Business and development

Oct. 1 marks the national deadline for businesses to switch over to chip-enabled card reader terminals. Some local businesses are debating whether or not the cost is worth the investment.

A $50 million donation by Dr. Herbert Wertheim helped to jumpstart a 5-year, $300 million funding project for improvements to the college of engineering and a new Engineering Innovation building.

Gator Domino's is going digital. At the new store, scheduled to open Oct. 5, workers will not take orders at the drive-through. Food must be ordered by telephone or by a digital device ahead of time. A "pizza theater" will be featured, where customers can watch their food being prepared. The owner, Freddie Wehbe, says Gator Domino's digital changes are first of its kind among other Domino's stores.

GiGi's Playhouse, a national achievement and awareness center for individuals with Down Syndrome, will open its first center in Florida in Gainesville next month. Lilly Bell, the vice-president of GiGi's Playhouse Gainesville, estimates that there are 5,500 people with Down Syndrome who live within a 100-mile radius of Gainesville who could use its services.

With the demand for tourism increasing in Florida, a record of 100 million visitors is predicted this year. Hotel construction as well as airport and seaport renovations are among the increase in tourism.

Know Where Coffee on West University Avenue plans to add beer and wine to its offerings in November. Its owner, Alfonso Guerrero, believes the expansion will be popular with college students, but researchers warn that mixing alcohol with coffee carries its own set of dangers.

Two University of Florida students utilize a start-up business website to raise more than $25,000 to put toward a dream business venture. Curtis Chavoustie and Brandon Parr sent one email that changed their lives in a matter of two weeks. The duo's timepiece line is set to debut in December 2015.

Grocery stores continue to open in West Gainesville while store options in East Gainesville remain sparse. Parts of East Gainesville qualify as a food desert, according the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A house on Northwest 37th Avenue was set to be demolished by Habitat for Humanity before it was discovered that the residence was infested with mold. With the demolition looming, neighborhood residents have concerns over health issues associated with mold.

Ed Lyons will open a new restaurant in mid-October. His former experience as a chef in the White House has taught him punctuality and a good work ethic, qualities he believes will allow him to succeed in his new restaurant.