Monthly prize raffle event aims to support local, small businesses in West Sacramento

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published by SacBee.com on Aug. 9, 2018

If you like supporting small and local businesses, West Sacramento’s new monthly event might be of interest.

The West Sacramento Chamber of Commerce announced a new event this week that it hopes will promote local and small businesses as well as community engagement. The Third Saturday Swarm, as the name suggests, is set to take place the third Saturday of every month, beginning Aug. 18.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and tasks participants with visiting several stores in a selected shopping center, which will rotate each month, and collect stamps on a card. Cards can then be turned in for a chance to win prizes.

For the first month, shoppers are asked to stop by Big Kahuna, a self-serve frozen yogurt shop located in the Southport Town Center shopping complex at 2155 Town Center Plaza. Participants will be given their stamp card and can then proceed to visit several stores in the shopping center to collect stamps.

“The best way to attract even more shops and restaurants is to help make sure the ones that are already here keep thriving,” Christopher Cabaldon, West Sacramento’s mayor, said in a Facebook post about the event.

Of course, the chamber encourages participants to make purchases while visiting these businesses, but purchases are not required to qualify to receive stamps or to enter the raffle. Raffle prizes include a one-month pass for the city’s Via ride share program or a year’s supply of frozen yogurt from Big Kahuna.

More information on the event is available on the official website of the West Sacramento Chamber of Commerce.

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Fall already? Starbucks Pumpkin Spice products returning to retail, cafes soon

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published by SacBee.com on Aug. 9, 2018

There may officially still be a little over a month left of the summer season, but businesses are starting to push the products, colors and flavors of fall out to consumers.

Stores like Target have already begun marketing Halloween items, so it’s no surprise that Starbucks announced its lineup of retail Pumpkin Spice products on Thursday. Among the products, which hit stores some time next week, are new Pumpkin Spice Cookie Straws and Pumpkin Spice Ground Coffee K-Cup pods for Keurig coffee makers.

There are also five returning Pumpkin Spice products, including 14-ounce bottled lattes, 11-ounce bags of ground coffee, Pumpkin Spice Latte K-Cup pods, 40-ounce bottled iced espresso latte and 5-count Via Instant latte.

As for when the flavor will return to cafes, the date has not been officially announced, but many Starbucks fans are speculating online that it will be later this month.

According to Business Insider, official documents viewed by the news outlet confirm that the popular fall variety will return on Aug. 28.

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How to ride a FlixBus from Sacramento to any of 28 California cities for 99 cents

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published by SacBee.com on Aug. 8, 2018

If you’re looking to travel on the cheap from Sacramento to another city in California, you’re in luck.

German bus company FlixBus is offering rides to several cities in California for just 99 cents. But there’s a slight catch. Departure dates can be booked for any date through Sept. 6, but tickets need to be purchased on Wednesday, Aug. 8 or Thursday, Aug. 9 to qualify for the special price.

FlixBus currently offers rides from Sacramento to 28 cities in California, including popular destinations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Anaheim, Modesto, Fresno, Oakland, Stockton and San Jose. FlixBus has two stops in Sacramento at V Street and Front Street and at University/65th Street Light Rail Station.

Tickets from Sacramento’s stations normally range from $4.99 to $24.99. A $2 processing fee will be added to every purchase, including the tickets purchased at the special 99 cent price.

According to FlixBus, the buses feature Wi-Fi and power plugs for electronic devices.

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The first 7 stars you can see in Sacramento at Wizard World Comic-Con this fall

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published by SacBee.com on Aug. 8, 2018

What do a Marvel superhero, three Hollywood actors and a trio of pro wrestling legends have in common? You can see them all in Sacramento in October.

Wizard World Comic-Con, the conference that celebrates fans of comics, movies, visual novels, horror, anime and more, will return to Cal Expo Oct. 5, 6 and 7.

According to a Facebook post from the show’s organizers, attendees can expect to see Henry Winkler of “Happy Days” fame, Marvel’s Netflix series “Luke Cage” actor Mike Colter, Judd Hirsch of “NUMB3RS” and “Independence Day”, Thomas Ian Nicholas, who was made famous in the movies “Rookie of the Year” and “American Pie,” and pro wrestling legends Kevin Nash, Billy Gunn and Road Warrior Animal.

