by The Editors on March 3, 2011
The Alex Hydration Bottle created by Carlsbadistan-based company Nice Reusables is now an “award winning” water bottle, according to a story in the San Diego Union Tribune.
Its Alex Hydration Bottle, won “Best in Category for Tabletop & Beverageware” at the 2011 Housewares Design Awards. . . “When we started this, we had no idea where it would go, and obviously the functionality was what we started with,” company co-founder Chris Hotell said. “To be recognized for the design part of it is such an accomplishment for us.”
Hotell owns the company with his wife, Olympic snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler and his mom Marta Hotell. Support a local Carlsbadistan company and click here to buy one. And to get a better understanding on what the company is about, read the FAQ on the site. It’s one of the funniest we’ve read in a while. Now we know what a Zebra is.
[Link: San Diego Union Tribune and Alex Bottle]
by The Editors on March 1, 2011
The banners that went up Friday, February 25, 2011, outside the Blockbuster video rental store at 660 Carlsbad Village Drive say “Store Closing. This Location Only.” But that’s not really true. According to a Reuters story the company plans to close 182 of it’s remaining 2,900 stores in the first quarter of 2011 as part of its bankruptcy reorganization. The company has shut down more than 1,000 stores in the past two years.
Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy in September, weighed down by its debts and stung by video-on-demand and competitors such as mail-order pioneer Netflix and Redbox, a Coinstar Inc unit that rents movies through kiosks. . . The company entered bankruptcy with a plan that would put billionaire investor Carl Icahn and his hedge fund partners in control of the company when it emerges.
So what exactly does “This Location Only” mean? According to an employee at the Carlsbad store it means, “That only this location is closing, not all of Blockbuster.” We’re guessing those same banners hang on more than a hundred stores this week.
We switched over to digital rentals years ago, but for those who haven’t there is a bit of good news. All the DVDs in the store on sale for $9.99 each and new releases are being sold at ten percent off. Get them while supplies last. As for Blockbuster it’s difficult to imagine a scenario in which they emerge from bankruptcy and return to any kind of profitability.
by The Editors on January 24, 2011
It’s a good thing that the Hyatt Park Aviara got an extension on their loan, because they’re going to get some serious high-end lodging competition from the $60 million Hilton Oceanfront Resort & Spa near the campgrounds, according to a story on San Diego Source.
Due for completion mid-year 2012, the Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa will feature approximately 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, as well as a state-of-the-art spa and fitness center and oceanfront restaurant. The eight-acre site is located in Carlsbad’s southern Ponto region adjacent to the Hanover Beach Colony housing development.
It’s going to be sad to see that empty space go, but it will be good to have a nice resort that is close to the sand.
For a look at a Hilton Oceanfront Resort in South Carolina, click here.
[Link: San Diego Source]
by The Editors on January 20, 2011
Carlsbadistan’s Park Hyatt Aviara Resort owners Broadreach Capital Partners are getting a little more time before they have to begin paying down their $186.5 million loan on the property. The loan, which was set to mature in 2012, has been extended five years to 2017.
Broadreach’s Director Heather Turner is happy with the extension.
“We are particularly pleased with the extension of the term which will allow the resort the time it needs to recover from both macro-economic and hotel-specific challenges of the last few years,” says Turner. “This modification is in the best interest of the resort and all of its stakeholders and provides the best opportunity to maximize value,” she adds.
The Park Hyatt’s General Manager Mark Stiebeling says this allow the hotel to continue to deliver the kind of experience customers are accustomed to.
“This decision illustrates Broadreach’s long-term commitment to the success of Park Hyatt Aviara,” says Mark Stiebeling, General Manager of the Resort. “Under Hyatt’s management, our team has successfully maintained the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award and we have extensive plans underway to further enhance the Aviara guest experience.”
Follow the jump for the full release.
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by The Editors on January 11, 2011
Our favorite Carlsbadistan based life sciences company Life Technologies Corporation announced that they will be using $500 million to repurchase shares on the open market “or in privately negotiated transactions.”
“The company remains committed to our long-term growth plan and our balanced capital deployment strategy,” said Gregory T. Lucier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Life Technologies. “Given our continued outlook for significant free cash flow generation, we believe the Company is in strong financial position to meet both our capital requirements to invest for future growth, while also returning excess cash to shareholders.”
Gotta do something to drive that share price up right? Follow the jump for the rest of the details.
