Keeping an eye on such trends is one thing, but incorporating them into an existing business structure often requires outside expertise. Software outsourcing companies are, by definition, businesses that help other businesses with the development, design, maintenance and testing of their software application and solutions. As such, leading providers in software outsourcing are constantly looking out for the latest tech advancements the market has to offer and craft their much-needed expertise accordingly.

It’s Sugar, which claims to be the largest specialty candy retailer in the world, plans to open a 2,000-square-foot candy store at 600 E. Grand Ave. on Navy Pier. It will sell hundreds of confections, including all-marshmallow cereal, all pink Starbursts, and a "Taste of Chicago Box," featuring candies that originated in Chicago, including Tootsie Rolls, Juicy Fruit, Charleston Chew and Baby Ruth.

“When we chose this old beat-up garage, we fell in love with the vision of what could be,” Walston said. “While most retailers are building new construction out by the highway, we wanted to be in the heartbeat of the community while helping revitalize and repurpose a great business district. Why let a building sit empty when we can breathe new life into an area that our customers live in and drive by every day?” 

At that sort of money, the Maser competes on price with other front/front-mid-engined hotrods including the Mercedes-AMG GT, Aston Martin DB11 and Jaguar F-TYPE V8.

All the cupcakes are made from scratch, using recipes from Wainwright’s 91-year-old grandmother. Top sellers include red velvet, turtle, strawberry eclair and Dutch caramel apple.

Planet Fitness, the gym chain known for its cheap prices, non-judgmental attitude and free pizza once a month, opened at 520 E. 81st Ave. in Merrillville.

To be honest here, I had been a fan of Semihandmade after seeing the impeccable kitchen of Sarah Sherman Samuel a few years ago and was shocked upon learning that most of what she did was done herself — with help from Semihandmade doors. As someone who was undergoing such a large project, I found it so inspiring. That was all I needed to see. I was convinced that between my husband and I, our DIY chops were pretty good, and if we could achieve a fraction of that look, I was good to go.

At another high-volume MDF doors and components manufacturer, Italdecor, production has increased almost 18 percent in the last year, said a company representative. Headquartered in Pramaggiore, Italdecor processes thousands of parts per day and has three production plants.

The restaurant’s sole smoker had been in an outdoor barn, but it will now operate all three smokers inside the kitchen.

Murat Harri Uyghur, a doctor who moved to Finland in 2010, is the mastermind behind #MeTooUyghur. He told me he thought up the idea because he felt Turkey and China were in a game of “hot potato,” each parrying the other’s moves. “I discussed this with one of my friends — how can we throw it back to China?” he said. “They released a video to show Heyit is still alive. So, hey, there’s another million detainees — are they still alive? Make a video of them!”

Lincoln Flats is near Valparaiso’s downtown Central Park Plaza and has a liquor license that allows carryout, so Buck is looking at offering boxed lunches with half bottles of wine for picnics like those at Ravinia north of Chicago.

Copper pans are great for a lot of reasons — they’re scratch-resistant (even with metal utensils), they heat up fast and cook evenly, and the non-stick surface means you don’t need to use oil or butter when you’re cooking. But what really sets this one apart is the under-$20 price tag!