RIP Franchises of our youths

[thatguy]

In other news, here comes a franchise we didn't have as kids:

https://www.mv-voice.com/santa-clara-cou...-location/

LA’s iconic 73-year-old doughnut shop is soon opening its first Bay Area location
Randy’s Donuts has plans to open at least four shops in the area
by Adrienne Mitchel 
Randy’s Donuts iconic Los Angeles location has a 32-foot doughnut sculpture on its roof. The new Santa Clara location will have a sizably smaller doughnut sculpture. Courtesy Randy’s Donuts. 

A doughnut shop with cameos in “Iron Man 2,” “The Simpsons” and “The Tonight Show” is opening its first Bay Area location in Santa Clara.

Randy’s Donuts, a Los Angeles landmark since 1952, specializes in handmade doughnuts, from classic glazed raised to premium doughnuts dipped in matcha glaze or topped with Oreo pieces. Expected to open in Q1 of 2026, Randy’s Donuts Santa Clara will act as a commissary kitchen for future Bay Area locations of the shop.

“We have been eyeing Randy’s Donuts for a long time based on its iconic presence inside L.A., Hollywood, a lot of movies, people really relate to it,” said Ausaf Masud, co-owner of Randy’s Donuts Santa Clara. “We wanted a handmade, family-owned businesses that we can expand and bring to the South Bay.”

While this is Masud’s debut in the food and beverage industry, his business partner Adeel Siddiqui has been in the Bay Area restaurant business for 17 years and is the owner of the Port of Peri Peri brand. 

Randy’s Donuts Santa Clara, expected to open in Q1, will look similar to Randy’s Donuts Culver City, pictured above. Courtesy Randy’s Donuts.

Randy’s originated in the 1940s when Russell Wendell opened the Big Do-Nut Drive-In. In 1952 he opened what would become an iconic landmark – the second location of his doughnut shop with a 32-foot doughnut sculpture on its roof. In 1976, Robert Eskow bought the shop and renamed it Randy’s. Since 2015, Mark Kelegian has been the owner of Randy’s Donuts, and now the company has more than 50 locations globally.

“One thing you may not see in Santa Clara is the 32-foot donut, because Santa Clara doesn’t allow that unfortunately,” Masud said. “Let’s see how big we can land off a donut for Santa Clara.”

Located in the former space of Chinese restaurant Top Chef, Randy’s Donuts Santa Clara will have a large kitchen area with a small seating area (approximately four to eight seats inside with additional seating outside, according to Masud). The space, once a KFC, also has a drive-thru, which Masud hopes to eventually utilize. But for Randy’s launch, the drive-thru won’t be operational, he said.


Randy’s Donuts offers a variety of handmade doughnuts, including chocolate raised, blueberry iced cake and chocolate Long John. Courtesy Randy’s Donuts.

Randy’s Santa Clara will be located just a three-minute walk from Stan’s Donuts, a family-owned, independent doughnut shop established in 1959 by Stanford Wittmyer, a WWII veteran. Masud said there were a lot of variables that went into selecting Randy’s location, including size of the space, availability, pricing, cost, design and construction.

“To be very clear about it, we did not want to tap into Stan’s customer base,” he said. “Sometimes healthy competition also helps each other.”

Randy’s menu is divided into classic (such as chocolate raised and cherry iced cake), deluxe (think chocolate Long John and lemon old fashioned), fancy (apple fritter and chocolate cronut, called “crondy”) and premium (Nutella raised and red velvet with ganache) selections. Seasonal doughnuts are also available for holidays such as Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

Randy’s coffee drinks are made with a 100% arabica coffee blend and include flavors such as butter crumb, maple cream and sea salt caramel. Boba tea, milkshakes and frozen and iced refreshers are also available.

Three to four more Bay Area locations are in the works, although no locations have been locked in, according to Masud.

“I want to fill up the Bay Area with Randy’s Donuts,” he said.

Randy’s Donuts, 2595 Homestead Road, Santa Clara; Instagram: @randysdonuts. Expected to open in Q1 of 2026.

This will probably affect Stan's Donuts...

--t0g

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

More donuts!!!!

[Drunk Monk]

I spent a lot of time here. It was my go to for dinner when I covered so many screeners, here and across the street at Metreon as well as a few Warfield shows. I stood near Salma Hayek for the premiere of Puss in Boots here. It was a great space.

[King Bob]

Those Randy's guys are dicks. Saying it's a "three minute walk from Stan's" is misleading. It's almost right across the street. And obviously you want to tap into their customer base or you wouldn't have picked that spot. I'll probably boycott. But I guess it doesn't matter anyway, since I almost never eat a donut, and our go to is Maple Leaf on Saratoga. I think we last went about 2-3 years ago.

