Mahoning Valley business roundup: New shops, expansions and closures. Here's what to know

The Mahoning Valley business landscape is shifting with new food ventures, healthcare expansions and retail changes.

Here’s a roundup of recent business news affecting Youngstown, Warren, Salem and surrounding communities.

Here are key takeaways:

• Julia Peterson launched Bad Batch Cravings with a May 16 pop-up event at Graceful Beauty Lounge LLC in Champion Township, serving baked mini cake doughnuts and dirty sodas after 17 years in the food industry.
• Bad Batch Cravings uses a waffle-iron style baking method rather than frying, with toppings like chocolate, vanilla drizzle, crushed Oreos and whipped cream, and the next pop-up is scheduled for May 31 with diet dirty soda options planned.
• Alta Care Group opened a new mental healthcare facility at 333 W. 4th St. in Salem, marking its expansion into Columbiana County with Therapeutic Behavioral Services, psychiatry and counseling.
• Gina Lemmon and Joseph Pirtz purchased Higher Minds in December 2025 and reopened the Warren shop in April, planning to maintain the store’s existing product mix while expanding into electronics, growing equipment and metaphysical items.
• Higher Minds, located at 4541 Mahoning Ave. in Warren, originally opened in 2014 and sells hand-blown glass art, pipes, crystals and tie-dye apparel, with Lemmon also offering tarot readings starting at $10.
• Dude’s Chicken & Momo, an authentic Nepali street food eatery, is moving from 3107 Belmont Avenue to 3225 Belmont Avenue in Youngstown, with a grand opening at the new location on Monday, June 1.
• Sherman Creative, a woman-owned marketing and promotional product supplier founded by Bruce and Carol Sherman in 1996, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in Youngstown under owner Stephanie Shapiro, who took over in 2018.
• Sherman Creative serves clients in government, banking, healthcare, manufacturing and nonprofits, and Shapiro has implemented a digital order management system to streamline operations since taking ownership.
• Family Dollar has closed 28 stores in Ohio as part of a companywide downsizing that has shuttered about 350 stores nationwide over the past 10 months.
• A 2025 sale moved Family Dollar from Dollar Tree to private equity buyers Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management for about $1 billion, with closures tied to a broader optimization strategy.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.