Small Business

Sandwich shop Ziggy Bombs, which opened its first permanent location in December on Franklin Street in Worcester, plans to open a second store in Leicester. 

The North Central Massachusetts Development Corp. in Fitchburg loaned $100,000 loan to MK Dance Center in Leominster. The owners will use the funds to renovate and build out their new space at Gateway Business Center at 435 Lancaster St.

Nominations for the Worcester Business Journal’s Business Leader of the Year and Hall of Fame awards are due this Friday, Jan. 20.

Framingham State University has named Christimara Garcia as director of its Entrepreneur Innovation Center.

The North Central Massachusetts Development Corp. in Fitchburg approved a $206,000 loan to help Salt and Life Café purchase its location at 159 Main St. in Groton.

Beer has become big business. In Massachusetts, the industry supports more than 14,000 employees and, according to the Brewers Association, had an economic impact of more than $1.6 billion in 2021.

The Main South Community Development Corporation in Worcester has received a $350,000 Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development for the Main South Empowerment Project.

Bri’s Sweet Treats, a Leicester-based chocolatier owned by Briana Azier, will open a location in the Worcester Public Market, expecting to begin serving her products in mid-January.

The Main South Neighborhood Ambassador Program, a pilot program in Worcester put in place by state agency MassDevelopment, is about to lose its funding, unless neighborhood leaders are successful in raising money for the program before the layoffs hit at the end of the year.

This year marks the 10th anniversary for Bay State Brewing Co. The company started when Co-founder Chip Jarry began bringing beer he brewed to a hockey rink locker room.