WeighUp cofounder and CEO Brian Edwards wants to put money back into restaurateurs' pockets. WeighUp, from Memphis-based Everything But The Food, provides liquor-tracking technology on a drink-by-drink basis. So far, the company has raised more than $1 million toward the system's launch. "Our goal is to give restaurant and bar operators actionable data on how liquor is being poured," Edwards said. "By capturing each liquor pour in real-time and reconciling pours with the establishment's point-of-sale…

Via Airlines announced Wednesday, Jan. 9, that it is adding nonstop service from Memphis to Pittsburgh and Austin. Service is slated to begin June 25. The service will fly in and out of Memphis International Airport four times each week, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays on Via Airlines' 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 jets. Those aircraft have a 2:1 seat configuration, so there aren't middle seats. Memphis to Austin: Departs 6:45 p.m. (CST), arrives 8:27 p.m. (CST) Austin to Memphis: Departs…

The permit watch continues at the FedEx World Hub. A building permit valued at $1.8 million was filed Jan. 8 for “HVAC upgrades and interior renovations” for 2903 Sprankel Ave. FedEx Express — a subsidiary of Memphis-based FedEx Corp. — was listed as the owner/tenant and Grinder, Taber & Grinder was named as the contractor. Seven-figure permits will be commonplace for the global logistics and delivery provider for the next six years. This past March, FedEx officially announced its plans…

Li Yuan conducts much of her work on the WeChat mobile app, including spotting trends — and prodding sources to get back to her.

In business, as in sports, being No. 1 brings with it bragging rights and a responsibility to stay at the top. The Memphis Business Journal’s Book of Lists compiles the weekly lists we published throughout 2018, which rank companies by measures such as number of employees or 2017 gross revenue. The 2018-2019 edition of the Book of Lists contains more than 100 lists and in excess of 1,500 businesses and contacts, with each list representing a snapshot in time of a particular industry. Some lists…

Memphis’ newest public company now has a chief technology officer whose resume includes time at Google and Amazon. Frontdoor — the parent company of home service brands American Home Shield (AHS), HSA, Landmark, and OneGuard — hired Piras Thiyagarajan to serve as the company’s senior vice president and chief technology officer. “He’ll be responsible for advancing our technology to strengthen today’s core home services business and build the systems for our future on-demand services,”…

For Memphis’ housing market, 2018 was a year marked by shortage.

The Memphis City Council broke weeks of deadlock Tuesday when it appointed three new members, bringing it up to 13 members for the first time since November. The City Council appointed Sherman Greer to fill the District 1 seat vacated by Bill Morrison. Greer said he recently pitched himself as a consensus candidate after the council reached an stalemate — stuck between two applicants to fill the seat. Greer is the executive director of government affairs for Southwest Tennessee Community College.…

Mayor Jim Strickland's administration and most of the Memphis City Council are in agreement — they want sports-betting on Beale Street. The City Council signed off on a resolution Tuesday, Jan. 8, that's supposed to alert the Tennessee General Assembly that Memphis, like Shelby County, is interested in the state legalizing sports betting. However, a key phrase in that resolution changed between when it was proposed and when the council voted on it late Tuesday afternoon, reflecting the diversity…

Airbnb's Shelby County host community earned nearly $11 million from more than 100,000 guest arrivals last year. Ben Breit, senior public affairs manager of the San Francisco-based community-driven hospitality company, said the $10.9 million in supplemental income and 106,000 guests trailed only behind Davidson and Sevier Counties in Tennessee. Last year's results were improvements upon 2017, Breit said, when Shelby County saw 70,000 guests and generated $7.1 million in host revenue. Airbnb said…

Mooresville-based Lowe’s Cos. Inc. said it will hire 65,000 seasonal and permanent employees this year, including the first 500 of a planned 2,000 IT employees. The company also said it will cut some jobs as it eliminates services such as project specialists for interior home jobs. Lowe’s didn’t say how many jobs would be eliminated. The company will continue interior installations for such things as carpets, countertops, and flooring and continue its exteriors programs for the installation…

Craft beer emporium Hammer & Ale, née The Growler, opened in 2013, the brainchild of David Smith.

The head of a plastic bag industry group voiced opposition to the City of Memphis' proposed seven-cent plastic bag fee, saying it would be ineffective and hurt those who can least afford it. The American Progressive Bag Alliance came before the Memphis City Council during committee meetings Jan. 8; local environmental groups also appeared before the council and disputed the lobbying group's assertions. "This is a tax that's going to impact those who can least afford it. ... It means an additional…

Athletic departments are stressing to athletes that the NCAA still prohibits gambling, but enforcement might not be so simple.

The 20-year-old said he had acted alone in publishing private information of hundreds of lawmakers and others, the authorities said.

The developer was drawn to the site due to its architecture and location near the Peabody Place tower, Majestic Grille, Beale Street, and a trolley stop.

A longtime AutoZoner is set for retirement with his replacement making his way over from the Greater Memphis Chamber. The Memphis-based auto parts retailer — AutoZone Inc. — announced Tuesday, Jan. 8, that Ray Pohlman, vice president of government and community relations, will retire at the end of January. It caps off a 24-year career with the company. Pohlman is being replaced by David McKinney, who has served as senior vice president of public policy and community development for the Greater…