More celebrity guests will be announced soon, according to the post.

Other highlights announced for the show, which was originally not slated to return to Sacramento this year, include a 1966 Batmobile replica, toys and collectibles available to view and buy and appearances by illustrators, comic writers, authors and film producers.

Passes for all three days run at $39.99 with single-day passes starting at $19.99. For more information on the conference, including on which days you can see the announced celebrities, check out Wizard World Sacramento’s official website.

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Carrie Underwood coming to Sacramento next year. Here’s when you can buy tickets

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published by SacBee.com on Aug. 8, 2018

The “All-American Girl” Carrie Underwood will take the stage in Sacramento next year.

The “American Idol” Season 4 winner is bringing her “Cry Pretty Tour 360” to Golden 1 Center on May 14, 2019, at 7 p.m. The all-female lineup will include Maddie & Tae and Runaway June.

Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, Aug. 17, at 10 a.m., with pre-sales on Aug. 13 and 16. Ticket purchases include a copy of Underwood’s new “Cry Pretty” album, for which the tour is named. The album will be released Sept. 14.

Similar to the singer’s previous “The Storyteller Tour – Stories in the Round” shows, the performance will feature a 360-degree stage in the center of the audience “to allow fans on all sides of the arena an intimate view of the concert,” according to the show’s description.

Underwood announced her tour Wednesday on Twitter with a video to her fans that also revealed she and her husband, Mike Fisher, are expecting their second child.

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Other California stops on the 2019 tour include Fresno, Oakland and Bakersfield in May as well as San Diego and Los Angeles in September.

A version of this story was also published in the print edition of The Sacramento Bee in the Ticket section on page 13T Aug. 10, 2018

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A third ‘Japanese dollar store’ to open in Sacramento. How shoppers can win freebies

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published by SacBee.com on Aug. 3, 2018

Sacramento bargain hunters will soon have a new value store to shop for all kinds of products at low prices.

Daiso Japan is opening its third Sacramento-area store in the Delta Shores shopping center at 8176 Delta Shores Circle South. The company is celebrating with a grand opening Aug. 17 and 18.

The event begins at 10 a.m. each day and will feature goodie bags for the first 100 customers per day. A receipt is required to claim a goodie bag.

Additionally, raffle tickets will be given to customers all day Aug. 17 and until 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 18, with a drawing at 5 p.m.

Raffles prizes include a Dyson Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, an iPad Mini, a K-Cup Brewer, two $100 Visa gift cards and a $50 gas card, according to a press release. Winners will be announced at the time of the drawing as well as on the company’s website and social media sites.

Based in Hiroshima, Japan, Daiso — sometimes referred to as “the Japanese dollar store” — has more than 2,800 stores in Japan and more than 600 locations in other countries. The discount retailer’s prices begin at $1.50 and include items like housewares, stationery, beauty supplies, seasonal and everyday products, specialty food, novelties and kitchenware.

Daiso’s other Sacramento locations are in Natomas at 3541 North Freeway Blvd. and inside the Roseville Galleria.

Those interested in going to the new location’s grand opening can RSVP on the company’s Facebook page.

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McDonald’s ‘MacCoins’ celebrate 50 years of the Big Mac, are good for free burger

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published by SacBee.com on Aug. 2, 2018

McDonald’s is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Big Mac, its most famous burger, with free food and collectible coins through the end of the year.

The so-called MacCoin comes with the purchase of a Big Mac sandwich and can be redeemed for a Big Mac during another visit. The coin promotion began Thursday at lunch time and coins can begin being redeemed on Friday, Aug. 3.

The fast-food chain has produced more than 6.2 million coins in five variations, one for each of the five decades of the burger. The designs include “flower power” for the ’70s, pop art for the ’80s, “bold, abstract shapes” for the ’90s, new millennium technology for the ’00s and the “evolution of communication” for the 2010s, according to a press release.

There are also seven languages featured across the five coin designs that represent many of the participating countries, McDonald’s said.

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“When my great-grandfather Jim Delligatti invented the Big Mac at his grill in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, he just wanted to make his local customers happy,” Nick Delligatti, great-grandson of Jim Delligatti, the inventor of the Big Mac, said in the release. “Aug. 2 would have been his 100th birthday, and I believe he would be very proud knowing his humble sandwich has made such a lasting impression.”

