Bits of Business

After some delays, diner set to open within days

By Nick Malawskey

Having received a number of phone calls on the matter, I thought this week would be a good one to revisit the State College Diner in Hills Plaza.

The business has been under development for several months and, judging by the number of e-mails and phone calls, is an item of some interest. Of particular interest to those of us watching has been a possible opening date, which seems to keep slipping into the future.

So I stopped in this past week and talked to one of the owners. He said the business ran into a few delays in the inspection process and is working through the final details.

Appearance-wise, the restaurant looks almost ready to open. The counter, tables and chairs are all in and ready for patrons.

The latest on a possible opening date is ... drum roll please ... “One week to 10 days.”

P Hotel offers spa details

There was more news from the P Hotel and Spa this past week. The luxury condominium-hotel named Carolyn Wilcox as director for its in-house spa and released details about its “destination” facilities.

The plan is to construct a 20,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art spa, to be dubbed the Pure Spa, that will feature traditional services and specialize in hydrotherapy, education and other health-related services.

The business is looking to position itself as a destination resort, drawing consumers into the area from nearby urban markets. The spa, which is in the process of developing a product line exclusive to the Pure Spa, is also planning to offer memberships and group packages for meetings and events.

Hotel operations at the site are to be managed by Hospitality Asset Management Co., of State College.

The facility is slated for a 2010 opening.

Citizens branch closing

Citizens Bank will be closing its branch location in the Nittany Mall.

A company spokeswoman said this past week the branch is being consolidated with the financial institution’s Bellefonte location on East Bishop Street.

The closure is scheduled to take place in May. The branch is one of at least 10 that are reportedly being closed by the financial institution across the state.

Citizens Financial Group is a subsidiary of The Royal Bank of Scotland, which in February posted the largest recorded annual loss in British history according to The New York Times. It has since said it will cut more than 5,000 jobs across its operations.

The joke is on us

And finally, in what has to be an April Fool’s joke, Gov. Ed Rendell has proclaimed April to be “Financial Education Month” in Pennsylvania.

Rendell is using his announcement to highlight the state’s financial education Web site, www.moneysbestfriend.com. Geared for those of us who need help with our personal finances, the site offers tips and advice as well as a portal for local resources.

Well intentioned, true, but I think the administration is targeting its message for the wrong audience.

Maybe instead of offering it for the citizen taxpayers, some of the political leaders in Washington — and the string-pullers on Wall Street — can visit the site for a quick refresher on fiscal responsibility.

Just an idea. Unfortunately, in my opinion, that ship set sail long ago.

Nick Malawskey can be reached at 235-3928 or nmalawsk@centredaily.com. He also writes a business blog at www.centredaily.com.