As the U.S. approaches its 250th anniversary, small businesses remain a cornerstone of the American economy, employing nearly half of the private sector workforce and powering communities across the country.

On Staten Island, that story is playing out in real time for restaurant owner Rob DeLuca.

DeLuca didn’t initially plan on a career in hospitality. His father worked in construction and at one point told him to find a different path. That push led him to a job bussing tables at a local restaurant. What started as a fallback quickly became something more.

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“I worked while I went to school, got my bachelor’s and my master’s,” DeLuca told FOX Business. “I almost went to law school, but the restaurant was always calling me back.”

Young male chef making Bolognese pasta in a commercial kitchen. Close-up. (Getty / Getty Images)

More than 20 years later, DeLuca now owns three restaurants: DeLuca’s Italian Restaurant, a high-end dining establishment he opened nine years ago; Don Roberto’s, a classic Italian concept; and Rocky’s Pizza Bar. Together, they make up what he refers to as the “Delucaverse,” a growing portfolio of brands rooted in the same community.

But expansion has come at a time when the economics of running a restaurant are becoming increasingly difficult.

DeLuca says prices have risen roughly 20% over the past year alone, driven largely by persistent supply chain pressures that began during the pandemic and never fully eased.

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“The food cost supply chain has gone through the roof,” he said. “Suppliers bumped up prices during COVID, and we thought it would be temporary. It didn’t come back down. And now with global tensions impacting gas prices, it affects the supply chain and food prices almost instantly.”

Those increases are especially difficult to navigate in a neighborhood like Staten Island, where much of his business comes from repeat customers.

“People are very price conscious right now,” DeLuca said, adding that customers notice when dishes increase in cost from $13 to $19 to $22, for example. 

Even so, DeLuca says the passion for the work keeps him going, despite the long hours and mounting responsibilities.

“Every day I wake up with a smile because I don’t feel like I’ve worked a day in my life,” he said. “But it’s a lot of work. I have two small children I want to spend time with… and at the end of the day, the buck stops with me.”

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His story reflects a broader reality for small business owners nationwide: balancing rising costs, shifting consumer behavior, and the weight of running an operation where every decision matters.

Employees talk amongst themselves at a small business. (Getty Images)

Still, many are adapting. From policy shifts aimed at boosting domestic production to the growing use of artificial intelligence, now used by a majority of small businesses, owners are finding new ways to stay competitive.

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A computer screen displays an image of artificial intelligence. (iStock)

For DeLuca, the focus remains on consistency and community: keeping his restaurants running, maintaining quality, and serving the customers who have supported him from the beginning.

It’s a model that has defined Main Street for generations and one that continues to evolve as small businesses navigate the challenges ahead.

Rav Wilding joins us with the latest crime headlines.

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To watch this with subtitles go to BBC iPlayer and search for Morning Live from 06/05/2026.

The Thai Board of Investment (BOI) has officially approved a $25-billion data infrastructure investment by TikTok, part of a larger $29-billion package of six major projects aimed at bolstering Thailand’s digital economy.

Key Points

• Investment Scope: TikTok’s $25-billion investment is focused on expanding data storage and processing infrastructure in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Chachoengsao.
• Economic Context: The project is part of a total of $29 billion in new investments approved by the BOI, reflecting a 2.4-fold year-on-year surge in investment applications in early 2026.
• Strategic Objectives: The infrastructure expansion is intended to support the rising demand for digital services and strengthen Thailand’s position in regional digital connectivity and AI-aligned growth.
• Workforce Development: TikTok has pledged to provide educational resources, including digital literacy and e-commerce training, to create new business opportunities for Thai entrepreneurs.
• Corporate Presence: TikTok, owned by ByteDance, has operated in Thailand since 2021 through its regional office, TikTok Technologies Co, and currently serves millions of users and business entities across Southeast Asia.

The total investment value of TikTok ‘s data infrastructure project in Thailand is 842 billion baht (approximately $25 billion). This large-scale expansion, approved by the Board of Investment (BOI) in May 2026, involves installing additional servers and expanding data storage and processing infrastructure.

The project will focus on strengthening regional digital infrastructure with facilities across Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Chachoengsao. This latest approval follows a previously granted 127-billion-baht data-hosting project in 2025 and a broader commitment by TikTok owner ByteDance to invest in Thai digital literacy and e-commerce. The investment comes amid a surge in Thai digital sector applications, which exceeded 1 trillion baht in the first quarter of 2026.

This massive undertaking involves expanding servers and data processing capabilities across Bangkok and surrounding provinces to meet increasing digital demand. Beyond infrastructure, TikTok has committed to supporting Thailand’s digital workforce by developing literacy and e-commerce curricula for local entrepreneurs, further cementing the country’s role as a regional hub for digital services and AI-driven growth.

The surge in digital sector investments in Thailand is primarily driven by massive capital inflows into data infrastructure and a strategic shift toward an AI-centered economy. The Board of Investment (BOI) recently reported that investment applications in the first quarter of 2026 exceeded 1 trillion baht, a 2.4-fold increase year-on-year, fueled by mega-projects in digital and electronics sectors.

A major catalyst for this growth is the expansion of digital infrastructure, highlighted by a $25-billion investment from a local unit of TikTok to install servers and expand data processing across Bangkok and neighboring provinces. Global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) processing and cloud services now accounts for 86% of the total digital investment value, attracting investors from Singapore, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, Thailand is positioning itself as a regional semiconductor and electronics hub through national strategies aimed at developing a high-tech workforce and supporting AI-driven hardware demand.

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