McDonald’s to open turnpike restaurant

Travelers on the Kansas Turnpike soon will be greeted by the Golden Arches just east of Lawrence.

Wednesday marked the final day of operation for the Hardee’s fast-food restaurant at the turnpike’s Lawrence service area. In October, work will begin to convert the building into a McDonald’s, which is scheduled to open Nov. 1.

Marilyn Dobski, an owner of the company that operates 13 McDonald’s restaurants in the area, said the company submitted a successful bid to operate at the service area, which is five miles east of Lawrence, for 10 years.

The restaurant will be open 24 hours a day and is expected to employ about 50 people. The location, which has about 9 million vehicles a year pass by it, will be the fifth for McDonald’s in the Lawrence area.

Computer Industry

Hewlett-Packard reports weak demand, job cuts

Citing continued weak demand, Hewlett-Packard Co. said Wednesday it would cut 1,800 jobs beyond the 15,000 reductions planned as part of its acquisition of Compaq Computer Corp.

All cuts were expected to be completed by Oct. 31, the end of the company’s fiscal year.

Like other high-tech companies, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Hewlett-Packard has been hit hard by reduced spending by large corporate customers. Its bottom line also has suffered because of weak demand for personal computers, though its printing and imaging division continues to do well.

Grocers

Food 4 Less chain to be sold by Fleming

Fleming Cos., the nation’s largest grocery products distributor, said Wednesday it expected to sell its Food 4 Less grocery store chain.

The Lewisville, Tex.-based company said it likely would sell off its Food 4 Less operations in a piecemeal fashion to regional and independent supermarket owners. The company said it had received several offers for the 110 stores, which also include stores that operate under the Rainbow name, but declined to identify any potential buyers.

The company offered no specific timeline for a possible sale. Fleming operates a Food 4 Less store in Lawrence at 2525 Iowa.

Investigation

Farmers Insurance to remain in state

Officials with the Farmers Insurance Co. announced Wednesday they would quit selling homeowners insurance in Texas after the state’s insurance department sued the company over its rates.

Farmers is currently under investigation by the Kansas Insurance Department for its claims handling practices, but Insurance Commissioner Kathleen Sebelius said she’d been assured by company officials that Farmers had no plans to exit the Kansas market.

The company is the third-largest seller of homeowners insurance in the state. Sebelius said her department’s investigation of the company would proceed.