Latest news with #Tandem
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tandem Bagel Co. bucks current business climate, opens 6th location in Ludlow
LUDLOW — Tariffs. Inflation. Economic uncertainty. Entrepreneurs Chris and Andrea Zawacki have found a way to buck the business trends: with fresh bagels, of course. Named for the partnership with each other and their host communities, Tandem Bagel Co. cafe opened May 23 in Ludlow, a sixth location in the Zawackis' growing chain of shops across Hampshire and Hampden counties. Built around 1870, the newly renovated mill complex along the Chicopee River was the backbone of the local economy, processing yams, twine and webbing through World War I, said Chris Zawacki. 'You can see the original trusses and brick walls. There are pulleys and shafts that generated electricity. You can see right to the ceiling, with all the motors and gears exposed. It's neat to see the history there,' said Zawacki. The look and feel of the new shop are key, as ambiance is as important as aroma in keeping cafes from grinding to a halt, industry experts say. Tandem pitches itself to the morning breakfast crowd as a quick or leisurely stop for coffee, espresso and bagel sandwiches — and to the lunch crowd, with turkey, chicken, roast beef, BLT and other offerings on bagels. 'We have a good product. It's an easy product. Coffee and a bagel; it's not pretentious,' said Andrea Zawacki. 'We have a lot of regulars who come every day.' The Pew Research Center says 10% of small enterprises were owned by couples in 2021, making the Zawackis the minority in the business world. They also are accomplishing something many small operations fail to achieve: longevity and growth. The Easthampton couple opened their first cafe in 2013, occupying a renovated train depot in Easthampton. Since then, they have opened more shops in Northampton, Hadley, Florence, West Springfield and now Ludlow. Tandem Bagel Co. continued operating during the pandemic, with the exception of a few weeks. The business saw explosive growth of 30% to 40% coming out of COVID and sustained 5% year-over-year revenue increases more recently, said Chris Zawacki. 'We try to be very focused on customer service and treat our employees well,' he said. 'If you get good employees that are happy doing their jobs, they're going to help you grow the business. They make you succeed.' Having a hard time finding good employees is a top reason coffee shops crash, according to Walden University. Tandem now has 130 employees in Hampshire and Hampden counties. About half of them are full time with benefits, including health insurance, retirement programs and vacations. Zawacki said the business is 'always hiring.' The couple has spent the last two years planning and opening the Ludlow location. They have navigated two presidential administrations with polar opposite policies, rising and falling inflation, economic uncertainty sparked by on and off tariffs, and erratic consumer confidence. Zawacki said he agrees with other small business owners who said if they can endure COVID-19, they can survive whatever might come. 'COVID was a wake-up call to be ready for anything,' he said. The Zawackis say they raise their prices once year and hold steady after that, even absorbing the rising cost of ingredients, including eggs. 'We're not a high-end restaurant, so consumer spending isn't going to hit us as much. We're a breakfast and lunch place. We're not an expensive go-out-to-dinner-once-a-week place. We get a lot of people coming multiple times a week,' he said. By definition, the couple buys locally, because most of their ingredients, such as meat and dairy, must be fresh. But supporting the local economy and charities is also part of their mission. 'We're a local business, and it goes both ways. The more our customers support us, the more we try to give back to our suppliers and the community — to make it work for everybody,' he said. Zawacki has a master's degree in engineering and worked in manufacturing for 20 years, the last few as a director. But with designs on owning a business, he canceled his career to open that first cafe with his wife, who was a stay-at-home mom and is a fitness instructor. Tandem bakes its own bagels, like plain, sesame and cinnamon raisin — but with a flair for the creative. The menu also includes snickerdoodle, French toast, jalapeno and parmesan offerings. Cream cheese goes beyond the conventional plain, chive and veggie, to include strawberry, blueberry, honey walnut, bacon, cinnamon roll, pumpkin and others. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, nearly 20% of small enterprises fail in their first year, while nearly half go dark in their first five years. Meanwhile, Tandem Bagel Co. is attracting an increasing number of customers and opening new cafes, the latest expected at the end of this year in the old Westfield train station. 'It's exciting to be part of the community, to interact with customers,' said Andrea Zawacki. 'I like talking to them and meeting new people. I feel we're a good part of every community we're in.' Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Films Boutique Delivers ‘The President's Cake' to Multiple Territories After Cannes Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
