Taco Bell is once again bucking the trend by delivering “staggering” sales growth amid a broader slowdown in consumer spending, parent company Yum Brands reported Wednesday. The Irvine-based fast-food giant posted a 9% increase in same-store sales in the first quarter—a key metric of restaurant performance. That’s “an impressive achievement, Read More
The Orange County economy is headed for slower job growth and higher unemployment, according to economists at California State University, Fullerton. President Trump’s much debated tariffs are to stay, said economists Anil Puri and Mira Farka, who predict the U.S. should avoid recession. They released their Spring Economic Forecast today. Read More
The Honda Center in Anaheim revealed an ongoing $1.1 billion renovation, funded by the Anaheim Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli, that will complement the area’s surrounding OCVibe development. In addition to the $4 billion OCVibe project, the Honda Center is undergoing a complete overhaul of its club and Read More
Steven Gardner, a hockey-loving MBA dropout, in 2000 took over a small bank on the brink of failure that was for a long time considered an underdog. He renamed it Pacific Premier Bank, moved it to Irvine, acquired other banks and built it to the biggest bank with headquarters in Read More
Fast-charging battery developer Enevate is aiming to see its technology worked into Formula 1 (F1) cars, the glamorous speedsters that have attracted generations of motor sports fans. CEO Bob Kruse says he’s looking to next season when new rules will favor Enevate’s batteries. F1 cars have adopted a hybrid mode Read More
A local food service company that makes dressings, frying oils and sauces for dozens of restaurant chains is relocating its headquarters to Irvine’s Spectrum Terrace, more than doubling its current space in Brea. Ventura Foods, whose portfolio includes brands such as LouAna Cooking Oil and Hidden Valley Ranch, told the Read More
Two skilled nursing facilities and an assisted living property, all in North Orange County, were sold in a pair of separate transactions on April 1. A 130-bed licensed skilled nursing facility and neighboring 73-bed, 77-unit assisted living and memory care property in Los Alamitos—Alamitos West Health & Rehabilitation and Katella Read More
Mark IV Capital, a Newport Beach-based private equity firm specializing in real estate, sold 300 acres of open land to software giant Microsoft Corp. for about $71 million. The property is in Fernley, Nevada, about 35 miles east of Reno, Nevada, and could be used as a data center. Apple Read More
Dickies’ relocation from Fort Worth, Texas, to Orange County this year points to its parent company VF Corp.’s ongoing attempts to recapture sales at a time when three of its four core brands need a reset. The work apparel company, founded in 1922, will join their sister brand Vans at Read More
Harbinger Motors Inc. says it’s started production of its electric vehicles in Garden Grove and had already manufactured more than 100 of them for customers as of early this month. Harbinger has become one of the major electric vehicle manufacturers in Orange County. The much larger Rivian Automotive has its Read More
