More co-working facilities set to open

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Two more co-working spaces are set to open in Pittsburgh — one in a 100-year-old renovated building in the central business district; the other in a mixed-used development complex in the Strip District.

Beauty Shoppe, which is Pittsburgh-based and operates several other shared work spaces in the city, said tenants this week will begin to move in to the second floor of the restored Pitt Building on Smithfield Street, Downtown.

Serendipity Labs, a national coworking company, said it will open its first Pittsburgh location in December at 2545 Railroad St., part of the 3 Crossings complex in the Strip District.

Beauty Shoppe is a partner with building owner Hippeus Capital of New York on the Downtown space that currently includes 12,500 square feet.

An additional 8,000 square feet of adjacent space could be renovated and added later this year, said Matthew Ciccone, co-founder and chief executive of Beauty Shoppe.

The firm already operates coworking centers in East Liberty, Lawrenceville, New Kensington and Cleveland, and expects to open two more in Pittsburgh this year, said Mr. Ciccone.

Its latest is located in what was built in 1918 as the Americus Club of Pittsburgh — a gathering spot for members of the Republican Party.

The rehabbed space has retained a historic feel with 14-foot ceilings, columns, exposed ductwork, and double-hung windows that allow natural light to flow through flexible clusters of workstations, meeting spaces and conference rooms.

A modern touch includes desks and tables crafted by local custom furniture maker Bones and All.

The existing space should accommodate about 200 people, said Marissa Hozella, location manager who before joining Beauty Shoppe was the guest experience manager for Hotel Monaco, Downtown.

Tenants are expected to include a mix of solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, small firms, Fortune 100 companies seeking a Pittsburgh location, and large firms already in the region’s suburbs who want a Downtown outpost, Mr. Ciccone said.

GNC sales drop but retailer still beats analyst estimates

Emiliano’s Mexican Restaurant & Bar on Carson Street, South Side, was hit with a consumer alert by the Allegheny County Health Department. Some of the nearly two dozen violations included mouse droppings behind the cook line and behind booths in the customer seating area; foods being held at unsafe temperatures; an employee handling raw chicken and raw beef then preparing cooked orders; inadequate cleaning of food contact surfaces, and evidence of roaches. The report indicated the inspection was triggered by a complaint.GNC reported a year-over-year drop in revenue and net income for the 2018 second quarter, but still beat analysts’ earnings per share estimates. The Pittsburgh-basedPlastics maker Covestro said second-quarter sales and income rose and it raised its earnings guidance for the year. The Germanbased company with North American headquarters in Robinson said second-quarter sales jumped by 10 percent from a year ago to 3.9 billion euros ($4.6 billion), boosted by demand and higher selling prices. Net income was up by 25 percent to 604 million euros.