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Biz Beat Roundup: downtown icon to re-open Friday. Business activity. * Goolrick's will re-open Friday after a four-year renovation of the 1808 building at 901 Caroline St. in downtown Fredericksburg. The business is reputedly the longest-running soda fountain in the U.S., having opened in 1869. The renovation, which was undertaken by building owner Jarrell Properties Inc. and a team of local contractors, kept the original tin ceilings and includes hand-laid tile flooring. The kitchen will be led by Executive Chef D'Andre Sykes, who began his career in 2017 at Fredericksburg's Fahrenheit 132 before cooking in Nashville and Chicago, including at restaurants Elske and Jeong. The menu will nearly mirror the traditional Goolrick's fare - including chicken and egg salad sandwiches, salads, hand-mixed sodas and milkshakes. Seating is now available for up to 50 people, and there is a retail area at the back where the pharmacy used to be. Regular hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Friday's festivities will include a ceremonial ribbon cutting at 11 a.m., swag bags for the first 50 guests and more. Work continues on the building's basement, which will be a Prohibition-era speakeasy concept called Section 7 that is expected to open later this year with entrances from both Goolrick's and George Street. Section 7 is named for the provision of the Volstead Act that permitted pharmacies like Goolrick's to dispense medicinal whiskey. * A new Goodwill store opened at 1275 Emancipation Hwy., Friday, July 31, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Kearney) Rappahannock Goodwill Industries last week opened its new thrift store at 1275 Emancipation Highway in Fredericksburg's Eagle Village shopping center (former location of a Salvation Army thrift store). * The long-delayed Panda Express location at 750 Warrenton Road (intersection of Plantation Drive) in Stafford County will open Thursday (Aug. 6), according to the company's website. A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for Aug. 10. * Smoke & Mirrors Cigar Lounge is moving into the former Red Dragon Brewery space at 1419 Princess Anne St. in Fredericksburg, said building owner John Van Hoy. The cigar lounge is moving into that larger space from its current location at 1411 Princess Anne St. REIGN The Venue, which is at 1409 Princess Anne St., is expanding to take over the current cigar lounge space. * A rezoning is proposed that would allow 319 apartments and 7,000 square feet of commercial uses on a 16.3-acre property on the northwest corner of the intersection of U.S. 1 and Hospital Center Boulevard in Stafford. The proposed project is called Aventon at Stafford. * The Ivyhill motocross training facility recently opened in Caroline County just southeast of the Dominion Raceway area of Thornburg. * Merritt Properties has broken ground on Phase I of its Austin Ridge Business Park project just south of Courthouse Road near the Exit 140 interchange off Interstate 95 in Stafford. This phase of the project will include two light-industrial buildings totaling 140,000 square feet and is expected to be ready in about a year. Targeted sectors include advanced manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, construction, government contracting, home-improvement trades, technology services and more. Three additional industrial buildings are planned at the project, which will have a total of 420,900 square feet when completed. Merritt's first development in Stafford, Merritt Business Park at Quantico Corporate Center, is fully leased. * Bob's Discount Furniture recently opened its new 30,000-square-foot store at 1591 Carl D. Silver Parkway in Fredericksburg's Central Park development (former Office Depot space). * Zynda Apothecary will close its downtown Fredericksburg store (1009 Princess Anne St.) on Friday. The business plans to open an online store in a few months and is scouting new locations, according to a Facebook post. Movers and shakers. * This week's edition of the Biz Beat Banter podcast features Ype Von Hengst, co-founder and executive chef of Silver Diner, which has a location in Fredericksburg's Central Park development. * This week on Biz Beat Clips, we introduce you to Cheri Litzenburg, a Fredericksburg-area woman who is a financial advisor by day and owner of Line Dance Cheri by night. * The University of Mary Washington (UMW) has again been included in the 2027 edition of the "Fiske Guide to Colleges." UMW is one of 11 Virginia schools in the 2027 publication. * Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) is welcoming an incoming class of 55 new physician residents and fellows to its Graduate Medical Education program, bringing the training program to more than 100 physicians. The first 21 graduates completed the program this past June; half plan to continue practicing in the area. The program trains residents in fields including internal