Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

One of Chicago’s most well-known gay bars wants to move into O’Hare Airport. Block Club Chicago reports Sidetrack is joining forces with restaurant operator German Gonzalez to bid on a space inside Terminal One. If approved, it would be the first gay bar inside an airport in the U.S. There’ll be a lot of competition for the space and a decision on the winning bid is likely months away. The Sidetrack owners would license the name of their North Halsted bar and be investors while Gonzalez would run the bar operations. 

Also, unrest in the Middle East has prompted United and American Airlines to suspend some service. Listen for more below:

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

NASCAR is reportedly eyeing another city for an urban street race. The New York Times says NASCAR is nearing a deal for a stock car street race in San Diego and an announcement could come next month. The report comes as NASCAR prepares for the third race in Chicago. It’s unclear whether there’ll be a fourth event here. The deal with Chicago includes an option to extend to 2026 and 2027. A spokesperson at City Hall says Chicago has had positive talks with race organizers but no decision on an extension has been made. The Times report says the Chicago and San Diego races could coexist, but NASCAR would have to swap out one of its other races. 

Also, a restaurant that’s been a fixture in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood has closed. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, joins John Williams to talk about National Kefir Day, what they are doing to celebrate 40 years in business, how the company brought Kefir to the United States, the cultural relevancy of Lifeway Kefir, how much the company has grown, the expansion into other products, the health benefits of Kefir, and their appearance at Lollapalooza this year!

Segment 2: Michael Miller, Economics Professor, Western Washington University and Professor Emeritus at DePaul University, chats with John about the Fed decision to keep interest rates steady, why President Trump wants interest rates lower, the resiliency of the labor market, the argument against lowering rates, and the economics of tariffs.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about a new report that shows the Social Security retirement trust fund may be depleted in less than a decade, what needs to be done to fix Social Security, and her thoughts on Fed Chair Powell’s interest rate decision. And as always, Terry answers all of your financial questions.

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

Chicago-based Kellanova, the snack company spinoff of Kellogg’s, faces an anti-trust investigation in the European Union. The European Commission, which acts as a watchdog for the 27-country bloc, is concerned about the $36 billion bid by Mars to acquire Kellanova. The review could force the candy giant to divest some assets to address competition concerns. Mars announced the deal with Kellanova last year, and if it goes through, the merger will bring together brands like M&M’s, Snickers, Pringles and Pop-Tarts. European retailers have voiced concerns about the deal, saying it would give Mars too much market share.

Also, a new study says home insurance rates in Illinois have risen nearly 60% from 2019 to 2024. Listen for more below:

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

There’s a new CEO at Lou Malnati’s. The deep-dish pizza company has hired Julie Younglove-Webb to take the helm. Crain’s reports Younglove-Webb has more than a decade of experience overseeing corporate and restaurant operations, formerly of Auntie Anne’s, Domino’s and Potbelly. She says she’s excited to join a company with strong Chicago roots and a long tradition of quality. Lou Malnati’s is headquartered in Buffalo Grove but launched in Lincolnwood in 1971. The company has more than 70 locations across four states. 

Also, Chicago-based Kraft Heinz says it’s removing synthetic food dyes from all of its U.S. products by the end of 2027. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Mark Hamrick, Washington Bureau Chief and Senior Economic Analyst for Bankrate.com, joins John to talk about a new survey that shows 65% of Americans think tariffs would be bad for their personal finances. Mark also talks about the resiliency of the market, and the likelihood the Fed keeps interest rates steady.

Segment 2: Dennis Rodkin, residential real estate reporter for Crain’s, joins John Williams to talk about Dolton’s plan to take over Pope Leo’s childhood home facing a legal challenge, the condo market turning around, and the city upping the financial incentives for developers to rehab derelict homes.

Segment 1: Faron Daugs, CFP, Founder and CEO, Harrison Wallace Financial Group, joins John to talk about the market continuing to weather various storms, the status of President Trump’s tax bill, what we know about Trump’s trade agreements, the consumer feeling pretty good overall, the latest inflation data, and what he expects the Fed to do this week with interest rates.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Chicago taking a slight dip in a new startup ecosystem ranking, a Chicago startup that makes an oral cancer detection tool raising $4M, and startup founders Godard Abel and Chris Shutts selling Logik.io to software giant ServiceNow for nearly $500 million.

Segment 3: Wealth advisor Zac Larson, Founder, Solstice Century, joins John Williams to talk about the 2nd annual Solstice Century Bike Ride and Fundraiser happening this Friday at Whalon Lake Forest Preserve in Bolingbrook!

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

Ford has temporarily shut down its South Side Chicago factory as it struggles to get rare earth magnet supplies from China. Those components are essential to car production and have been trickling out of China as a result of the trade war. The Chicago plant makes Ford Explorer SUVs and shut down for a week last month. China implemented a new approval process that’s slowed down the export of rare earth magnets to the U.S. Ford’s CEO says the company has yet to see an improvement in the rare earth supplies. The materials are used to power various components in Ford vehicles, including windshield wipers, seats, and audio systems.

Also, accounting firm Baker Tilly is moving its U.S. headquarters from Michigan Avenue to the Fulton Market District. Listen for more below:

Ryan Burrow has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

This will be a big weekend for conventions and events in Chicago.  McCormick Place will host the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW 2025, the largest inbound international travel trade show in the country.  Also the HYROX World Championships, a four day sports extravaganza is taking place at Navy Pier.

Also, the Chicago Tribune is once again offering buyouts to its newsroom’s union members. Listen for more below: