/31/chuck-e-cheese-closes-south-toledo-location-disappointing-fans/stories/20260831070 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/31/chuck-e-cheese-closes-south-toledo-location-disappointing-fans/stories/20260831070#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2026 22:38:49 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/31/chuck-e-cheese-closes-south-toledo-location-disappointing-fans/stories/20260831070 Chuck E. Cheese is closing one of its two Toledo locations Monday night, which was the last regular store in the country with the chain’s original animatronic band. Capri Lynch, 5, dances with Chuck E. Cheese on Aug. 31 at Chuck E. Cheese’s on Airport Highway in Toledo. Blaze Parrott, 12, dances with Chuck E. Cheese Monday, August 31, 2026, at Chuck E. Cheese’s on Airport Highway in Toledo. Anthony Rott, 9, of Ann Arbor looks at a Chuck E. Cheese book on Aug. 31 at Chuck E. Cheese’s on Airport Highway in Toledo. Anthony Rott, 9, of Ann Arbor points out the animatronics to his mother Angela Domenichini on Aug. 31 at Chuck E. Cheese’s on Airport Highway in Toledo. Chuck E. Cheese's at 5455 Airport Highway on Aug. 31. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/31/food-desert-swayne-market-pilot/stories/20260829010 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/31/food-desert-swayne-market-pilot/stories/20260829010#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2026 10:26:34 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/31/food-desert-swayne-market-pilot/stories/20260829010 As part of a nearly $3 million investment in the refurbished Swayne Field Shopping Center, Toledo is launching a produce market to test whether the neighborhood can sustain a permanent food hub. From left, Emily Stuller, Jeremy Herron, and Alan Urbanski explore the inside of the Swayne Field Pop-Up Produce Market on Aug.27 at the Swayne Field Shopping Center in Toledo. William Lucas looks at plans inside the Swayne Field Pop-Up Produce Market on Aug. 27 at the Swayne Field Shopping Center in Toledo. From left, Emily Stuller, Jeremy Herron, and Alan Urbanski explore the inside of the Swayne Field Pop-Up Produce Market on Aug. 27 at the Swayne Field Shopping Center in Toledo. Inside the Swayne Field Pop-Up Produce Market on Aug. 27 situated at the Swayne Field Shopping Center in Toledo. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/29/chicken-nuggets-are-next-on-burger-king-s-reinvention-plan/stories/20260829005 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/29/chicken-nuggets-are-next-on-burger-king-s-reinvention-plan/stories/20260829005#comments Sat, 29 Aug 2026 11:16:10 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/29/chicken-nuggets-are-next-on-burger-king-s-reinvention-plan/stories/20260829005 NEW YORK — After successfully remaking the Whopper, Burger King is now shifting its focus from patties to poultry. A Burger King restaurant in Los Angeles. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/27/lucky-charms-and-trix-go-au-naturel-as-general-mills-ditches-artificial-colors/stories/20260827087 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/27/lucky-charms-and-trix-go-au-naturel-as-general-mills-ditches-artificial-colors/stories/20260827087#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:51:07 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/27/lucky-charms-and-trix-go-au-naturel-as-general-mills-ditches-artificial-colors/stories/20260827087 General Mills said Wednesday it has removed artificial colors from all its U.S. cereals, including Lucky Charms and Trix. This is a shelf of General Mills Lucky Charms cereal at a market in Homestead, Pa., on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/22/americans-are-done-eating-and-shopping-at-places-that-suck/stories/20260822011 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/22/americans-are-done-eating-and-shopping-at-places-that-suck/stories/20260822011#comments Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/22/americans-are-done-eating-and-shopping-at-places-that-suck/stories/20260822011 NEW YORK — Conventional wisdom says that American consumers are struggling and they’re hunting for the lowest prices to save money. American shoppers aren't trading down. They're trading up into better products and services. McDonald's value meals have fallen flat with customers. Target is in the early stages of a comeback. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/20/walmart-is-cautious-with-expectations-after-slowest-sales-growth-in-6-years/stories/20260820100 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/20/walmart-is-cautious-with-expectations-after-slowest-sales-growth-in-6-years/stories/20260820100#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:04:54 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/20/walmart-is-cautious-with-expectations-after-slowest-sales-growth-in-6-years/stories/20260820100 NEW YORK — Walmart reported its slowest growth in U.S. comparable sales in six years during its most recent quarter, and the retailer’s guidance for the rest of the year was seen as cautious by Wall Street. The Walmart logo is displayed on a store, Aug. 14, 2025, in Manchester, N.H. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/20/amazon-set-to-expand-drone-delivery-of-lightweight-packages-to-500-us-cities-1/stories/20260820096 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/20/amazon-set-to-expand-drone-delivery-of-lightweight-packages-to-500-us-cities-1/stories/20260820096#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:52:40 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/20/amazon-set-to-expand-drone-delivery-of-lightweight-packages-to-500-us-cities-1/stories/20260820096 Millions more people may be able to get smaller, lightweight Amazon packages delivered by drones by the end of the year under a plan the company announced Wednesday to expand the airborne shipping to suburban areas in nearly 500 U.S. cities. An Amazon company logo marks the facade of a building, March 18, 2022, in Schoenefeld near Berlin. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/18/us-canada-hold-last-minute-talks-to-stop-50-u-s-tariffs-on-20-billion-worth-of-canadian-goods/stories/20260818080 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/18/us-canada-hold-last-minute-talks-to-stop-50-u-s-tariffs-on-20-billion-worth-of-canadian-goods/stories/20260818080#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:38:37 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/18/us-canada-hold-last-minute-talks-to-stop-50-u-s-tariffs-on-20-billion-worth-of-canadian-goods/stories/20260818080 WASHINGTON — The United States and Canada have wrangled for decades over trade, poking each other interminably over sore spots like Canadian softwood lumber imports and U.S. access to Canada’s protected dairy market. United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, center, leaves the U.S. Department of Commerce following a meeting with Canadian officials, in Washington on Aug. 17. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/17/uniqlo-zara-clothing-gen-z-repairs/stories/20260815007 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/17/uniqlo-zara-clothing-gen-z-repairs/stories/20260815007#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:25:59 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/17/uniqlo-zara-clothing-gen-z-repairs/stories/20260815007 NEW YORK — Encouraging customers to mend worn clothes instead of buying new ones might seem like a self-defeating sales strategy. But in-store repairs and sewing workshops are becoming essential retail services for clothing brands as they try to appeal to young consumers who want to save money and the planet. Jesse Sanchez practices sewing during a clothing repair workshop at a Levi's retail store July 22 in downtown San Francisco. Levi’s employees teach students during a sewing workshop at a Levi's retail store July 22 in downtown San Francisco. Genaro Ruiz sews clothing during a clothing repair workshop at a Levi's retail store July 22 in downtown San Francisco. Levi’s employee Ella Fassler Clausen teaches during a sewing workshop at a Levi's retail store July 22 in downtown San Francisco. Ava Trujillo practices attends a clothing repair workshop at a Levi's retail store July 22 in downtown San Francisco. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/16/developers-outline-plans-for-timbers-town-center/stories/20260804100 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/16/developers-outline-plans-for-timbers-town-center/stories/20260804100#comments Sun, 16 Aug 2026 10:52:45 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/16/developers-outline-plans-for-timbers-town-center/stories/20260804100 The Shops at Fallen Timbers are a canvas on which Tim Rollins is hoping to paint a masterpiece. People avoid broken concrete at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. Construction cones mark areas for repairs at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. An empty store at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. Construction cones mark areas for repairs at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. An empty field where new stores will be built at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. Lining on an empty storefront at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. Construction cones mark areas for repairs at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. The pond at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. An empty store at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. A closed sign hangs in the window of a store at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. Paint marks areas for repairs at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. People walk around at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. An empty store at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. People walk around at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. An empty parking lot at Fallen Timbers in Maumee on Aug. 11. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, left, and developer Frank Kass, of Continental Development Ventures, speak during the grand opening of the Colony Lofts in Toledo on May 9, 2025. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/15/how-the-whopper-reignited-the-burger-wars/stories/20260815010 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/15/how-the-whopper-reignited-the-burger-wars/stories/20260815010#comments Sat, 15 Aug 2026 11:09:34 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/15/how-the-whopper-reignited-the-burger-wars/stories/20260815010 NEW YORK — For the first time in a while, Burger King is living up to its name. Burger King's Whopper now comes in a clamshell box instead of just wrapped in paper after consumers complained their burgers were getting smushed. McDonald's reported slow growth. A Burger King in California that hasn't yet been remodeled. Wendy's sales declined again in its most recent quarter. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/15/7up-is-getting-a-lime-forward-makeover/stories/20260815008 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/15/7up-is-getting-a-lime-forward-makeover/stories/20260815008#comments Sat, 15 Aug 2026 11:09:52 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/15/7up-is-getting-a-lime-forward-makeover/stories/20260815008 NEW YORK — 7UP, which popularized lemon-lime flavoring when it rolled out nearly a century ago, is changing its taste for the first time in 15 years. 7UP is reformulating its recipe for the first time in 15 years. Refreshed packaging and logo will roll out in the United States in the coming weeks. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/14/design-firm-leaves-big-impression-on-regional-businesses/stories/20260816054 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/14/design-firm-leaves-big-impression-on-regional-businesses/stories/20260816054#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2026 10:27:33 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/14/design-firm-leaves-big-impression-on-regional-businesses/stories/20260816054 2-Scale is the hardest-working company you do not know about. 2-Scale President Aaron Churchill Aug. 12 at 2-Scale. 2-Scale President Aaron Churchill Aug. 12 at 2-Scale. CAD Designer Derek Yundt works on a design Aug. 12 at 2-Scale. CAD Designer Derek Yundt runs a CNC Router Aug. 12 at 2-Scale. Creative Director Adam Sanzenbacher clear coats a surface Aug. 12 at 2-Scale. A printer runs Aug. 12 at 2-Scale. 2-Scale President Aaron Churchill takes a measurement Aug. 12 at 2-Scale. CAD Designer Derek Yundt runs a CNC Router Aug. 12 at 2-Scale. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/13/a-surprise-credit-after-an-overseas-purchase-the-tariff-refunds-now-flowing-through-shippers/stories/20260813103 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/13/a-surprise-credit-after-an-overseas-purchase-the-tariff-refunds-now-flowing-through-shippers/stories/20260813103#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:38:37 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/13/a-surprise-credit-after-an-overseas-purchase-the-tariff-refunds-now-flowing-through-shippers/stories/20260813103 NEW YORK — If you bought something from an overseas vendor last year, it might be time to check your bank account. The company logo is shown on a FedEx delivery van, Sept. 13, 2023, in downtown Denver. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/09/corporate-america-billions-dollars-tariff-refunds/stories/20260809037 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/09/corporate-america-billions-dollars-tariff-refunds/stories/20260809037#comments Sun, 09 Aug 2026 12:31:22 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/09/corporate-america-billions-dollars-tariff-refunds/stories/20260809037 Apple got an estimated $2.2 billion tariff refund last quarter. Amazon got $600 million. Nike got $300 million. But American consumers who paid higher prices as President Trump’s tariffs filtered through the economy are getting almost nothing back. An Amazon box moves along a conveyor belt at Amazon’s fulfillment center in Robbinsville, N.J., on Dec. 1. New Apple models are displayed at the Apple Store in New York on Sept. 19. A person shops for Nike shoes at the Nike Factory store on July 24 in Austin, Texas. In an aerial view, the Costco logo is displayed on the exterior of a Costco store in 2024 in Richmond, Calif. