Stroll by the tennis courts in your local park on a sunny day and you’re bound to see plenty of people swinging racquets, but some of them won’t be playing tennis. They’re taking part in the nation’s fastest growing sport: pickleball, a paddle game where players hit a hollow plastic ball back and forth over a net. Unlike tennis, pickleball requires little prior skill or innate athletic ability to enjoy, allowing it to amass an enormous following in a short Continue reading
When Charles Rao first opened a New York City tavern in 1896, there’s no way he could have known his small business would eventually grow into a multi-billion dollar brand. After his family converted the bar into an Italian restaurant, however, Rao’s fame steadily grew throughout the 20th century. In fact, the eatery got so busy during the 1970s that longtime regulars were awarded “table rights” that turned into treasured family heirlooms. For everybody else, though, it became nearly impossible Continue reading
The YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is the video-sharing platform’s most popular creator, boasting more than 172 million subscribers and counting. Donaldson has parlayed his massive success on YouTube into numerous other businesses, including food brands like the snack line Feastables and MrBeast Burger. He co-founded the latter in 2020 after partnering with Virtual Dining Concepts, a company that specializes in serving food through “ghost kitchens.” These ventures take up residence in the kitchens of established restaurants Continue reading
Last weekend, the highly anticipated summer movie Barbie opened in theaters to rave reviews and huge ticket sales, earning $162 million in just a few days. Of course, Barbie wasn’t the only film to make a splash at the box office: the 3-hour long drama Oppenheimer also enjoyed a big weekend with domestic receipts totaling $82.5 million. The success of these two films follows months of viral marketing that made light of the stark differences between sunny and bright Barbie Continue reading
For the last three years, travel over the Fourth of July weekend has decreased as Americans dealt with issues brought on by the pandemic. According to AAA, though, that won’t be the case in 2023. This year the country’s roads and airports will be jam-packed like never before, with more than 43 million Americans planning to drive 50 miles or more over the holiday weekend. That represents a 4 percent increase over 2019 and marks a new record for July Continue reading