Category: Latest Headlines

Latest Headlines

Schnatter’s PR war with Domino’s rises, and Heine’s got a new home

The latest news about big Louisville employers; updated frequently.

PAPA JOHN’S founder John Schnatter threw shade at Domino’s newly launched delivery vehicle, prompting howls from financial news site The Street.

HEINE BROS. is moving its headquarters to Portland, where it will occupy 16,000 square feet in the Portland Warehouse District at 1301 W. Main St. by late summer. The 13-store chain is now based above the Crescent Hill store. HQ has 15 employees (CJ). Heine hopes to open two more stores by the end of the year (Business First). The company was founded in 1994 with the original store in the Highlands, according to Heine’s about. Co-founder Gary Heine left in 2011, selling his stake to Chuck Schnatter, whose brother is the Papa John’s founder. Chuck left Papa in 2010. Heine’s Twitter feed, which includes this one; I’m pretty sure Heine Photoshopped its trade dress into that photo of the new HQ.

Latest Headlines

Our next request: an oven that automatically bakes us a cake

The latest news about big Louisville employers; updated frequently.

GE logoUPS was dealt a blow yesterday when a Fayette Circuit Court jury awarded $5.3 million in damages to eight black men who sued the shipping giant in 2014, claiming a hostile work environment in Lexington. (Herald-Leader.) FORD showed off 11 new Escape models made exclusively at the Louisville Assembly Plant. (Insider Louisville.) And GE has introduced a refrigerator with a water pitcher that automatically refills itself.

Latest Headlines

Just think about all the tips we’ll save on pizza deliveries

The latest news about big Louisville employers; updated frequently.

PAPA JOHN’s and PIZZA HUT: As consumers get more comfortable with autonomous delivery — robots to you and me — a restaurant industry that already uses cutting edge logistics services could start adding delivery robots in the coming decade. Indeed, Domino’s — arch rival to Papa John’s and Pizza Hut — is already giving a trial run to its “DRU” robot in Australia; watch Domino’s Robotic Unit video. DRU follows Domino’s introduction last October of a delivery van equipped with a special warming oven that’s easily accessed from outside.

TEXAS ROADHOUSE is adding bee hives at its corporate offices on Dutchmans Lane, a symbolic step drawing attention to the nation’s beleaguered bee colonies. (C-J).

In other news, University of Louisville said today it’s raised another $12 million for the planned $50 million Papa John’s Stadium expansion. (Card Game)

Latest Headlines

Ford survives crash tests, and a hotelier may now be a neighbor

Major Louisville employer news; updated throughout the day.

PAPA JOHN’S denies an Illinois man’s claims in a lawsuit that the pizza giant is unlawfully collecting sales taxes. More Papa news.

HUMANA accidentally told 12,000 Texas customers it wouldn’t cover their medicines, including allergy treatments, because they weren’t FDA-approved (Business First).

BROWN-FORMAN is rolling out its first new bourbon in 20 years, a premium whiskey called Coopers’ Craft (WDRB). Watch video.

FORD‘s 2016 F-150 is the only full-size pickup truck to score the top rating in new front crash tests (WDRB). Ford’s stock.

In other news, coal giant Peabody Energy enters bankruptcy;  pre-market shares plunge more than 70%. The Louisville Metro Planning Commission late last night OK’d Airbnb and other short-term residential rentals. (CJ).

Latest Headlines

But how do you clean off the cheese stuck inside?

YUM: Pizza Hut is tricking out its boxes with images of Ironman and Captain America as part of its marketing tie-in with Marvel Comics’ May 6 release of “Captain America: Civil War.” The campaign is also aimed at pizza box collectors like Scott Weiner of New York City, who’s got more than 600 boxes and a book about his stash. One box is already on eBay. There’s a special Pizza Hut Marvel website, too.(Courier-Journal). Here’s the press release, and the Viva la Pizza! collector box book. More Yum news. Yum stock. The official Pizza Hut blog.

Latest Headlines

A surprise at Appliance Park, and cutting risk at Texas Roadhouse

News about Louisville’s major employers; updated frequently.

GE: Qingdao Haier Co., is — get this — adding jobs at Appliance Park, which the China-based company agreed to buy from GE in a $5.4 billion deal in January. New owners often do the opposite: cutting upper management jobs. But Qingdao says it needs the 85 new jobs to create a standalone company. (Courier-Journal).

TEXAS ROADHOUSE operators have a direct line to the 483-location Louisville-based restaurant chain’s risk management chief. Patrick Sterling’s so serious about his job, he keeps photos of his risk management team alongside those of his three daughters. (Business Insurance.)

Caldwell's Quirky CookeryIn other news, the Russell neighborhood hopes to grow 100 new businesses with a kitchen incubator backed by the Community Foundation of Louisville, the James Graham Brown Foundation and other philanthropic groups. Already, Chef Space is home to 20 small businesses, from Caldwell’s Quirky Cookery to Younique Soul (Broken Sidewalk).