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/07/chef-turns-fragile-beginnings-flavor/stories/20260723007 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/07/chef-turns-fragile-beginnings-flavor/stories/20260723007#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:32:38 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/07/chef-turns-fragile-beginnings-flavor/stories/20260723007 Before she ever took her first step, Jameshia Polk was already fighting for her life. Jameshia Polk cuts grilled chicken for the Flava Spot, her catering and meal prep business built on fresh and locally sourced ingredients, at the Toledo Commercial Kitchen on July 20 in South Toledo. Jameshia Polk makes entrees for the Flava Spot, her catering and meal prep business built on fresh and locally sourced ingredients, at the Toledo Commercial Kitchen on July 20 in South Toledo. Jameshia Polk makes entrees for the Flava Spot, her catering and meal prep business built on fresh and locally sourced ingredients, at the Toledo Commercial Kitchen on July 20 in South Toledo. Jameshia Polk makes entrees like honey-glazed salmon for the Flava Spot, her catering and meal prep business built on fresh and locally sourced ingredients, at the Toledo Commercial Kitchen on July 20 in South Toledo. Jameshia Polk makes entrees like 'Greek Lemon Chicken' for the Flava Spot, her catering and meal prep business built on fresh and locally sourced ingredients, at the Toledo Commercial Kitchen on July 20 in South Toledo. Jameshia Polk makes entrees for the Flava Spot, her catering and meal prep business built on fresh and locally sourced ingredients, at the Toledo Commercial Kitchen on July 20 in South Toledo. Jameshia Polk makes entrees like 'Mediterranean Chicken' for the Flava Spot, her catering and meal prep business built on fresh and locally sourced ingredients, at the Toledo Commercial Kitchen on July 20 in South Toledo. Jameshia Polk makes entrees like honey-glazed salmon for the Flava Spot, her catering and meal prep business built on fresh and locally sourced ingredients, at the Toledo Commercial Kitchen on July 20 in South Toledo. Jameshia Polk makes entrees for the Flava Spot, her catering and meal prep business built on fresh and locally sourced ingredients, at the Toledo Commercial Kitchen on July 20 in South Toledo. Jameshia Polk makes entrees for the Flava Spot, her catering and meal prep business built on fresh and locally sourced ingredients, at the Toledo Commercial Kitchen on July 20 in South Toledo. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/03/rick-s-city-diner-welcomes-its-founder-back-with-fanfare/stories/20260731097 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/03/rick-s-city-diner-welcomes-its-founder-back-with-fanfare/stories/20260731097#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2026 17:04:53 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/03/rick-s-city-diner-welcomes-its-founder-back-with-fanfare/stories/20260731097 After 2½ years, Rick Salem is back at Rick’s. Rick Salem, owner, at Rick’s City Diner in Toledo on Aug. 2. People dine in for breakfast at Rick’s City Diner in Toledo on Aug. 2. Rick’s City Diner in Toledo on Aug. 1. Owner Rick Salem, center, in a photo with servers, from left, Mandy Tippin, Selina Sharp, Korrin Collins and Savanna Scott at Rick’s City Diner in Toledo on Aug. 2. A breakfast dish is ready to be served at Rick’s City Diner in Toledo on Aug. 2. People dine in for breakfast at Rick’s City Diner in Toledo on Aug. 2. Rick’s City Diner in Toledo on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. Rick’s City Diner in Toledo on Aug. 1. Rick’s City Diner in Toledo on Aug. 1. https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/03/here-s-how-ai-is-making-your-life-more-expensive/stories/20260802048 https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/03/here-s-how-ai-is-making-your-life-more-expensive/stories/20260802048#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:20:33 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/business/retail/2026/08/03/here-s-how-ai-is-making-your-life-more-expensive/stories/20260802048 AI is raising prices for Americans — and not just electricity bills. The Microsoft Xbox Series X, left, and Sony PlayStation 5 home video game consoles are shown alongside a television and soundbar on Nov. 3, 2020. An Amazon Web Services data center in Haymarket, Va., on July 9, 2025. Total power usage in the United States is expected to climb 2.15 percent in 2026, spurred largely by a 5 percent spike from commercial users because of the expansion of data centers, according to a U.S. Energy Department report released in June. The newly released MacBook Neo at the Apple Store in Manhattan, New York City, on March 4. A pedestrian walks near a 49.5 megawatt three-level data center under construction on July 8 in Vernon, Calif.