March 28, 2024

Friday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 2/25/2022

Florida restaurants turn to automation to fill positions — and increase productivity

Choosing a robot over a human has long been tough pill to swallow for many restaurant owners and operators. For good reason: it's a service-first, people-centric business. But several popular restaurant chains in the state, in addition to national fast-food chains, are jumping into the world of bots. If not to replace human employees, to lend a big (robotic) hand in the current labor crisis, and for some, maybe beyond. More from the Business Observer.

As U.S. targets Russian assets over Ukraine, elite money remains parked on Florida shores

South Florida’s coastal strip of Sunny Isles Beach and exclusive enclave of Fisher Island are among the most monied addresses in the United States. They are also playgrounds for the Russian elite that have for years drawn the attention of financial crimes enforcers. And yet, experts said the sanctions in place thus far will likely have little impact on South Florida. More from the Miami Herald.

SeaWorld, Busch Gardens: Attendance still down, but revenues way up

Two years into the pandemic, theme park attendance still isn’t back to what it was before. SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, the parent company of Tampa’s Busch Gardens and Adventure Island, reported Thursday that attendance across its 13 North American properties hit 20.2 million in 2021. That’s up from 13.8 million in 2020, but still down from 22.6 million in 2019. But even with lower attendance, the company still reported record revenues and net income for the year. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

NASA rules out April for Artemis I launch, could target May

NASA mission managers on Thursday ruled out April for the Artemis I launch during a progress report ahead of the rollout of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-B for a wet dress rehearsal. While it’s targeting March 16 at 6 p.m. for the 322-foot-tall rocket to make the 4.2-mile journey to the pad, the agency will need a month or more for testing and a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building before NASA signs off on a launch attempt for the uncrewed mission to the moon.. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Miami to use millions from MiamiCoin to offer assistance to renters facing hikes

Tenants facing rent hikes in the city of Miami will soon be able to apply for aid under a new $5.25 million assistance program funded by a city-branded cryptocurrency project. Though the value of MiamiCoin continues to flounder, commissioners on Thursday unanimously agreed to Mayor Francis Suarez’s proposal to divide the money donated to the city by the cryptocurrency project across Miami’s five districts to help struggling tenants facing rent increases of 20% or more. More from the Miami Herald.

Business BeatBusiness Beat - Week of February 25th

Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video news brief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.

 

 

Business Profile
Software firm Forcura focuses strategy on ‘constant innovation’

floridaForcura is a Jacksonville-based health care software company that is celebrating 10 years of business in 2022. It says its software is used by half of the hospice and home health care firms in the United States. Its function is to quickly transmit and receive patient information among medical personnel. Founded by Craig Mandeville and two partners, Forcura has 115 employees around the country.

» Read more from the Jacksonville Daily Record.

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Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices
Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices

Central Floirda chocolate shops are left with a bitter taste as cocoa prices hit an all-time high earlier this week.

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