By BRYAN STUCKY

It seems like every few weeks, there’s a new round of “We need a (blank) in Oak Harbor.” Costco! Whole Foods! Fred Meyer! But the truth is, many businesses are unlikely to come to Oak Harbor. Why?

Before taking over the movie theater in April, I spent the previous two years looking for something new to bring to our town. In that time, I looked into the following businesses: Olive Garden, Dave & Buster’s, Chick-fil-A, Red Wing Shoes, TJ Maxx, The Milkshake Factory, Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids, Buffalo Wild Wings, Pizza Ranch, Brass Tap Sports Bar, Hydration IV, Hot Shots Sports Bar & Grill, Whole Foods, Altitude Trampoline Park, Cinnabon, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and Jamba Juice.

For most of these, I contacted their corporate offices. Many didn’t offer franchising at all, which

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