You won’t find food eaten by Ozzy Osbourne or the guys from Megadeth.
Metal Supermarkets, which opened its fourth South Florida retail location in Delray Beach, offers small quantities for consumers who “need metal fast,” according to the company’s website.
More than 8,000 types and grades of metal are available, including hot and cold rolled steel, aluminum, stainless steel, copper and brass. They come in a variety of shapes, such as bars, tubes, angles, channels, sheets and plates.
Think of it as metal for us minions, rather than the mighty whose metal gets delivered by freighters and shipping containers.
The new location at 781 S. Congress Ave. is the company’s 13th in Florida and will serve customers who would prefer a closer location than the chain’s other South Florida stores in West Palm Beach, Oakland Park or Hialeah.
But they’d better get there during weekday business hours, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The store is not open Saturday or Sunday, its website shows.
Customers, the company says, include manufacturers, machinists, maintenance and repair workers, tool and die shops, hospitals, hotels, universities, schools, homeowners, artists, hobbyists and more.
Franchisee Steve Waas, described by the Metal Supermarkets public relations team as a “serial entrepreneur,” will run the Delray Beach store with his wife, Kathy, and two employees, according to a news release.
Steve Waas is a former Naval engineer with experience in welding, fabrication and business management. He previously operated a trailer dealership, a real estate investment business and several retail stores, the company said.
“With Steve’s leadership, business acumen and dedication to providing white-glove customer service, we are confident that Metal Supermarkets Delray will deliver an exceptional experience for metal buyers in Delray Beach and surrounding areas,” said Ryan Pryznyk, president and CEO of the chain, in the release.
The new store is one of 130 locations established in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom over its 40 years of operation.
Custom cutting, drilling and shearing services are available with same-day delivery to job sites, businesses or homes.
For more information, visit metalsupermarkets.com.
Newest Crate & Barrel opens in West Palm Beach
Crate & Barrel brought its whole-home design philosophy to West Palm Beach with the recent opening of its newest store at 589 S. Rosemary Ave.
Offering a modern approach to home design and entertaining, the new store is the sixth in Florida and the fourth in South Florida, joining locations in Boca Raton, Hallandale and Miami.
Brand president Alicia Waters says the 7,200-square-foot location was intentionally designed for Palm Beach customers, “featuring a curated assortment and unique elements that highlight the community, including a woven rattan chandelier custom-made for the space, coastal-inspired décor, and the opportunity to showcase our outdoor assortment on the front patio.”
Services offered include floral arrangements, an interior design desk, a gift registry and services for the restaurant and hospitality trade.
The chain, owned by German retail giant, the Otto Group, boasts more than 100 retail stores including sister brands CB2 and Crate & Kids.
Find out more at crateandbarrel.com.
Vlue rideshare service goes statewide
Born in Miami, a new ride-sharing platform called Vlue is expanding across the state, including into Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Orange, Lee, and Collier counties.
The service, which has registered more than 6,500 drivers, positions itself as offering an alternative to autonomous fleets.
“The company has been vocal about its concerns regarding self-driving vehicles, arguing that replacing human drivers with autonomous vehicles threatens thousands of jobs and may compromise safety and community connection,” the company said recently.
Ron Pereyra, co-founder and chief revenue officer, says the company is driven by “driver demand.”
“We believe the future of mobility must include and protect people. Drivers are not expendable,” Pereyra adds. “Technology should enhance transportation, not eliminate the workers whose livelihoods depend on it.”
Unlike other rideshare apps, Vlue enables users to select from available drivers and to schedule rides for friends and family members who are not registered on the platform.
Drivers are paid more than traditional rideshare apps and vetted more vigorously for customer safety, the company says. There’s no surge pricing or hidden fees, it says.
To see available rates, new users download the Vlue app to their Apple or Android device and register with their name and email address.
Founded in 2019, the service has drawn mixed reviews on its Apple and Google app pages, but company officials said they have been working through startup issues and have made technical improvements.
Fresh pet food company buys new factory space
Miami-based Wynwood Dog Food Co. plans to keep the fresh pet food trend surging with the purchase of a 13,000-square-foot production facility in Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood.
The purchase will boost the company’s footprint by more than four times when the facility opens in 2027, organizers said.
Wynwood Dog Food Co. began in a small kitchen in Wynwood in 2015 and has since become a national competitor in the rapidly growing fresh pet food market, making veterinarian-approved and prescription-based meals for its FRESH RX and Complete and Balanced lines.
The company offers nationwide shipping and four retail locations for in-person shopping in Miami, Coral Gables, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton. The locations enjoy favorable Google reviews from customers, with 4.8 the lowest score.
Information about the company’s supplements and treats are available at its website, wynwooddogfood.com, which also features feeding calculators, weight management tips, a “picky eater’s guide” and directions for transitioning pets from other forms of food.
“Pet parents are done settling for ultra-processed prescription food. They want something better for when their dog is sick, but the industry keeps looking the other way,” said Michael O’Rourke, the company’s CEO and co-founder. “This new space gives us the ability to do things differently and grow on our terms, while partnering with veterinary clinics across the nation.”
The new facility will enable the company to create new jobs beyond its current 40-person team, the company said.
More information, including retail addresses, can be found at wynwooddogfood.com.
Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Send him your retail news at rhurtibise@sun-sentinel.com. Make sure to type Retail Roundup in the subject line of your email.
