Regional restaurant signage helps define a place. Here, the “World Famous” New Pass Grill. It has been on City Island in Sarasota since 1929. City Island is the key just south of Longboat Key. Brand identity comes from the unique contributions of business owners. With time, and generations, brands getMORE HERE

LAWRENCE, KANSAS – We hear from BrandlandUSA reader Joe Vaughan that we need to mention Weaver’s Department Store. Says Vaughan, “It has operated continuously in Downtown Lawrence, Kansas since 1857 – that’s correct 1-8-5-7! It has been passed down through one family and has been in its present four-story buildingMORE HERE

YORK, Pa.-We watch carefully the fate of Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: BONT), which owns some great old legacy department store names that include: Carson Pirie Scott, Bon-Ton Bergner’s Boston Store Elder-Beerman Herberger’s Younkers Parisian It’s not a “bon” scene at Bon Ton, as their stock is less than $2 aMORE HERE

RICHMOND – I am a bit partial to the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. They saved Jamestown Island, began the effort to save Williamsburg and have saved hundreds of historic houses across the state with their many affiliate groups. They have been a strong and potent advocate forMORE HERE

Just reading the recent news on the Maersk ship Alabama, an American-flagged vessel hijacked off of Africa in an area known for pirates. GlobalSecurity.org has the ships being commissioned by the Maritime Administration. “It’s a very significant foreign policy challenge for the Obama administration,” said Graeme Gibbon Brooks, managing directorMORE HERE

CHICAGO – A few stats from Mintel’sl research reports on food and drink markets that are actually being improved by recessionary woes. “Over the past year, we’ve seen people trying to save money on food by either dining out less, cutting supermarket bills, or both. More people cook at homeMORE HERE

I couldn’t find the familiar Merita packaging and happened to notice the new Hostess pkg. My heart sank right then and there, but I thought maybe it was the same product with only a new brand name. MORE HERE

I’d like to send a warning to those cities that are looking at putting up a new venue for their local ball clubs: The era of “retro” parks could end soon. (Quite an upbeat theme for baseball’s Opening Day, eh?) This also dovetails into a recent post on the theMORE HERE

NEW YORK – We need to end this crap right now. Does everything have to be torn down, rebuilt, and then torn down again. So we are reading an AP story about Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs. It reads: Standing in the plush visitors’ clubhouse of Yankee Stadium, Carlos ZambranoMORE HERE