Films Boutique has sold Hasan Hadi's 'The President's Cake,' which had its world premiere in Cannes sidebar Directors' Fortnight, to multiple territories. The film was picked up by Lucky Red for Italy, Atalante for Spain, Rialto Distribution for Australia/New Zealand, Filmcoopi for Switzerland, Cinobo for Greece and Nitrato Filmes for Portugal. More from Variety Scarlett Johansson's Directorial Debut 'Eleanor the Great' Lands 5-Minute Cannes Ovation as She Praises Star June Squibb as 'Truly Inspiring' 'Eleanor the Great' Review: Scarlett Johansson's Directorial Debut Is an Unconvincing Crowd-Pleaser, With June Squibb Doing Brash Shtick Erin Kellyman on Starring in Scarlett Johansson's Directorial Debut 'Eleanor the Great': 'This Job Has Changed the Way I See Myself as an Actor' Negotiations are underway for the U.K., Turkey, Scandinavia, Latin America, Austria and the Middle-East. As previously announced, Tandem has the film in France, and September Film has it in Benelux. North American rights are handled by UTA/WME. 'The President's Cake' takes place in 1990s Iraq when people across the country are struggling to survive food shortages. It is at this time that Saddam Hussein requires each school in the country to prepare a cake to celebrate his birthday. Despite her efforts to avoid getting picked, 9-year-old Lamia is chosen from among her classmates. The girl must now use her wits and imagination to gather ingredients for the mandatory cake or face the consequences. 'The President's Cake' was filmed entirely in Iraq with a cast of local non-actors, who included Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheed Thabet Khreibat and Rahim AlHaj. Hadi grew up in southern Iraq during wartime, and over the years worked in journalism, production and as an adjunct professor at NYU's Graduate Film Program. He is a 2022 Sundance Institute Feature Film Fellow and the recipient of the 2022 Sundance Institute/NHK Award, SFFILM Rainin Grant, and Doha Film Institute Production Grant for 'The President's Cake,' his feature debut. The film's producer is Leah Chen Baker, who is an Independent Spirit Award-nominated producer and filmmaker. She produced Jamie Dack's feature debut, 'Palm Trees and Power Lines,' which premiered at Sundance 2022 and won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award. Executive producers include Academy Award-winning screenwriter Eric Roth ('Forrest Gump') and director Marielle Heller. The film is made in association with Missing Piece Films, Working Barn Productions, Maiden Voyage Films and Spark Features. The director of photography is Tudor Vladimir Panduru, the DP of Palme d'Or winner Cristian Mungiu on 'Bacalaureat' and 'RMN.' The editor is Andu Radu. Films Boutique's lineup includes Ira Sachs' 'Peter Hujar's Day,' which premiered in Sundance, Georgi M. Unkovski's 'DJ Ahmet,' the Audience Award winner from Sundance, and 'Tarika' by Milko Lazarov, which screens in the Cannes Ecrans Junior section. There will be market screenings for the recent Berlinale competition title 'Girls on Wire' by Vivian Qu and 'Where the Wind Comes From' by Amel Guellaty, which also premiered in Sundance earlier this year. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dexcom CEO says CGMs fit MAHA agenda ‘very nicely'; Tandem preps for new products
This story was originally published on MedTech Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily MedTech Dive newsletter. Dexcom CEO Kevin Sayer touted the company's recent efforts to expand coverage of CGMs for people with Type 2 diabetes. On a May 1 earnings call, the CEO told investors that all three major U.S. pharmacy benefit managers now cover the company's G7 glucose monitor for anyone with diabetes. Dexcom expects to have coverage for nearly 6 million people with Type 2 diabetes who don't take insulin by the end of the year. 'While this still represents only a portion of this 25 million-person population in the U.S., we often see smaller and customized plans quickly follow suit of the larger PBM formularies,' Sayer said. Dexcom will seek coverage from Medicare for people with diabetes who don't take insulin. The company is working to gather evidence from a randomized controlled trial to submit a request to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Sayer said. Wolfe Research analyst Mike Polark on the earnings call noted comments by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supporting CGMs. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Martin Makary has also suggested making the devices more widely available. 'We're very pleased with the comments of the administration,' Sayer said, adding that the company thinks its devices 'fit the Make America Healthy agenda very nicely.' Dexcom reported revenue of $1.04 billion in the first quarter, a 12% increase year over year. Tandem is seeking Europe's CE mark for its newer, smaller Mobi insulin pump, CEO John Sheridan said in an April 30 earnings call. Tandem received FDA clearance for the device in 2023. The company plans to launch Mobi outside of the U.S. with multiple sensor integrations by the year's end, Sheridan said. In February, Tandem received an expanded FDA indication for its Control-IQ+ algorithm for Type 2 diabetes. The algorithm pairs data from glucose monitors with the company's insulin pumps for automated dosing. Tandem hopes to launch the newer version of that algorithm internationally by the end of the year, pending regulatory approval, Sheridan said. The CEO also provided an update on Tandem's efforts to develop an insulin patch pump. The company is working on a tubeless feature for its Mobi pump that is now in verification testing and manufacturing buildout, Sheridan said. Meanwhile, the company has moved development of the Sigi patch pump that it acquired in 2022 to San Diego. Insulet, which received an expanded indication last year for its Omnipod 5 patch pump, said people with Type 2 diabetes represent a growing portion of new patients. Eric Benjamin, chief product and customer experience officer, told investors on May 8 that people with Type 2 diabetes made up more than 30% of new starts in the first quarter, an increase from 25% in the fourth quarter. The company grew revenue by nearly 29% to $569 million in the first quarter, compared to the year-ago period, and named longtime medtech executive Ashley McEvoy as CEO. Insulet estimated in February that the Type 2 indication expands the total addressable market for its patch pumps in the U.S. to more than 5.5 million people with Type 2 diabetes who take insulin. About 2.5 million of those people take multiple daily injections of insulin. Insulet estimated the market is less than 5% penetrated. Benjamin expects the company could double or triple that number, telling investors, 'Right now, we're making that market.' Recommended Reading New Insulet CEO Ashley McEvoy sets priorities Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Time Out
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
What are those colorful sculptures popping up around the Upper West Side?