[Drunk Monk]

Minute Maid discontinues concentrated orange juice in latest blow to civilization
ROB BESCHIZZA  11:59 AM THU  FEB 5, 2026 

Image: Minute Maid
For 80 years, Minute Maid has sold orange juice and lemonade (including the pink stuff) as concentrate, with each 12-ounce can of freezing slush yielding 48 ounces of drink, give or take. Today parent company Coca-Cola said it will discontinue sales in the U.S. and Canada, saying consumers don't want it anymore. 
"With the juice category growing strongly, we're focusing on products that better match what our consumers want," said a spokesperson inexplicably given anonymity by NBC News. "Frozen products will be discontinued in Q1 2026, with in-store inventory available while supplies last."
Get it while you can: April will see the final shipments. Other products included in the cull are reportedly limeade, Fruitopia, and Five Alive. A typical online comment: "NOOOOOO! This is my literal childhood."
Fuss aside, there are alternatives, so this is might be good news for Old Orchard and store brands at Kroger, Trader Joes and others. An odd irony: in the UK, this stuff seemed to have disappeared decades ago: instead they sell full-size bottles made from it there. I miss my insipid, tangless fruit juice

[Greg]

A big part of my diet in the 1970s. I don't think I've used it much since then.

[Drunk Monk]

Likewise

[Drunk Monk]

Outerwear retailer files for bankruptcy, will shutter California stores
By Tessa McLean, California EditorMarch 9, 2026
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FILE: A now-closed location of Eddie Bauer at the former San Francisco Centre on Oct. 26, 2011, in San Francisco.
Steve Jennings/WireImage
All [url=https://www.sfgate.com/california/]California Eddie Bauer stores are expected to close following a failed bankruptcy auction of its retail operations. 

Eddie Bauer LLC, which operates the store locations, could not find a qualified bidder, according to recently filed bankruptcy court documents. The retailer had filed for bankruptcy in February, but at the time, it was possible the stores would stay open under new ownership if a buyer was found.

The outdoor retailer had 13 stores across California as of publication, including outposts in Corte Madera, Fresno and San Clemente. Store associates reached at several locations said they did not know when the stores were closing permanently. Most locations confirmed they were advertising big sales on remaining inventory.
California law typically prohibits gift cards from ever expiring, but all Eddie Bauer gift cards and loyalty points will be invalid after Thursday, the court filings said. Still, the outerwear brand may live on in the form of e-commerce. Authentic Brands Group owns the company’s intellectual property and announced in February it would focus on Eddie Bauer’s “elite performance line” through its partnership with Outdoor 5, a licensing partner. 

File: Eddie Bauer shoes are displayed at an Eddie Bauer outlet store on March 17, 2022, in Novato, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
“In partnership with Outdoor 5, we are excited to put a spotlight on the brand pillars that have always defined Eddie Bauer: quality, functionality, and outdoor innovation,” said David Brooks, a vice president at Authentic Brands Group, in a statement. “We are also proud to announce the return of First Ascent, one of Eddie Bauer’s elite, performance-tested lines. Our focus is on Eddie Bauer’s roots in the outdoors while expanding its digital and wholesale reach to meet adventure-seeking consumers wherever they choose to shop.”

Eddie Bauer was founded in Seattle in 1920 and had around 180 stores across the U.S. and Canada when the company declared bankruptcy earlier this year. It was the third time the retailer had filed for bankruptcy since its founding, once in 2003 and again in 2009, though it would go on to overcome these prior hurdles. 

Retail continues to struggle across the United States. Claire’s, the accessory chain reliably found at malls across the country, filed for bankruptcy last year and announced it would be shuttering nearly 300 stores. Francesca’s, a beloved boutique chain, is reportedly closing all its stores. San Francisco-headquartered Williams Sonoma closed its Union Square store in January.

I've got several Eddie Bauer items in my wardrobe.

[Greg]

Best thing I ever bought at Eddie Bauer was a Christmas gift for the Yeti. They were engineered skipping stones.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Best thing I ever bought at Eddie Bauer was a Christmas gift for the Yeti. They were engineered skipping stones.

I think I probably ate them.

[Drunk Monk]

Best thing I ever bought at Eddie Bauer was a Christmas gift for the Yeti. They were engineered skipping stones.

I think I probably ate them.

If they were engineered by Eddie Bauer, you probably passed them efficiently.

[Greg]

I think I probably ate them.

Nope. We walked them down to the beach below Castle Highland (Doesn't exist) and chucked them into the sea.

[Drunk Monk]

I think I probably ate them.

Nope. We walked them down to the beach below Castle Highland (Doesn't exist) and chucked them into the sea.

You could've just converted all your money into silver dollars and chucked them into the sea. 

How much were these engineered skipping stones?