Note that each coin can only be redeemed at participating restaurants once and coins will only be available while supplies last. The coins are intended to be collected, shared or redeemed, so customers who choose to redeem their coins for a free burger will not get to keep the redeemed coins.

McDonald’s said 14,000 locations in more than 50 countries are participating in the promotion.

McDonald’s is also offering free french fries every Friday through the end of the year.

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Dairy Queen donating portion of Blizzard sales to Children’s Miracle Network

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published by SacBee.com on Aug. 2, 2018

Ice Cream lovers can feel a little less guilty when buying a sweet treat on Thursday at Dairy Queen because the fast food chain has teamed with Children’s Miracle Network to donate a portion of Blizzard sales for its Miracle Treat Day.

The company will donate $1 or more (amounts vary by location and size purchased) to local branches of the hospital network for every sale of its iconic dessert treat.

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There are six participating restaurants in the Sacramento area, including 2426 Fruitridge Road, 3341 Arden Way, 6855 Greenback Lane in Citrus Heights, 912 Douglas Blvd. in Roseville, 9295 Greenback Lane in Orangevale and a DQ Orange Julius location inside the Roseville Galleria.

According to Dairy Queen, the partnership with Children’s Miracle Network has raised more than $135 million “through donations from DQ fans and franchisees, all of which stays local to fund critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care.”

Miracle Treat Day is being held at participating locations throughout the U.S. with proceeds being donated to CMN hospitals across the nation.

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Sacramento Kings and fans raised $30,000 for Red Cross wildfire relief in one day

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published by SacBee.com on Aug. 2, 2018

On Wednesday, the Sacramento Kings and American Red Cross linked up for a donation drive to collect relief funds in support of the many families and individuals affected by the recent California wildfires.

The team announced Thursday that fans and community members donated a collective $15,000, which was then matched 100 percent by the Kings for a one-day total of $30,000. All of the proceeds were sent to the American Red Cross for disaster relief efforts.

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According to a press release, the team connected with more than 5,000 season ticket holders and other fans and community members during the drive. Donations were accepted over the phone and on the team’s ticket purchasing website.

“We are deeply concerned about our staff, fans and the communities affected by the ravaging wildfires. Kings fans truly embodied the ‘Do Good’ motto, stepping up to help others in need and again proving why they are known as the best fans in the NBA,” John Rinehart, the Kings president of business operations, said in the release.

The team used the hashtag “DoGood” on its social media channels as a call-to-action.

Though the team stopped matching the donations as of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, fans or community members who still want to donate to the relief fund can do so at Kings.com/WildfireRelief.

Donations are being accepted in amounts of $10, $50 or $100. Donations can be purchased similarly to buying tickets, meaning the dollar amounts can be multiplied by selecting more “tickets” in the drop down menu.

This is a follow-up to a previous story.

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Why you may not be able to use a Visa credit card at Foods Co. soon

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published by SacBee.com on Aug. 1, 2018

Foods Co. Supermarket shoppers in Northern California who use a Visa credit card to pay for groceries may soon have to choose an alternative payment method.

The grocery chain’s parent company, Kroger Co., has been in an ongoing dispute with Visa over fees and regulations. Should the two companies not come to an agreement, Foods Co. will stop accepting the cards at 21 of its stores beginning Aug. 14.

Four of those Foods Co. locations are in Sacramento.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Visa stated that it wishes to continue working with Kroger to resolve the issue.

According to CNBC, customers will still be able to use Visa debit cards and all other forms of payment accepted by the stores.

Kroger is the nation’s second-largest retailer behind Walmart. American retailers pay billions of dollars in swipe fees each year. Swipe fees are incurred by retailers each time a consumer uses a card. MasterCard and other credit card issuers charge these fees as well.

Kroger announced Monday that if a resolution is not reached, it may stop allowing the use of Visa credit cards across its entire network of 2,778 stores, which include Ralphs and Food 4 Less in Southern California, according to Bloomberg.

This story was also published in the print edition of The Sacramento Bee in the business section on page 5C Aug. 3, 2018

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