mike@mikelilley.com

Texas-based tech repair franchise firm NerdsToGo to enter Orlando market

by

NerdsToGo, a Texas computer and technology repair services franchise, plans to enter the metro Orlando market as part of a push to grow its Florida footprint by roughly 65 units by 2026.

The company, based in Carrollton, Texas, near Dallas, currently has 29 stores in 16 states, including two in Florida: Tampa and Bonita Springs. The goal is to open about 15 locations in Central Florida, the company told Orlando Business Journal.

“With the rising number of people working from home, managed IT services for both small and medium-sized companies is a definite need,” Mark Jameson, chief support and development officer at NerdsToGo parent company Propelled Brands, said in a prepared statement. “We see great growth potential in Florida and are confident that our proven business model, along with the support and resources we provide, will allow potential franchisees to thrive.”

Read more

Jack and Frank: A Friendship for the ages

by

The year was 1947. Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) was sitting in a smoky New York City bar, just about to order a drink. It was at this point that his company for the evening, entertainer Jackie Gleason, made a drink suggestion that Frank would not soon forget: “Jack Daniel’s. That’s a good place to start.”

In 2013, Jack Daniel’s sold more than 11 million cases of the company’s iconic Black Label Tennessee Whiskey bottle. According to the company’s historian, Nelson Eddy, that would never have been possible if not for Frank Sinatra.

“Frank’s introduced to Jack Daniel’s in around 1947, we’re a brand that’s under 200,000 cases per year at that point, very small brand,” Eddy says. “And the only reason Sinatra finds out about it, he’s at a bar with Jackie Gleason. Gleason turns to him and says, ‘Have you tried Jack Daniel’s?’ He tries it that night, he falls in love with it, he feels like he’s discovered it and given the number of cases that were out there, in a way, he did discover it for many, many people. He starts calling it, from the stage, the nectar of the gods and the best booze in the world.”

Few could’ve predicted the lifelong friendship between Frank & Jack that would follow. Frank was no stranger to love and loss, but when it came to Old No. 7, his affection was unflinching. Wherever Frank went, Jack was nearby. At the base of his mic stand on-stage. Aboard his private jet. Front row at award ceremonies. Even in his jacket pocket when he was laid to rest.

Read more

Merck says experimental pill cuts worst effects of COVID-19

by

In a potential leap forward in the global fight against the pandemic, drugmaker Merck said Friday that its experimental pill for people sick with COVID-19 reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half.

That could add a whole new easy-to-use weapon to an arsenal that already includes the COVID-19 vaccine.

The company said it will soon ask health officials in the U.S. and around the world to authorize the pill’s use. A decision from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could come within weeks after that, and the drug, if it gets the OK, could be distributed quickly soon afterward.

Read more

Sportstown Billiards has sold to new owners.

by

The popular Milk District sports bar, located at 2414 E. Robinson Street [GMap], has been in business since 1958 when it was doing business as Sportstown Grama Lena’s and gangsters used to counterfeit money in a secret apartment above the bar. Owners Lee Wortman and Vicki Dore purchased the property in 1990 1981 and are … Read more

Ohio State Buckeyes QB Quinn Ewers has NIL deal for $1.4 million

by

Ohio State quarterback Quinn Ewers has signed a name, image and likeness deal with GT Sports Marketing for $1.4 million, a source told ESPN on Tuesday.

The contract with GT Sports Marketing is for three years and is in exchange for autographs. The deal, according to a source, was negotiated by Ewers’ agents at Sportstars and Rubicon, and is Ewers’ third NIL deal overall.

Read more

Aquarium approved for construction at Port Canaveral

by

Commissioners vote in support of Brevard Zoo’s 14-acre attraction Executive Director Keith Winsten called the 14-acre port-owned property a ‘dream site’ when addressing port commissioners. Where the Beachline merges with A1A, new renderings showed a 14-acre campus including pavilions, docks and a restaurant that Winsten said could attract more guests than even the zoo, itself. … Read more