medicine, family medicine, general surgery and anesthesiology. Planned additions include neurology and psychiatry residency programs, and advanced medical training in a pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship. Real estate review. * This former Rowe family house at 610 Lewis St. in Fredericksburg sold last week for $1.4 million, topping the list of homes sold. There were 137 home sales in the Fredericksburg region over the past week, including two for more than $1 million, according to this week's report from the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors. Check back weekly for the past-week sales. * The Relax Inn property at 1902-1910 Princess Anne St. in Fredericksburg sold last month for $2.3 million, according to the City's monthly land transfer report. Vihar Inc. sold it to SAI VA Inc. * The 130,700-square-foot warehouse property at 300 Lansdowne Road in Fredericksburg sold last month for $7.06 million, according to the City's monthly land transfer report. Jobeja LLC sold it to Money With A Mission LLC. * Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer recently published its second-quarter 2026 commercial real estate reports for the Fredericksburg market. The reports offer information on leasing and sales activity, vacancy rates and more on the industrial, office and retail sectors. * A rezoning is being sought that would allow 23 single-family homes to be built on 5.67 acres on the north side of Garrisonville Road between Onville Road and Travis Lane in Stafford. The proposed project is called Onville Station, and the applicant is Fairfax-based ACG Development LLC. * A conditional-use permit is being sought that would allow an electrical substation to be built for a data center on a 4.39-acre parcel on the east side of U.S. 1 between Centreport Parkway and Alabaster Lane in Stafford. * Coldwell Banker Commercial Elite reports the following recent lease transactions in the region: * Safe Harbor Behavioral Care LLC, 1,750 square feet of office space at 181 Kings Highway, Suite 128, in Stafford from 268 Main Street LLC * Home & Leisure Inc. (doing business as Structureworks), 4,500 square feet of industrial space at 500 Interstate Business Park, Unit 404, in Stafford from Interstate South LLC * Tentamus North America Virginia LLC, 12,350 square feet of office space at 10340 Spotsylvania Ave. in Spotsylvania from Hendifar Properties of Virginia LLC * JRA Inc. recently purchased the roughly 3,200-square-foot office condo at 927 Maple Grove Drive (Suite 201) in Spotsylvania from 99 Maple Grove Drive LLC for $653,000, according to broker Johnson Realty Advisors. * Johnson Realty Advisors reports the following recent commercial leases: * Nexxus Coatings, 2,100-square-foot industrial lease at 4006 Leonard Drive (Suite B-9) in Spotsylvania * The Vent Guys, 4,500-square-foot industrial lease at 9410 Northeast Drive (Suite A-1) in Spotsylvania * Pyramid Roofing, 450-square-foot office lease at 420 Hudgins Road (Suites 108 and 109) in Spotsylvania * Keystone Intl. Ventures, 3,189-square-foot industrial lease at 12 Commerce Parkway (Suite 103) in Stafford * ACG Hospice, 2,028-square-foot office lease at 10712 Ballantraye Drive (Suite 306) in Spotsylvania * Dominion Palace Intl., 1,458-square-foot office lease at 2048 Richmond Highway (Suite A) in Stafford * Two Six Technologies, 2,052-square-foot office lease at 150 Riverside Parkway (Suite 217) in Stafford Biz Beat Roundup runs every Wednesday and includes a roundup of business news from around the Fredericksburg region. Send submissions to: [email protected]

Bob's Discount Furniture enters Tennessee with day of service. Furniture World News Desk on 7/29/2026 Photos Courtesy of Nashville Rescue Mission Nashville, TN - Bob's Discount Furniture marked its entry into Tennessee with a community service initiative at the Nashville Rescue Mission's Linda & Mike Curb Women's Center. On July 29, employees from Bob's participated in a volunteer day at the center, serving lunch to nearly 400 guests and engaging with children and adults in activities such as bingo and soccer. The event concluded with the distribution of ice cream, cookies, and candy. During the event, Bob's Discount Furniture presented Nashville Rescue Mission with a $15,000 donation to support the organization's programs and services. This initiative signals the start of an ongoing partnership, including Bob's sponsorship of Tracy Lawrence's "Mission: Possible" Turkey Fry later in the year. Bob's Discount Furniture is set to open its first Tennessee locations in Franklin, Rivergate (Madison), Murfreesboro, and Clarksville over Labor Day weekend. The company stated that community engagement is a core part of its approach as it expands into new markets. About Bob's Discount Furniture Bob's Discount Furniture is a high-growth, national omnichannel retailer of value home furnishings with more than 200 showrooms across the United States. For more information, visit www.mybobs.com.

