Business – Page 3 – Dustin Monke

Theater ownership still planning expansion outside of mall

The Cine 3 theatre is shown Tuesday in the Prairie Hills Mall in Dickinson.

The company that runs the Cine 3 theatre in the Prairie Hills Mall says it’s getting closer to building its own facility, but that it’s more than a year away from making any such move.

Odyssey Entertainment, based in the Twin Cities suburb of Maple Grove, Minn., said while it has a long-term lease with the mall’s ownership group, the company continues to actively search for development sites in the city because it hopes to build at least an eight-screen stand-alone theater.

“We’re seeking alternative options, and we have plans to redevelop a theatre,” said Bryan Sieve, head of development for Odyssey. “It won’t be at the mall.”

Since coming to Dickinson in January 2012 and replacing Carmike Cinemas, Sieve said Odyssey has made it known that while the company is happy with the amount of business it brings in at its three-screen location, its longterm plans are to grow and the mall facility won’t allow for that.
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Cutbacks in the Bakken: Baker Hughes layoff of 117 employees biggest signal yet of slowdown

Baker Hughes' Dickinson facility. — Baker Hughes’ Dickinson facility.

Falling oil prices and the resulting oil drilling slowdown in the Bakken Oil Patch has led one of the world’s largest oilfield services companies to make major cutbacks at its Dickinson office.

Baker Hughes sent a letter of notice to Dickinson Mayor Dennis Johnson on Wednesday, stating it was permanently terminating 117 employees here — most of them field operators and specialists.

In the letter, Baker Hughes stated that falling oil prices “have negatively impacted the market and reduced the overall need for the services provided by Baker Hughes.”

The Work Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires companies that plan to terminate more than 100 employees alert area and state workforce services, as well as the mayor of the city where the layoffs occur. Baker Hughes did not release how many workers it still employs at its Dickinson office.

Johnson said, in his 15 years as the city commission’s president, he cannot remember receiving a similar letter.

“Historically, at least for quite a while, there haven’t been any layoffs of that magnitude,” he said.

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Convenience concerns: Rep. Cramer works register, hears issues at The Hub

0114 Blog - Cramer

The new guy working the register at The Hub convenience store on Monday took a few customers by surprise.

Rep. Kevin Cramer said this wasn’t his first time working at a gas station — he ran a bulk fuel truck at a co-op in Kindred for one summer during his college years — and the North Dakota Republican took to the challenge just fine.

“He actually caught on really well,” said Melanie Stradling, The Hub’s new assistant general manager.

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Gas leak shuts down Dickinson restaurant, street for 2½ hours

Montana-Dakota Utilities workers dig a hole in an attempt to shut off a natural gas line Wednesday in the El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant parking lot in north Dickinson.

A popular Dickinson lunchtime restaurant was evacuated shortly after noon Wednesday and part of a busy street was blocked off as a precaution for about 2½ hours after a contractor struck a gas line near the corner of 15th Street West and Elks Drive.

El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant was evacuated and part of 15th Street West south of Prairie Hills Mall was blocked off by law enforcement after the line was inadvertently struck by a contractor with Denny’s Electric who was attempting to service an electric line.

Montana-Dakota Utilities spokesperson Mark Hanson said at 2:45 p.m. that the blowing gas had been shut off and the two-inch plastic line has been looped and repairs were underway in the El Sombrero parking lot. The gas had been blowing since about noon. No customers lost service because of the line break, however.
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Young plans unique additions to Players

James Young, the new general manager of Players Sports Bar and Grill in Dickinson, stands in Players’ bar area Friday night. He hopes to bring more consistency to the business, as well as new flair.

James Young’s earliest memories are cracking eggs in a large mixing bowl at his family’s restaurant in suburban Chicago.

Forty years and a lifetime of food service and hospitality industry jobs later, Young has brought his experiences to Dickinson as he takes over as the general manager of Players Sports Bar and Grill.

His biggest challenge, he said, is establishing a consistency throughout the food and customer service aspects of the business.

“In my opinion, there are three things that are going to make a restaurant successful … good food, reasonable prices, excellent customer service,” Young said.

That, he said, and reasons for people to keep coming back.

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