By Mike Finney

DOVER — Bob’s Discount Furniture opened its doors at the North Dover Center at 1061 Dupont Highway — the site of the former Toys R Us store — in the beginning of July.

However, it didn’t take long for the store to make an impact on the Dover community, as Bob’s outreach team identified Booker T. Washington Elementary School and the Dover Fire Department as community partners and donated a combined $5,000 to the two organizations as part of its grand opening.

The 32,690-square-foot Bob’s store in Dover is the chain’s second location in Delaware. The opening came as the business celebrates its 30th anniversary.

“Our second Delaware location in Dover is another opportunity to offer our customers quality furniture at an unsurpassed value,” said Nick Vassilakos, zone vice president for store operations. “Giving back is a big part of our culture, and we are looking forward to working with our community partners to make a difference in the cities that we live and work in.”

The addition of the Dover location brings the number of Bob’s Discount Furniture stores to 143 across 22 states.

Bob’s is the 10th-largest furniture store chain in the United States. Ashley HomeStore ranks No. 1, followed by Ikea. Raymour & Flanigan ranks just behind Bob’s.

Bob’s Discount Furniture is unique in that all its locations feature cafes that offer coffee, ice cream, cookies and candy.

Of course, Bob’s main feature is its furniture, as it sells a wide array for bedrooms, dining rooms and offices, as well as home accents.

Bob’s, which was founded in 1991, is based in Manchester, Connecticut.

New McDonald’s location coming soon to Camden

The Meoli Companies will be breaking ground on a state-of-the-art McDonald’s restaurant in Camden on Aug. 16 at 2 p.m.

It will be located off U.S. 13, near the corner of Voshell Mill Road and East Street, next to Grotto Pizza.

“Since I acquired six restaurants in the Dover market, my priority has been to make upgrades and improvements both inside and outside the restaurants wherever possible,” owner and operator Michael Meoli said in a statement.

“At The Meoli Companies, we’re dedicated to building and maintaining the best restaurants and delivering a gold-standard experience for our customers.”

Earlier in the year, Mr. Meoli announced the closure of the McDonald’s inside Walmart in Camden.

The Meoli Companies now operates 25 McDonald’s restaurants across the Delmarva Peninsula.

Job fair to take place for veterans

The Dover Air Force Base is a prominent place where service members prepare to work in the civilian world following their time in the military, which can be a confusing process.

RecruitMilitary and Disabled American Veterans hope to make that transition easier, as they host the Philadelphia Veterans Job Fair on Thursday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Registration is free and available at RecruitMilitary’s website. It is open to all transitioning military, veterans, military spouses and dependents.

RecruitMilitary said it is safely bringing job seekers and employers together again, as well as going one step further by implementing new technologies that keep participants informed and supported with tools for success before, during and after an in-person event.

The company has a history of adapting to new ways to serve its ecosystem of 1.5 million job seekers. Since the onset of COVID-19, RecruitMilitary has hosted 99 virtual career fairs for veterans, providing 4,400 exhibitors access to 93,000 military-trained candidates.

“Our mission is to empower veterans with career opportunities, and the return of our face-to-face events allows us to serve our community of 1.5 million job seekers in the most effective way possible,” said RecruitMilitary CEO Tim Best, a former Army helicopter pilot.

“While our virtual events provided a way for us to connect with our job candidates and employers throughout 2020, we’re ready to turn the page and bring veterans and employers together in person for meaningful career opportunities.”