Business Observer

+ New dry-cleaning business opens at Whitney Beach
Ellenton resident John Hutson opened Professional Touch Dry Cleaners in mid-December, at 6854 Gulf of Mexico Drive, in Whitney Beach Plaza. Hutson owns two other Professional Touch Dry Cleaners, in Bradenton and Sarasota. All cleaning is done in-house.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Call 343-2158.

+ Tiny’s cancels its New Year’s Eve party
Tiny’s of Longboat Key, 6852 Gulf of Mexico Drive, canceled its planned New Year’s Eve party, scheduled for Friday, Dec. 31. But the bar is still planning to celebrate. The Island Swing Band will play at 9 p.m. Call 383-3355.

+ ArtisTree announces promotions and new hire
ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design announced that Maria Muhlhahn has been promoted to the position of operations manager of the company’s landscape division, and Shawn Gulbrandsen has been promoted to the position of landscape designer. Ben Appel has also been hired to work as a landscape designer.

+ St. Armands named best shopping center on the bay
St. Armands Circle was voted “Best Shopping Center on the Bay” in the 2009 annual readers survey for Living Out East & on the Bay magazine.

+ Chamber to hold annual its awards breakfast
The Longboat Key, Lido Key, St. Armands Key Chamber of Commerce will hold its 51st annual awards breakfast from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12, at the Holiday Inn Lido Beach, 233 Ben Franklin Drive, Lido Key. The chamber will introduce its board members and officers and announce the chamber’s “Member of the Year,” “Ambassador of the Year” and the “Eager Beaver” Award. Cost is $25. Call 383-2466.

+ Small-business class will teach social media
A “Social Media for Small Business” class will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, at Hyatt Place Sarasota, 950 University Parkway, Sarasota. The course will focus on navigating LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, using social-media sites to find new business, monitoring your online reputation and creating a strong brand for your business. Sarasota native Corey Perlman will teach the class. Cost is $49. Contact Jessica Perlman at 248-915-9641.

+ Anna Maria Chamber honors Chiles’ restaurants
The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce honored the Chiles Restaurant Group with its 2009 “Large Business of the Year.” Ed Chiles, who owns Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub, on Longboat Key, The Beachhouse Restaurant, on Bradenton Beach, and the The Sandbar Restaurant, on Anna Maria, accepted the award at the chamber’s installation banquet in November.