Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
Burger van across from Pittodrie denied as council needs ‘strategic’ land
A despairing Aberdeen woman can’t open up a burger van near Pittodrie as the council has plans for the land – despite having no idea when any work might take place there.
Emma Williamson says she spoke to various local authority departments in her bid to launch her business across from the home of the Dons.She even went so far as to hammer out a deal with Aberdeen FC bosses not to compete with a Pittodrie staple – assuring them she “wouldn’t sell pies”
But her plans fell apart at the last minute – when council chiefs told her the piece of land was off limits as it comes under their Beach Masterplan vision.
Read the full story in the P&J.
Wagamama-owner seeks to lock in lower interest rates with refinancing
The owner of Wagamama has begun exploring a £300m refinancing as it seeks to reduce its borrowing costs by locking in lower interest rates.
Sky News has learnt that The Restaurant Group (TRG), which delisted from the London Stock Exchange last year after being bought by Apollo Global Management, is in talks with banks about securing new debt terms.
Sources said the move was a reflection of the company's robust performance since it was taken private.
Aberdeen menswear mainstay offers to help fund bus gate legal challenge
A top Aberdeen retailer has offered to help fund a legal fight against the council's baffling bus gate fiasco, The Press and Journal has reported.
Norman Esslemont, the boss of menswear mainstay Esslemonts, was one of the many backers of the Common Sense Compromise on bus gates proposed by groups including Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce and the P&J.
Read the full story here.
Alex Salmond's coffin to be draped in Saltire before flight home
Preparations are under way to send Alex Salmond's body home to Aberdeen.
His coffin will be draped in a Saltire and put on a chartered flight from Ohrid Airport in North Macedonia.
The private plane, paid for by Scottish businessman and philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter, is scheduled to depart at 10:00 BST and land at Aberdeen Airport by 14:00 BST.
Meta sacks staff who used food vouchers to buy other goods
Staff at Meta Platforms have been sacked after allegedly using their $25 meal vouchers to stock up on household goods, including wine glasses and washing powder.
Spending credits that were meant for food on household goods and even sharing them with others has proved a bridge too far for executives at the social media company, which fired about 24 employees in Los Angeles over the issue.
The story, first reported by the Financial Times, divided opinion on Blind, the platform where tech employees congregate to share information about their workplace and salaries.
Read the full story in The Times.
Deliveroo transactions up 6% to £1.8bn in third quarter
The value of transactions made on Deliveroo’s platform rose by 6% to £1.8 billion in the third quarter of the year and the total number of orders was up 2%.
Customers in the UK and Ireland increased the amount they spent on the app by 7% but the value of international transactions slowed slightly.
Total sales rose to £498 million, up from £487 million the year before. In the UK and Ireland, sales increased by 4% to £308 million.