People sent letters, called and made unannounced visits to Marie Lesiak Haley's Tampa home asking whether she would sell the family's vacant business, Pickford's Sundries, on Hillsborough Avenue. ...more

March 27, 2009

The lackluster holiday season and deepening recession will take a toll on retailers across the country. Experts are predicting the worst rash of store closings in 35 years. Already, Circuit City is operating under bankruptcy protection. KB Toys, Linens 'n Things and Mervyns announced last year they're going out of business. ...more

January 4, 2009

Shells Seafood Restaurants was losing money for years, but the chain's chief executive sounded upbeat when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early September. ...more

November 30, 2008

Stories like the Shells restaurant bankruptcy are playing out across the Tampa Bay area. Tribune research shows business bankruptcy here is rising much faster than in most regions of the country. All told, 500 businesses filed for bankruptcy in four Bay area counties during the 12 months that ended in June — 97 percent more than the year before. ...more

November 28, 2008

With a retro decor designed to appeal to the 'far out' generation, the Ear Shop wants to make a statement that this is a place 'Where the Hearin' is Happenin,' ...more

September 17, 2007

The slogan of the Ear Shop is "Where the Hearin' is Happenin'." That is a statement that Jan Eberhardt, the managing partner of the West Pasco store, hopes clients will understand. ...more

September 15, 2007