The Number: 16,258
That's how many people were working in leisure and hospitality across St. Louis, Douglas and Carlton counties in July, the highest that number has been in the 28 years the Department of Employment and Economic Development has been keeping track. The trend is similar at the statewide level, as (this is some innocent conjecture) people are spending more money on travel and dining out in this strong economy. Oh wait, there's data for that, too: The Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a 6.7 percent increase in food-away-from-home spending between 2016-2017 and a 10 percent jump in entertainment purchases over the same period, the most recent data available.
The Word: "Conversion of these locations to the Speedway brand is underway. During the conversion process, customers will see new Speedway signage in both the interior and exterior of the stores, including ID signs, canopy and dispenser signage," wrote Marathon spokeswoman Stefanie Griffith the morning after we broke the story that all SuperAmerica convenience stores are becoming Speedway. (Everybody loves a bragger, I know.) So down goes the 58-year-old Minnesota-bred brand, though as one Twitter user told Minneapolis band Bad Bad Hats, "SuperAmerica's legacy will live on through you." They have a song called "SuperAmerica," and it is fantastic.
The Lead: With the recent and projected increase in extreme weather events in the Northland, how could that affect business? Certainly power outages can hamper retail or production, and nasty rain, wind or snow can keep shoppers at home, driving them to dark places like Amazon.com. Dan Gunderson at Minnesota Power said for those extremely rare events that result in extended outages, "Looking at solving that problem, how much do you want to spend to get there versus planning around it?" Like a web-only sale during superstorms? I should be selling these ideas...
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The Happy Hour: Superior's Earth Rider is on the ballot for best out-of-state brewery in Minnesota suds zine The Growler, joining contenders like Bell's and Deschutes. There are a few Duluth brands on there that need support, too. If that's what you're into, go to growlermag.com.
The Meeting: Imagine Duluth 2035
Comprehensive planning is so very critical for a healthy, growing community. That's just paraphrasing what Mayor Emily Larson and chief planners Keith Hamre and Adam Fulton will probably say at Thursday's Fuse-sponsored lunch at Duluth City Hall. It's $20 for members and $30 for the rest; register at www.duluthchamber.com .
The Memo is a weekly roundup of things to know, ya know? Send business news of all kinds to biz@duluthnews.com and give suds reporter Brooks Johnson a call every now and then at 218-723-5329.
