3 retail, restaurant updates to read today

The franchise owners of the Saxbys Coffee in Springboro will transform the shop into an independent business called “This Guy’s Coffee” this weekend, according to co-owner Kerri Ritter.

The shop at 284 W. Central Ave. will close Sunday afternoon at about 2 p.m. to accommodate the transition, and will reopen Monday morning under the new name, and a new source of its coffees.

This Guy’s Coffee “will still have the same owners and the same friendly baristas —that’s a big part of who we are,” Ritter said.

The new coffee shop will source its coffee beans from Winans Chocolates + Coffees, Ritter said. Ritter and her husband Kurt Ritter are looking forward to operating an independent coffee shop, but also appreciate their tenure with Saxbys, Kerri Ritter said. MARK FISHER

RETAIL

New vendor opens in Dayton’s 2nd Street Market

A new vendor has opened at the 2nd Street Market.

The Cooks Pantry is a full Thursday-through-Sunday vendor under the market’s expanded summer hours. It launched its new business last week in space that previously held a Wine Gallery satellite wine shop.

Cooks Pantry offers “kitchen gadgets and tools to help the home cook, to make things easier for them,” according to founder Karen Fitzharris.

Fitzharris retired after working for several years managing medical offices, and her love for cooking persuaded her to launch the new venture at the downtown Dayton market operated by Five Rivers MetroParks. The new shop will focus almost exclusively on products produced in the U.S., Fitzharris said. Many are exclusive to her shop, she said. MARK FISHER

DEVELOPMENT

Expanding its footprint in Ohio, Swedish furniture retailer IKEA opened its newest store in Columbus on Wednesday. The retailer opened at 9 a.m., and customers were welcomed to start lining up outside of the store approximately 48 hours in advance of the opening.

The 354,000-square-foot building is built on 33 acres at the corner of I-71 and Gemini Place in the Polaris Centers of Commerce out, and features 1,100 parking spaces on 33 acres at in the Polaris Centers of Commerce development. The property is approximately 15 miles north of downtown Columbus.

The project has stimulated the Columbus economy already — adding more than 500 jobs during the construction phase, and approximately 300 more workers will be employed when the new store opens. The location also has one of Ohio’s largest rooftop solar arrays – consistent with the solar presence at 90 percent of U.S. IKEA stores – as well as three electric vehicle charging stations. KARA DRISCOLL

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