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Friday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida lawmakers vote to raise $1 billion from online consumers to cut business taxes
A plan to use taxes on sales by out-of-state online retailers to help Florida businesses is heading to Gov. Ron DeSantis after passing the House and Senate on Thursday. While some Democrats argued that working Floridians would be hurt by the proposal because of “regressive” sales taxes, the House voted 93-24 to approve the measure (SB 50). Hours later, the Senate voted 27-12 to give final approval. If signed by DeSantis, the bill will require out-of-state retailers to collect and remit sales taxes on purchases made by Floridians, producing an estimated $1 billion a year in revenue for the state. More from the News Service of Florida.
Darden chief, other restaurant owners wonder about future of takeout after the pandemic
Darden Restaurants CEO Gene Lee doesn’t think takeout sales will remain as strong as they have been amid the coronavirus pandemic. “I do believe that as we get to offer more capacity, and we see this in individual restaurants, that the off-premise will start to fall off,” Lee said on a recent earnings call. Still, Lee said he believes that side of the business will remain “robust” thanks to the capabilities developed during the pandemic and the vision the company has for how they will improve. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Rates expected to rise with spike in premiums for Florida's property insurance industry
Florida’s property insurance industry is in crisis and premiums are sky-rocketing. Storms are forecasted to be stronger and more frequent in the future. Meanwhile, national insurance carriers do not want to do business here because they lose money. More from WEAR.
Miami venture capitalists: Inclusion must be defining characteristic of local tech ecosystem
The past few months have been unlike any in the history of Miami’s business and tech ecosystem. But while the city may be the sweetheart of the moment, Miami-Dade must keep up the momentum and take nothing for granted. That caution came Thursday in a virtual round-table hosted Thursday by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and moderated by newly appointed Miami-Dade Beacon Council One Community, One Goal Vice President Matt Haggman. More from the Miami Herald.
WeWork expands "On Demand" concept to Tampa
Co-working firm WeWork is expanding its “WeWork On Demand” concept in South Florida and to WeWork Place in downtown Tampa, at 501 E. Kennedy Blvd. The pay-as-you-go program, unveiled last year in New York City, allows co-working patrons to rent office space for $29 daily and meeting rooms for $10 per hour from the convenience of their mobile phones. The company says the expansion involves seven cities, including Miami, Miami Beach and Coral Gables in addition to Tampa. More from the Business Observer.
Business Beat - Week of April 9th
Get the top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video news brief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Florida Dining
Tampa Bay is experiencing a vegan renaissance
There’s no question about it, Tampa Bay’s vegan scene is booming. Vegan and so-called plant-based options abound and there are now more vegan restaurants in the area than ever before. Even restaurants that don’t market themselves as exclusively vegan have started including more plant-based options on their menu in an attempt to appeal to a broader spectrum of the region’s clientele.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.
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