Victor Ocasio

New York

Reporter at Newsday

Covers labor & employment on Long Island @Newsday From #Orlando @UCF #DJNFBiz14 RTs are not endorsements.

Articles

At Home files for Chapter 11, plans store closures

1 week ago | newsday.com | Victor Ocasio

Popular home furnishings retailer At Home has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to close dozens of stores, according to court documents and company statements. The retailer, which has 260 retail locations across 40 states — including two on Long Island — filed for bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware on Monday.
Islandia food service company to lay off 141, state filing shows

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Victor Ocasio

Whitsons Food Service, an Islandia-based distributor and maker of prepared meals with national reach, plans to lay off 141 local workers in late August, the company reported in a state filing Thursday. Whitsons, located at 1800 Motor Parkway, said the company planned to relocate its business and close its existing operations on Aug. 22, according to a state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN.
Hampton Bays Rite Aid to close pharmacy on June 24

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Victor Ocasio

Rite Aid’s Hampton Bays pharmacy is scheduled to close near the end of the month as the once prominent drugstore chain continues to wind down its operations following its May bankruptcy filing. The store, at 50 E. Montauk Hwy., will close its pharmacy operation on June 24, a store manager and employee at the location confirmed Wednesday. Store management, however, was not told by corporate ownership when the rest of the Hampton Bays store would close.
Farmingdale Hooters to stay open amid national closures

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Victor Ocasio

Hooters in Farmingdale, the last remaining location of the wing and sports bar chain on Long Island, will stay open amid national closures spurred by the restaurant's bankruptcy filing earlier this year. The wing spot, at 25 Smith St., is owned by a franchisee and is one of only three locations still in operation in the state. Recent closures of the chain have impacted only corporate-owned restaurants, not franchises like those in New York, a company spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.
Warner Bros. Discovery to split into two: What to know

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Victor Ocasio

Warner Bros. Discovery will split into two companies by next year, with much of its streaming and movie production moving under one company and its live sports and news to another, according to the Washington Post. The deal, announced Monday, comes just three years after Warner Bros. and Discovery merged in a bid to capture more of the highly competitive streaming market. As of March, the company reached more than 122 million subscribers, according to its most recent quarterly report.
LI's Peter Pan Diner plans to rebuild with 'more modern' look

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Victor Ocasio

Family owners of Bay Shore’s well-known Peter Pan Diner said they hope to reopen the eatery in October, nearly a year after a kitchen fire closed the doors of the local institution. The interior of the diner, at 999 Sunrise Hwy., has already been demolished and the business plans to file building permits with the town within the next week or two, said Peter Lentzeres, 65, second generation co-owner of the restaurant.
3 things to know about JetBlue and United's loyalty programs

3 weeks ago | newsday.com | Victor Ocasio

United Airlines and JetBlue have announced a partnership of the major airlines’ customer rewards programs, officials with JetBlue said. The collaboration between the two airlines, called BlueSky, will allow customers of one airline to use or gain airline miles for flights with the other, according to Long Island City-based JetBlue.
New Old Navy store approved for Rocky Point Plaza

3 weeks ago | newsday.com | Victor Ocasio

A new Old Navy location is expected to open in Rocky Point this year. The retailer, which is owned by Gap Inc., filed a site plan application with the town that was approved unanimously by the Brookhaven Town Board in early May, according to a board resolution. Under the plan, Old Navy would occupy a 8,500-square-foot space at Rocky Point Plaza, located at the corner of Rocky Point-Yaphank Road and Route 25A, town officials said.
Aldi expands on Long Island with new Medford store

3 weeks ago | newsday.com | Victor Ocasio

A new Aldi store is scheduled to open later this month in Medford, the Germany-based grocery chain said Monday. The store will open at the Medford Crossing shopping center, located at 2799 Route 112, on June 12. The first 100 customers to shop at the 22,000-square-foot grocery store will receive gift bags filled with product samples and gift cards, according to a news release. The grand opening event starts at 9 a.m., the company said.
New Gap Factory store opening on Long Island in October

3 weeks ago | newsday.com | Victor Ocasio

Gap Factory will open a new store at the Mayfair Shopping Center in Commack this fall after recently signing a lease, managers of the property said. The new Gap Factory, a subsidiary of Gap that offers discounted clothing and accessories under the retail giant’s brand, is set to open in October and takes the place of a former Rite Aid, officials with Levin Management Corp., property manager for the center on Jericho Turnpike, said Monday.