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For shoppers and passersby, the words “Park ‘N Shop” can be considered an Auburn classic after a four-decade presence on Southbridge Street. Since 1982, the words have been an invitation to a store known for its convenient size and location at the Auburn Plaza, 711 Southbridge St.  The Park 'N Shop, which took over Labonte's Market, has undergone extensive interior renovations in the last five months. The store was closed during that time. It reopened Wednesday, with a recognition event planned for Saturday. Wednesday, shoppers saw the store breathe new life, when the glass doors reopened after the lengthy shutdown.

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William Argumedo has always loved cooking, but what he has never had love for is working for others. Recently, those two sentiments manifested in Argumedo opening the doors to Willy’s Latin Cuisine, a South American specialty restaurant where his native El Salvadoran pupusas are his own addition to a Mexican menu at the 226 Chandler St. eatery. The opening is a lifelong aspiration for the 42-year-old Worcester resident. Argumedo said he believes the shop will truly take shape in a couple of weeks, when he will add the signs that will identify his business by its name.

1.2M

Voters in Lancaster came out in droves to a special town meeting in what is believed by town officials to be record numbers. Residents approved the rezoning of a 1.2 million-square-foot parcel of land off Route 70, where a developer is looking to build warehouses for industrial and biomanufacturing use. The parcel is part of a larger land owned by 702 LLC, the real estate entity of Capital Group Properties, which purchased the undeveloped land in 2018 for $6.66 million. The rezoning of the land has been under consideration after it was first struck down in November.

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Café Neo at 97 Millbury St. can serve patrons until March 1, while a lawsuit seeking to renew the Canal District bar’s lease proceeds through the court system, the city License Commission said at a hearing to discuss the bar’s lease and liquor license. Café Neo sued its landlord, I.T.C. Realty Corp., in state Superior Court this fall, seeking to renew the lease and stay in business. The owner of the bar contends that he and the landlord had a verbal agreement to renew the lease beyond its Jan. 31 expiration, but that the landlord backed out.  I.T.C. Realty Corp. denies any agreement was made.

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Four employees at Price Rite Marketplace at 520 Southbridge St. were recently recognized by the company for performing lifesaving acts while on the job. Store associate Roberto Diaz recently sprung into action when he noticed a child choking while a family was leaving the store. Diaz successfully cleared the child's airway. Also recently stepping up to answer the call in a separate incident at the supermarket were store associates Dennis Cobos and D’Nay Hunter, and Produce Manager Drew Delmastro, who all came to the aid of a customer who was experiencing a medical emergency.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Business Matters: Central Mass. by the Numbers