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WEEK OF JULY 5, 2026

We are a weekly compilation of local and national notes along with a smattering of sports, history and the oft-borrowed piece of wisdom from the 5:05 Newsletter – all from a politically incorrect slant.

First thing on our mind:

Neat sign on our highways this week: give your phone independence, put it down.

Leading off: How healthy is the restaurant biz?

According to recent reports, if you had to use medical lingo to describe the restaurant business, it would be critical, but stable. Folks who study the industry say that employment is relatively steady but still a quarter million jobs below pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, rising labor and food costs are squeezing margins with beef, chicken, coffee and fresh vegetables at double digit increases. Customers are becoming more value conscious. Our own street level analysis from our favorite breakfast haunt, we are seeing the same people, just not nearly as often. We aren’t seeing the fast food closings we saw last year with Arby’s and Wendy’s closing their doors on Gulf-to-Bay, with no replacements yet. And other fast food commercials all seem to be touting some sort of value meals. Another major loss happened last month, when Capogna’s again closed their doors. And this week, Quaker Steak and Lube ends a 23 year run in Pinellas Park. All in all, the critical, but stable analysis seems fairly accurate at mid-year.

Tampa Bay, politics and notes:

Related to our lead article - apparently, times are also tough for the “trendy” restaurants as well, but how often, if ever, do you visit a “trendy” restaurant where the food is pretty, but often barely edible?

More food trends: While ice cream shops are withering somewhat, shops that sell frozen yogurt are making a comeback with nearly 150 new shops opening last year alone with long lines at many of them including here in Florida.

We tip our cap to the U.S. Supreme Court for banning transgender athletes from participating in girl’s sports. We don’t wish to see our granddaughter competing against boys during her high school career.

Idle question during this celebratory week, does The Tampa Bay Times even like America?

Florida and Virgin Atlantic Airlines received a black eye last weekend when a luggage foul up made over 800 travelers virtual hostages at Orlando International Airport. The story received national and international coverage.

It seems like the late Margaret Thatcher is the only person who has been able to successfully govern Great Britain over the past fifty years. The nation is looking for its 7^th prime minister in the past ten years.

As we pass mid-year, gas in the bay area is hovering between $3.80 and $3.90 a gallon. We remember in our teens pumping it for customers at 29.9 cents a gallon – along with a clean windshield and a tire pressure check. Oh yeah, and Green Stamps.

This week in 1950 (July 10) Your Hit Parade with Dorothy Collins, Snooky Lanson, Eileen Wilson plus the Hit Paraders Chorus (later to morph into the Ray Charles Singers) debuts on NBC-TV.

Sports and random notes:

Independence Day note from the 5:05 Newsletter: You know you bought great fireworks when the guy running the stand can give you a High-4 with his right hand and a High-3 with his left.

It’s July – time to watch the Hallmark Channel’s Christmas movies!

Two more former NBA players were indicted last week in the growing federal probe into sports gambling.

In a recent poll of 101 major league players, only two thought there would not be a lockout as owners and union negotiate a new agreement this coming offseason.

At the 81 games mark (midway through the baseball season), Phils’ slugger Kyle Schwarber had 121 strikeouts putting him on a pace to break the major league record by some twenty Ks.

You’ve lived in the bay area a long time if you shopped at Maas Brothers. It’s hard to believe, but the Maas Brothers name went away 35 years ago after 105 years in business.

One last thing: Las Vegas is on a roll

Sin City, as it is known, is on a roll in the sports world. Just a few weeks ago, Las Vegas was awarded the 2029 Super Bowl, something unheard of until gambling interests and pro sports became cozy. The former Oakland Athletics are just waiting for the finishing touches on a stadium to bring major league baseball to the city. The NBA recently announced their future expansion plans will include Las Vegas, along with Seattle. The Golden Knights are the city’s representative in the NHL and, of course, there are the Las Vegas Raiders who beat the Athletics in their journey from Oakland by almost a decade. The WNBA makes it five pro franchises for this metro area of about 2.9 million – fast becoming a sports mecca.