After major retailer Bed Bath & Beyond closed locations across the country, many of those shuttered stores remain empty. There is an empty one in Albany County that is being transformed into a new HomeGoods store.
There has been a lot of construction being done on the New York State Thruway Rest Areas and finally, we are starting to see some of the rest stops being completed. Although the first rest area is open, this is one of the smaller versions of what the other ones will look like. The Indian Castle rest area just 90 minutes west of Albany is beautiful with a Popeye's and Starbucks inside. It boasts a Starbucks drive-thru and a convenience store featuring a variety of New York state products.
The New York State Thruway is in the process of overhauling all 27 of the rest areas. Although they are only working on a handful at a time, the renderings have been revealed. Not only will they be more of an open concept, but some will also have dog parks and all will have better food options. Look for Shake Shack, Panera, Starbucks, Panda Express, Chik-fil-A, Popeyes, Dunkin, Burger King, and a new fresh concept Applegreen convenience stores. Taste NY farm markets will be at each rest area along with play areas and picnic areas. There will be amenities for commercial truck drivers including more truck parking, showers, fitness centers, and laundry facilities.
Dunkin' announced that they are closing 450 locations in 2020. It's a plan that has been in the works before the coronavirus pandemic so it's unrelated.
Starbucks announced Wednesday that it would be closing roughly 400 of its 10,000 locations this year. However, by the end of the year, Starbucks plans to open 300 more locations than it started the year with. How does that make sense? Well, the coronavirus pandemic has forced Starbucks, as well as other retailers, to take a hard look at their business model and make changes...