Business-Bits of Business

The business of Christmas appeals to Pete Cannizzaro.

For the past five years, the Cannizzaro Christmas Store has operated out of a temporary wooden shed located outside of Meyer Dairy on South Atherton Street. Seven days a week, 12 hours a day, from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve, the store sells trees, wreaths, bows, pine rope and tree stands from the booth.

The Fraternity Purchasing Association, an organization bringing together local nonprofits, churches and Penn State fraternities and sororities to bargain for bulk deals, has changed its name to the Nittany Co-Op.

Two business owners in Philipsburg are taking the natural pairing of food and wine to a new level.

Maybe it was because I was hungry at the time, but while driving down College Avenue downtown, a sign advertising a new restaurant got my attention. As it turns out, a new Mediterranean eatery, the Pita Cabana Grill, will be opening in the 400 block of East College Avenue. I couldn’t get in touch with the owners before this column went to press, so I’ll get more info on it as soon as I am able.

Baby Boot Camp. The name of this new business caught my eye as I scrolled through this newspaper a couple of weeks ago and saw an announcement about it. I had to find out more.

Edie Binkley is looking for a fresh start. So are the clothes she plans to sell.

Looking for a falafel sandwich in State College? You now have a choice of where to go.

Fall is here and it feels like local businesses are determined to shake off the shackles of the recession and get back into growth mode.

The story of Chris Merritt, Todd Bumgardner and Beyond Strength Performance LLC shows what can happen when the entrepreneurial spirit seemingly ingrained in Penn State students meets the Internet age.

A new spa will open in early November at 1760 S. Atherton St., in Creekside Plaza near the HoneyBaked Ham restaurant.

You can’t make authentic New York style pizza outside of New York, says Arsalan Ali, co-owner of The Cove New York Style Pizzeria, which opened recently at 1320 E. College Ave., formerly home to Acme Pizza.

There’s no shortage of sports bars in State College, but if you live south of town and you’re looking for a watering hole a little closer to home, the Westside Stadium Bar and Grill is now open.

I’ve had the opportunity to sharpen my investigative reporting skills following all the tips I got from readers over the past week. Thanks — and keep them coming.

Last weekend, I cashed in some markers that were arriving at their expiration date to stay with a good friend at the University of Alabama and witness firsthand the dismantling of what I thought was an underrated Penn State squad.

The story is told too often: talented Penn State graduates leaving Happy Valley to a career of fame and fortune in far-off lands.