Business Notebook

Columbia is home to the nation’s 266th Guitar Center store, which marks its grand opening Thursday.

The world’s largest instrument retailer has moved into a 12,000-square-foot building off Bower Parkway in the Harbison shopping district.

Showrooms are equipped with the latest products for musicians and lighting and recording equipment.

Tech conference in town next week

The Palmetto Open Source Software Conference (POSSCON) is expecting more than 600 technologists next week in the Vista.

The attendees, hosted by IT-oLogy, will discuss the latest open source technologies and issues for developers, executives, government leaders and educators. POSSCON will occur on April 14 and April 15 featuring keynote speakers, talks and workshops presented in the Open Source space.

For a full schedule and to register go to: www.posscon.org

Airport drive-in slowed

It’s taking longer than expected to for the go-ahead to open a drive-in movie theater near Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

Developer Joe Barth said he’s run into more questions than expected from state transportation officials about handling traffic and from Lexington County officials about environmental protection of adjoining wetlands.

It’s uncertain how soon the project along Old Dunbar Road will open, he said in a Facebook listing.

It’s going to be “Bo Time” at the stock exchange.

The Charlotte-based fast-food chain Bojangles’, which is known for its chicken and biscuits, has announced it plans to go public.

Area media outlets report The company filed paperwork Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public stock offering and hopes to raise $100 million. The company has not said when it will go public but plans to be listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

IN BRIEF

▪  U.S. job openings surged in February to a 14-year high, yet employers filled fewer of those jobs than in the previous month. On a brighter note, the Labor Department also said that layoffs fell sharply.

▪  Business travelers are bypassing the taxi queue with greater frequency, choosing instead ride-hailing services like Uber. A new report by expense management system provider Certify shows that nearly half of the ground transportation rides by its users in March were through Uber.

From Staff and Wire Reports.

This story was originally published April 8, 2015 at 12:14 AM with the headline "Business Notebook."