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by The Editors on January 4, 2011
The Carlsbadistan based Greek fast casual restaurant company Daphne’s Greek Café (one of the few places left for falafels in Carlsbadistan) is getting a complete upgrade after surviving bankruptcy according to a story on Nation’s Restaurant News. It’s also getting a new name: how does Daphne’s California Greek sound?
William Trefethen, Daphne’s chief executive and principal investor in the group that purchased the 60-unit chain in July, said the brand name will change in February or March to “Daphne’s California Greek” with the tagline “Live Life to its Fullest.” . . The Carlsbad, Calif.-based chain also is working on a revamp of the menu to sharpen its focus on healthful offerings. Beer and wine will be added to the beverage lineup to help build dinner daypart sales. And units will get a brush up of décor, with environmentally friendly touches.
They’re going to start out in Orange County and then upgrade all the restaurants by the end of 2011. We think Carlsbadistan should be second.
[Link: National Restaurant News via OC Weekly]
by Richard J. Riehl on December 30, 2010
This year’s $1.7 million bailout of Carlsbad’s three-year-old golf course will bring the total amount of annual subsidies since its opening to $5.1 million. Four of the five council members who voted to tap city coffers again this time voted for each of the previous giveaways. Here’s a small sample of what three of them have said to explain their votes to save a failing enterprise.
The most creative justification came from newly re-elected councilman Mark Packard. “We’re not subsidizing,” he claimed, “we’re ‘fronting’ the money. None of us on the council play golf, so we didn’t do this for our own benefit.” For him, keeping the course on life support amounts to a misnamed and selfless act.
In a variation of I’m-from-the-government- and-I’m-here-to-help, Mayor-elect Matt Hall assured his constituents, “The five of us manage the affairs of the city very well and I feel certain it will pay for itself.”
Holding environmentalists largely responsible for the ballooning cost of construction from its $11 million estimate 18 years ago, Retiring Mayor Lewis sadly predicted, “This will pay, maybe not in my lifetime.”
Each year since its August 2007 opening, the number of budgeted rounds of golf has fallen. The number for 2008 was 52,000. This year’s number of actual rounds is projected to be 42,000. That’s a 20 percent decline. Reaching next year’s budgeted goal of 44,000 seems unlikely, given the course’s track record.
Follow the jump for the rest of the story. . .
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by The Editors on December 13, 2010
On the Monday after Thanksgiving the Carlsbadistan Marie Callender’s apparently closed up shop and packed away the signs according to a story in the San Diego Reader.
Next door at the McDonalds, employees said the Marie Callender’s signs were removed right away on that morning. The restaurant obviously did not tell its regular customers. Two hand-written notes were posted on the front door December 8 advising groups that normally meet at the restaurant to go to other nearby establishments for their meetings.
The restaurant, which was shut down by for a few days in November of 2009 after a Thanksgiving day diner smelled sewage in the kitchen, has had a rough time lately. Wish we could say we were going to miss them.
[Link: San Diego Reader]
by The Editors on December 1, 2010
Starting today shoppers who purchase anything at the JC Penney at Westfields Plaza Camino Real (yes, that mall) between December 1 -14, 2010 will be able to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar and donate the difference to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad to support quality after-school programs.
“The availability of affordable afterschool programs continues to be an important community objective in order to meet the needs of working parents,” said Brad Holland, Club CEO. “We hope the public keeps our mission in mind because all Round-Up dollars raised stay in our community to help support our youth and sustain our operations.”
It’s an easy way to make a difference. For all the details, follow the jump.
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by The Editors on November 21, 2010
Our favorite Carlsbadistan based mobile app developer Appy Entertainment has just launched their latest game for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. It’s called Trucks & Skulls, and like everything they do, it is a cleverly odd mix of weirdness and fun.
Trucks & Skulls sports features that are new to the physics-based puzzler genre, including a tongue-in-cheek heavy metal theme, pits of bubbling lava, amped-up action with plenty of mayhem and secondary explosions, and (for our iPad version) a fully-featured level editor so players can construct and share their own explosive Trucks & Skulls levels!
We really can’t explain it. You’ll have to click here to download it yourself.
[Link: Appy Entertainment]
The Alex Hydration Bottle created by Carlsbadistan-based company Nice Reusables is now an “award winning” water bottle, according to a story in the San Diego Union Tribune.
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