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Talk of the bay: Checkers won't buck trend

By Times Staff
Published January 1, 2008

Checkers Drive-In Restaurants is hopping on the dollar-menu bandwagon. The Tampa fast-food chain said Monday it is introducing a revised value menu that will include 10 items priced near $1 and seven sandwiches with double the normal amount of meat, fish or chicken. "Our drive-thru guests are more value-conscious than ever as they pay higher prices at the gas pump," a release said. Insert your own "gas" joke here.

Say adios to Don Pablo's

If you bought a Don Pablo's gift card for a loved one this holiday season, condolences to you. The Madison, Ga., restaurant chain closed all four of its Tampa Bay area locations Wednesday, a casualty of parent company Avado Brand's recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Avado spokesman Paul Seidman said Monday that Don Pablo's gift card holders can obtain a refund, however. He said cardholders should surf to www.donpablos.com,click the "Contact Us" tab and ask that a gift card refund form be mailed to them.

New year brings back PIP

No-fault auto insurance is once again mandatory in Florida, after a three-month respite because of legislative diddling. It's estimated that a few hundred thousand motorists dropped their $10,000 worth of personal injury protection, or PIP, on Oct. 1, when the law requiring such coverage expired. Starting today, drivers lacking PIP insurance face suspension of their license and registration.

Workers' comp cut again

In other insurance news, the cost of workers' compensation insurance in Florida continued its five-year decline. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation approved an overall rate reduction of 18.4 percent, effective today. The latest rate reduction means Florida businesses have seen a 51.4 percent drop in prices since 2003, when legislative reforms were enacted. Only if homeowners insurance followed suit ...

[Last modified December 31, 2007, 22:37:33]