If you've recently strolled up Broadway uptown and thought, ' Wait, was that giant pink blob always there?', you're not hallucinating. Five vibrant, large-scale sculptures have officially taken up residence on the Upper West Side, courtesy of a new public art installation titled Broadway Hubbub. The eye-catching outdoor exhibition, which opened Friday, is a collaboration between sculptor Carl D'Alvia, the Broadway Mall Association, NYC Parks' Art in the Parks program, and Tribeca's Hesse Flatow gallery. The works are scattered across five central Broadway malls, stretching from 64th to 117th Streets, specifically at Dante Park (64th Street), Verdi Square (72nd Street), 79th Street, 103rd Street and Columbia University -adjacent 117th Street. View this post on Instagram A post shared by HESSE FLATOW (@hesse_flatow) The sculptures are part of D'Alvia's Liths series, known for blending monumental scale with playful, human-like forms. Made from aluminum and coated in gleaming auto paint, the works range from 5 to 12 feet tall and boast names like Hot Rod and Tandem. Think monolithic meets whimsical—more Calder in a wind tunnel than classical marble god. 'I've always seen these large works being out in the world with us,' D'Alvia said of the project, in a statement released by the gallery. 'Itinerant characters who slouch, bend and wander… while holding a sort of sculptural mirror up to us.' And what better runway than Broadway itself? 'There's only one Broadway,' he added. This is the 15th installation in the Broadway Mall Association's Art on the Malls series, which has brought bold, contemporary sculpture to the leafy Broadway median since 2005. Past artists have included Chakaia Booker, Frank Benson and Sean Scully. The BMA, which maintains the 83 central malls from 70th to 168th Streets, aims to use public art to reflect the eclectic neighborhoods of the Upper West Side and beyond. The Broadway Hubbub sculptures will be on view through November, so you've got time to take a stroll and a selfie or two. Whether you're a seasoned art lover or just passing by on your coffee run, it's worth looking up: Broadway's got a few new characters—and they're anything but subtle.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hasan Hadi's ‘The President's Cake' Sells to France and Benelux Ahead of World Premiere in Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Sales agency Films Boutique has closed two key territories on Iraqi writer/director Hasan Hadi's 'The President's Cake' ahead of its world premiere in Directors' Fortnight during the Cannes Film Festival. The film has been acquired in France by Tandem and Benelux by September Film. More from Variety 'The President's Cake' takes place in 1990s Iraq when people across the country are struggling to survive food shortages. It is at this time that Saddam Hussein requires each school in the country to prepare a cake to celebrate his birthday. Despite her efforts to avoid getting picked, 9-year-old Lamia is chosen among her classmates. The girl must now use her wits and imagination to gather ingredients for the mandatory cake or face the consequences. 'The President's Cake' was filmed entirely in Iraq with a cast of local non-actors, who included Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheed Thabet Khreibat and Rahim AlHaj. Hadi grew up in southern Iraq during wartime, and over the years worked in journalism, production, and as an adjunct professor at NYU's Graduate Film Program. He is a 2022 Sundance Institute Feature Film Fellow and the recipient of the 2022 Sundance Institute/NHK Award, SFFILM Rainin Grant, and Doha Film Institute Production Grant for 'The President's Cake,' his feature debut. The film's producer is Leah Chen Baker, who is an Independent Spirit Award-nominated producer and filmmaker. She produced Jamie Dack's feature debut, 'Palm Trees and Power Lines,' which premiered at Sundance 2022 and won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award. Executive producers include Academy Award-winning screenwriter Eric Roth ('Forrest Gump') and director Marielle Heller. The film is made in association with Missing Piece Films, Working Barn Productions, Maiden Voyage Films and Spark Features. The director of photography is Tudor Vladimir Panduru, the DP of Palme d'Or winner Cristian Mungiu on 'Bacalaureat' and 'RMN.' The editor is Andu Radu. Films Boutique's lineup includes Ira Sachs' 'Peter Hujar's Day,' which premiered in Sundance, Georgi M. Unkovski's Audience Award winner from Sundance, 'DJ Ahmet,' and 'Tarika' by Milko Lazarov, which screens in the Cannes Ecrans Junior section. There will be market screenings for the recent Berlinale competition title 'Girls on Wire' by Vivian Qu and 'Where the Wind Comes From' by Amel Guellaty, which also premiered in Sundance earlier this year. Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
