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Friday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
External economic factors making Florida businesses uneasy
Florida small business owners are concerned about “economic uncertainty,” according to new survey results published by the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Twenty-three percent of small business owners said they were concerned about uncertainty in the Chamber’s most recent survey, up from just 8 percent during the previous quarter. More from Sarasota Magazine and Florida Politics.
Proposed law change would open floodgate for driverless cars in Florida
A new legislative bill aimed at preserving Florida’s status as a pioneering state for autonomous vehicle development would eliminate requirements that human operators always be on hand to take control of fully autonomous cars while in turn legalizing driverless vehicles fully run by software systems. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
New details revealed for Port Canaveral-bound Carnival Mardi Gras
When Carnival’s new cruise ship Mardi Gras makes its debut, it wants to welcome its passengers to the neighborhood. Check that, make that six neighborhoods. The Port Canaveral-bound ship that’s slated to arrive in 2020 is the largest yet for the cruise line, and with size comes the opportunity to segment out the ship’s features thematically. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Walmart gives per-mile rate increase to its Florida truck drivers
Walmart announced Thursday it has raised the wages of its Florida truck drivers. The increases means Walmart drivers in Florida can make an average salary of $87,500, according to the corporation. Specifically, Walmart says its drivers will receive a per-mile increase of a penny and a 50-cent increase in "activity pay," which is when drivers arrive and drop off goods. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Fast-growing burger chain targets Tampa Bay Area for expansion
National restaurant chain BurgerFi plans to add three franchise locations, all owned and operated by restaurant industry veteran Nick Quarantillo, in the St. Petersburg-Clearwater area. BurgerFi — which was launched in 2011 by a group of gourmet chefs — has 106 restaurants nationwide and plans to add 25-30 in 2019. See the announcement from BurgerFi and read more from the Business Observer.
Out of the Box
Florida Winn-Dixie now has a tap room and serves wings, pizza and ribs
A Winn-Dixie store in Neptune Beach, about a half-hour east of Jacksonville, is getting a boozy new addition inside its store: A taproom, appropriately monikered WD’s Taproom. The new taproom will also offer subs, ribs, pizza and wings. All of a sudden, everyone will be OK with supermarket shopping.
» More from the Florida Times-Union and the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Tech Trends
Synapse Summit
The Tampa Bay area’s tech startup scene is like an anthill: It’s busy, but a lot happens out of sight, and even some of the hardest workers don't have a good view of the big picture. That’s why more than 5,500 entrepreneurs, startup founders, investors and assorted techies converged on Amalie Arena this week for the second annual Synapse Summit.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.
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