Saturday marked the grand opening for the latest business to set up shop in the Beacon Bluff development underway on Georgia Avenue in North Augusta.
Bowl Boss offers health and food allergy-conscious acai bowls and smoothies. Many of the items are vegan. Coffees, teas, espressos, and lattes are also on the menu.
The restaurant joins Fleet Feet as one of the first businesses in the project. Owner, Vicky Mattson told ABD it is the perfect location for her business.
“The connection to the Greeneway in North Augusta and with Fleet Feet being right behind us, we feel like this area specifically, has a lot more health-conscious people, and we just noticed a need in North Augusta for a healthy restaurant,” she said.
Beacon Bluff is one of two projects underway by Palmetto Peach Development. The 36,000-square-foot Beacon Bluff development is converting the historic skating rink and carpet shop into a mixed-use facility, along with adding a new building beside it. The second is converting the Medac building into the new home of Augusta Oncology Multispecialty Clinic.
David Brannon, Director at Palmetto Peach Development, said the Beacon Bluff portion remains on target for completion in early 2025.
“A lot of people are starting to notice the new building that’s being constructed right now,” said Brannon. “It is 70% leased up. I think in conjunction with the rink building, it will become a gateway into North Augusta that we’ll be proud of as a community.”
In addition to the commercial space, the project will have office space and apartments.
“The apartments are being rented. There are currently residents. We have a couple that are still vacant, so people are interested in living downtown,” said Brannon. “We think that North Augustans, over the last several years, have been asking for more places to live, work and play in their downtown. We feel like we’re providing that with apartments, with retail restaurants, and professional space.”
Avery Spears-Mahoney, Executive Director of North Augusta Forward, echoed Brannon’s comments, calling Beacon Bluff a vital component for downtown development.
“This is the linchpin project that we needed to make all of that happen and create that connectivity,” she said. “We’re very thankful to have these new businesses going in and residents.”
One storefront remains unoccupied, but Spears-Mahoney anticipates a final tenant will be announced soon. Already committed are Utah-based Melty restaurant, featuring a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches, and Brinkley’s Tavern on the Bluff.
Spears-Mahoney also said they are also preparing for phase two of the connector bringing the Greeneway into downtown.
“Studio Main (consultant on the project) has already paid a visit to our community and met with the city folks and our downtown businesses and North Augusta Forward’s board to discuss what will phase two look like, and where does that go, so that we can continue to build off of the downtown Greeneway connector to bring economic development from the Greeneway into downtown to support the business,” she explained.
At Bowl Boss, Mattson said she already has plans for the future.
“We should be having golf cart parking, bicycle parking. We’re going to be having a courtyard in between our building and the other one, lot of outdoor seating,” she said. “We are really excited to be a part of this.”
To date, Palmetto Peach Development has invested $35,000,000 in the two projects, $20,000,000 of that invested in the former Medac Building.
