Pier 1 Imports at Orlando’s Colonial Plaza to be closed

The Pier 1 Imports store in Orlando’s Colonial Plaza is set to close.

Markdowns of 30% to 50% have started at the home decor and accessories retailer at 2788 E. Colonial Drive. Pier 1 recently announced it was seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it pursued a sale of the company.

Pier 1 has about 930 stores in the United States, but previously announced it would close up to 450 stores. Monday’s announcement said the business had closed or started sales at more than 400 stores.

“In recent months, we have taken significant steps forward in our business transformation and cost-reduction initiatives,” Pier 1 CEO and CFO Robert Riesbeck said in a news release. “We have worked to establish an appropriately sized and profitable store footprint, operating structure and merchandise assortment that will enable Pier 1 to better serve our customers across store and online channels.”

Pier 1 has stores in Winter Park, Orlando’s Millenia Plaza, Altamonte Springs, Waterford Lakes Town Center, Sanford, Kissimmee and Lady Lake.

Portillo’s food truck will serve up the restaurant’s popular Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches ahead of the restaurant opening in Orlando later this year.

The food truck, dubbed the “Beef Bus,” is coming to Icon Park, 8375 International Drive, Feb. 27 through March 1 and March 5 through 9. It will be open 2 to 11 p.m. daily.

Portillo’s first Orlando-area restaurant is planned for Unicorp National Developments’ O-Town West project off Interstate 4 near Walt Disney World. The 7,800-square-foot restaurant will be near the corners of Palm and Daryl Carter Parkways and feature an outdoor patio and a double drivethrough.

The first Portillo’s hot dog stand opened in Villa Park, Illinois, in 1963. It has Florida restaurants in Tampa and Brandon.

A White Castle restaurant, the first in Florida since the 1960s, is also expected to open in the development late this year or early next year.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide is also centralizing its corporate headquarters in a new nine-story building at O-Town West.

Publix is one of the 100 best companies to work for, according to Fortune.

The Lakeland-based grocery store chain ranked No. 39 on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list this year, a fall from its No. 12 spot last year. It has spent 23 years on the list. Hilton, headquartered in McLean, Va., was ranked No. 1.

Fortune reports Publix has more than 206,000 employees and notes its tuition reimbursement program for staffers who work an average of 10 hours per week after being with the