The Sheraton Waikiki’s meetings and convention space has gotten a $1.4 million upgrade, the first in nearly a decade.

The improvements, which were finished Sept. 8, included investment in the property’s 26,000-square-foot Hawaii Ballroom, which was painted and revived with new furnishings. A customized carpet depicting the Hawaii archipelago’s importance to the Pacific was installed.

The upgraded ballroom features 3,000 new banquet chairs and $200,000 in buffet upgrades. The refresh included technology upgrades.

Helmet maker vows to fight Hernandez concussion lawsuit

DEDHAM, Mass. >> Football helmet maker Riddell says it intends to vigorously defend its products and its reputation against concussion-related lawsuits like one lawyers for late New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez have filed in Massachusetts against it and the NFL.

Des Plaines, Ill.-based Riddell says it introduced helmets designed to mitigate concussion risks more than 15 years ago.

Hernandez’s attorneys filed a federal lawsuit last month after Hernandez killed himself in prison and an autopsy revealed he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disease found in people who have suffered repetitive brain trauma such as concussions.

The lawsuit was refiled Monday. It accuses the NFL of hiding the dangers of football and names Riddell. It seeks damages for Hernandez’s daughter.

The NFL hasn’t responded to emails seeking comment.

The Patriots have been removed from the new lawsuit.

Ruby Tuesday chain to be taken private in $146M deal

NEW YORK >> Ruby Tuesday is being acquired for about $146 million in a deal that will take the struggling chain private.

Like other sit-down restaurant chains, Ruby Tuesday has lost customers to cheaper, faster and more casual places. Comparable-store sales at Ruby Tuesday have fallen for six consecutive quarters, and the company has not reported a quarterly profit in two years, even as it has tweaked its menu and made small changes, like adding salad bars, in an attempt to boost traffic.

The private-equity firm NRD Capital said Monday that it will pay $2.40 for each share, a 21 percent premium from the chain’s closing price of $1.99 on Friday. When debt is included, the companies value the deal at $335 million. Ruby Tuesday, which has about 600 restaurants, said in March that it was considering a buyout.

Shares of Ruby Tuesday Inc., based in Maryville, Tenn., rose 38 cents to $2.37 Monday.

ON THE MOVE

Honolulu Cookie Co. has named Julian Diaz-Ordaz as its new retail operations manager. He was previously a store manager for the company’s locations at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa and Hyatt Regency Waikiki.

Primary Residential Mortgage has announced that Kevin Ono is the company’s new loan officer. He will focus on originating residential home loans that will specialize in assisting military service members who have VA loans. Ono has five years of residential home financing experience.