Bob's Discount Furniture eyes 2 Jacksonville locations. The Connecticut-based company appears to be entering Florida after a February IPO that raised money for expansion. * By Karen Brune Mathis * | 4:42 p.m. July 14, 2026 * | 2 Free Articles Remaining! * Business Bob's Discount Furniture Inc., which markets its stores in "Oh My Bob!" TV advertising and mailed flyers, has identified two Jacksonville locations for its entrance into the market, possibly its first stores in Florida. The city is reviewing permits for Bob's Discount Furniture in Argyle Village shopping center in Southwest Jacksonville and at River City Marketplace in North Jacksonville. Jericho, New York-based Kimco Realty Corp. is the landlord at both. Bob's Discount Furniture sells home and home office furniture, mattresses, rugs, home décor and offers design assistance. The Manchester, Connecticut-based company has stores in 26 states, but not Florida. The two Jacksonville stores are at: - Argyle Village: The city is reviewing a permit to convert a 48,060-square-foot store at 6001 Argyle Forest Blvd. at an estimated project cost of $700,000. Bob's Discount Furniture is shown on a site plan for Argyle Village in a 48,945-square-foot space next to T.J. Maxx. The space previously was a Joann Fabrics and Crafts store. Argyle Village is at southwest Interstate 295 and Blanding Boulevard. - River City Marketplace: The city has been reviewing a permit to convert a 40,526-square-foot store at 13265 City Square Drive at an estimated cost of $700,000. The city indicates the permit expired but is expected to be reactivated, and the city also is reviewing permits for four signs for Bob's Discount Furniture and Mattresses at the site at a combined estimated project cost of $8,800. Prime Installation LLC of Jacksonville is the contractor. Plans show Bob's will replace Ashley Furniture. Franklin Street Regional Managing Director Ricky Ostrofsky said July 14 that he represents Kimco at River City Marketplace. He said Ashley Furniture has a lease term through the end of 2026 and will be replaced by a single tenant, but he could not comment on the identity of that tenant. MS Consultants Inc. of Columbus, Ohio, is the architect for both Bob's Discount Furniture projects. The Bob's Discount Furniture expansion into Jacksonville could be a result of the company's launch of an initial public offering in February that is expected to support a nationwide expansion. A spokesperson for Bob's Discount Furniture was preparing a response to questions July 13 but had not returned an email with answers as of 2 p.m. July 14. Kimco Realty says it is a real estate investment trust "and leading owner and operator of high-quality, open-air, grocery-anchored shopping centers and mixed-use properties in the United States." Bob's Discount Furniture is shown as a tenant in Kimco Realty's presentation to investors, indicating it might pursue expansion sites in Kimco's properties. MyBobs.com says Bob's Discount Furniture is a high-growth, national retailer of value home furnishings with more than 210 showrooms, primarily in the Northeast, Midwest and West. The closest stores to Florida are more than 310 miles north in South Carolina. The site says Bob's Discount Furniture was founded in 1991. "Each local furniture store features our famous café with complimentary coffee, cookies, and ice cream - because shopping for home furniture should be fun!" The company says it has become the seventh-largest U.S. furniture chain according to the Furniture Today industry site. Bob's Discount Furniture Inc. took its stock public in February in an initial public offering. CoStar News reported in January that Bob's Discount Furniture said it has the momentum to more than double its store count to 500 locations during the next decade. There was a Bob. Bob Kaufman founded Bob's Discount Furniture and initially appeared in the commercials. Online research finds that Kaufman was replaced by a puppet version called "Little Bob." Kaufman retired in 2014 when Bain Capital bought the company.