Retail News

Harris Teeter: The grocer is expanding its location in the Jetton Village retail center in Cornelius. The expansion will include a new pizza bar, cheese island and hot bar, a walk-in beer cooler and expanded pastry, meat and produce departments. The store is expanding into adjacent vacant retail space. 19815 North Cove Road; 704-895-5020.

MI-Connection: Beginning Dec. 10, the cable and telecommunications system owned by Davidson and Mooresville increased Internet speeds for all residential customers at no extra charge and with no modem fees. The Internet download and upload speeds for residential subscribers increased an average of 80 percent, the company announced. MI-Connection also announced the launch of what it called the fastest available residential broadband product in the market – a 60MB downstream and 10MB upstream product called Warp Speed Broadband. Details: www.mi-connection.com.

Bank of the Ozarks: The Arkansas-based bank plans to open its first Charlotte branch next year at the former Wellworth Realty site just west of the Goodwill store on West Catawba Avenue in Cornelius. The bank is seeking a conditional use permit to construct a 3,900-square-foot building with drive-through windows, according to an application on file at the Cornelius Planning Department.

The Cornelius Planning Board will consider the request at its meeting at noon Dec. 28 at Town Hall, 21445 Catawba Ave. The Cornelius Board of Commissioners, which has final say, is scheduled to consider the request at its meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 4 at Town Hall.

Bank of the Ozarks has about 100 locations in Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida.

Piedmont Bank: Customers with free checking accounts will be charged $5 a month beginning Jan. 1 if they want to continue receiving paper statements. Beginning Jan. 1, free checking accounts will include a free eStatement each month rather than a paper statement. However, customers who elect not to receive a paper statement anymore must still contact their local branch before Jan. 1 to avoid the charge, according to a Nov. 28 letter from the bank to its free checking account customers.

PostalAnnex +: A location opened recently in the Village at Byers Creek (Harris Teeter) retail center at Perth Road and N.C. 150 West in Mooresville. PostalAnnex + offers UPS, FedEx, DHL and U.S. Postal Service shipping. The store sells boxes and other packaging supplies as well as printing, faxing, laminating/binding, key cutting and notary services. It also provides mailbox rentals and sells office supplies. 112-A Argus Lane; 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, closed Sundays; 704-663-1047; www.postalannex.com/12009.

Tony Sacco’s: Tony Sacco’s Coal Oven Pizza is scheduled to open a 4,500-square-foot restaurant in the spring at Concord Mills mall. The location will be near Entry 1 across from Sun & Ski Sports. Tony Sacco’s will feature Italian antipasti favorites such as caprese, sausage and peppers, and garlic rolls, as well as traditional and specialty pizza pies, assorted mezza luna sandwiches and beer and wine.

Allen Tate Realtors: Tia Higgins and Lora Riddle, both of Concord, graduated recently from the agency’s Winner’s Edge training program. Compiled by Joe Marusak