Biz Buzz: Five Guys, Biomat USA among businesses opening in Rexburg development soon - East Idaho News
Biz Buzz

Biz Buzz: Five Guys, Biomat USA among businesses opening in Rexburg development soon

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Do you want to know what’s happening on the east Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered.

Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.

BIZ NEWS

REXBURG

New businesses opening inside Rexburg’s Hemming Village

REXBURG – Patties, pizza and plasma.

Those words describe three different businesses opening in Rexburg’s booming business development Hemming Village.

Five Guys

One of those businesses is Five Guys.

five guys
Anthony Gomez | EastIdahoNews.com

Construction on the 3,100 square foot Five Guys restaurant will wrap up Aug. 29. An exact opening date has not yet been determined, but Courtney Wilde, the restaurant’s general manager, says they are planning to open the first part of September.

“I think it’s going to be an awesome place to be and people will enjoy coming to eat here. Our goal is to make it the No. 1 (Five Guys) store in Idaho. We have high expectations from the crew.”

Plans to bring a Five Guys location to Rexburg has been in the works for nearly a year. The franchise has expanded a lot in recent years with more than 1,000 locations around the world.

Wilde says the menu and the prices will be the same as other locations, but will include an updated look.

“One of the cool things we’re getting is a jetted sink to clean our potatoes. They’re cut fresh everyday so this will clean them for us instead of us having to do it. None of the stores in Idaho have this yet.”

The store’s tables, chairs and signage will have a different look as well.

Five Guys is located at 179 W. Second South in Rexburg. Their hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

RELATED | Five Guys, Rocky Mountain Chocolate and more coming to Rexburg

Biomat USA

Biomat’s new 14,000 square foot building opened Monday at 155 W. Second South.

biomat
Anthony Gomez | EastIdahoNews.com

Colin Seal, a company spokesman, tells EastIdahoNews.com the new building came about due to the large number of donors that were coming on a regular basis to the location at 48 E. Main Street.

“(The main street) location could not sustain the continued business and pace we were (experiencing). So to help relieve the stress of that building and to make sure we provide the best customer service and a great place for people to come and donate, we opted for a second location.”

The new center is larger than the original. It includes brand new beds and equipment and a playroom. Parents can bring up to two kids to wait in the playroom while they donate.

Donors who come in receive a full medical screening. They can donate up to two times a week and are compensated for their time. Donors will receive around $35 for each successful donation, but the amount will vary from week to week.

Plasma is the liquid, straw-colored portion of blood that remains after red and white blood cells, platelets and other components are removed. It is used to treat people with Immunodeficiencies, Hemophilia, lung diseases and other rare and chronic conditions. Funding for donor compensation comes from the sale of plasma to pharmaceutical companies.

Seal says the new building cost between $2.5 and $3 million dollars to build and will have an economic impact between $8 and $10 million.

“What’s exciting to me about Rexburg is that we have an incredible staff who have been doing this a long time. They’re passionate about what we do and the patient community we support. We’re really proud of this new building,” Seal says.

The new center is currently accepting donations 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Those who wish to make a plasma donation need to make an appointment by calling (208) 356-9101 or online here.

Righteous Slice

Righteous Slice was years in the making for owner Bill Crawford.

Crawford is a former member of the U.S. Air Force who flew F-16 and stealth bombers during the Iraq War in 2003.

The Air Force was a job he loved, so at first the idea of becoming a pizza restaurant owner was the farthest thing from his mind…

READ THE ENTIRE STORY HERE.

Other businesses

Idaho Central Credit Union is also opening a branch in Hemming Village. Josh Peterson, the Director of Finance for Hemming Village, says it will open some time next month. Rocky Mountain Chocolates will open in October. Navex Global held a ribbon cutting for its second Rexburg office on Tuesday.

Baked, another business in Hemming Village, recently closed down. Peterson says the new tenant moving in to the now vacant space is being finalized this week.

RELATED | Baked is not just a traditional cookie shop, it’s also an act of philanthropy

COMMUNITY CAUSES

Local couple holding fundraiser to say ‘thank you’ to hospital who saved their son’s life

BLACKFOOT – Dennis and Brittany Page say if it weren’t for Primary Children’s Hospital, their son would not be alive today. Their son, Rigin, was born with a heart defect and was later diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Kleefstra Syndrome. Rigin, who is now 5, has been in and out of Primary Children’s Hospital many times. The Blackfoot couple now wants to say thank you by giving back with a fundraiser Saturday, August 25. The fundraiser kicks off with a motorcycle poker run at 10 a.m. A full day of fun and entertainment will follow.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EVENT HERE.

Large donations awarded to three organizations in Blackfoot

BLACKFOOT – Bingham Memorial Hospital and the Bingham Health Care Foundation presented three Blackfoot charities with a total of $25,000 in donations Wednesday. The Bingham Crisis Center received $12,500 to continue to help those affected by violence, abuse and trauma. Community Dinner Table Inc., an organization that works to reduce hunger in Bingham County, received a $7,500 donation. Dawn Enterprises Inc. was given a $5,000 donation to continue to help people with disabilities achieve independence.

Local kids camp awarded $10,000

SWAN VALLEY – What would you do with $10,000? Camp Magical moments in Swan Valley was awarded a $10,000 donation from Reilly Insurance in Ammon. They are using it to help families impacted by cancer. The camp is geared toward kids. There are four free camps a year hosted by local volunteers that helps provide children and their families with a strong support system. With this $10,000 donation, the camp will be able to obtain crucial necessities including medical supplies, food and clothing, which can be essential for families struggling with the ongoing financial burden of medical expenses.

Local event raises more than $50,000 in scholarships for CEI students

IDAHO FALLS – More than 600 people came together last month to raise funds for the College of Eastern Idaho’s scholarship program. The 10th annual Great Race for Education is the area’s largest scavenger hunt competition. The participants in this year’s event raised more than $50,000 for students attending CEI during the 2019-2020 school year.

If you have a Community Cause you want to share, send it to rett.nelson@eastidahonews.com. Remember to use “Community Cause” in the subject line.

BIZ BUGS

TOPIC: INSTAGRAM SCAMS

The following is a news release from the Better Business Bureau.

If you are active on Instagram, watch out for this newly popular con. Phony companies are reaching out to users and offering them perks in exchange for posting product pictures. These “brand ambassadors” just end up losing money.

How the Scam Works

A “company” contacts you through your social media account or blog. They want to know if you would be interested in becoming a “brand ambassador.” It sounds like a great gig. All you need to do is post photos of yourself using their product. In exchange, the company will give you a commission, send free products and provide exposure for your account.

You are eager to get started, but there’s a catch. According to BBB Scam Tracker, several victims reported first having to buy items, anything from sunglasses to jewelry to cosmetics. These cost $50 or more and arrived broken. On other occasions, the scammer charged victims upfront for a “background check.” No matter how the scam works, the outcome was the same. Victims paid upfront, but the promise of commission or exposure never materialized.

A recent BBB investigation resulted in the arrest of a con artist, who had been scamming social media influencers. Read the full story here.

Speaking of Instagram, don’t forget to follow the BBB on Instagram here. You can also check out the BBB on Facebook and Twitter.

More info about all the latest scams here.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Blackfoot Movie Mill will open its doors in mid-September

McDonald’s spending $37 million to modernize Idaho restaurants

Relax, binge watchers. Netflix is not adding commercials

The Chukars and Sunnyside Automotive want to give you a car this Labor Day

If you have a Biz Buzz item you want to share, send it to rett.nelson@eastidahonews.com. Remember to use “Biz Buzz” in the subject line. Also, don’t forget to sign up for the free Biz Buzz email newsletter.

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