Consumer Stories

Miami connection to new Augusta restaurant

The owners of the new El Tejano Latin Cuisine Express have a connection to Miami, Florida, and are bringing bold flavors and a mashup of Latin culture. The restaurant is expected to open soon in the former I Heart Mac N Cheese at 826 Cabela Drive. The shuttered restaurant closed in the fall of 2025. Thanks to the Village at Riverwatch commercial realtor Jordan Trotter for the photo/art above and the heads up.  El Tejano fancies itself as a fast casual restaurant, and according to the JT newsletter, “promises crave-worthy

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Consumer Stories

Career Reflection: Critical and Beneficial

Publisher’s Note: My brother just retired from the car business after 40 + years. Very early in his career, he was named sales manager. He hated the administrative role, resigned, and got his sales job back. With it came his mojo!  Are you unhappy in your company role in the CSRA? You are not alone. But what should you do to feel fulfilled? Three years ago this week, I stepped down from my position as Dean of Augusta University’s (AU’s) Hull College of Business. To me, it feels like that

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B2B Stories

Learning how to keep your data privacy secure

From the most basic home use to the largest corporate operations, data privacy remains a top concern for everyone using Internet resources. The basics of the data privacy program were one of the most recent Webinar Wednesdays hosted by the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA). A local expert weighs in on some steps we can take to stay safe. SCDCA cautioned all online activity generates a trail of personal data, and it is not possible to control how each byte is processed and used.  “That’s going to include

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Closings

Evans company closing business after almost 15 years

A business serving women is closing its ultrasound studio with enough notice to prepare its customers.  Prenatal Imaging will offer 2D & 3D/4D ultrasound technology until February 25th. Clients with appointments prior to then will be seen. Those who made appointments for after that date will have to seek another option. Their studio is at 4777 Washington Road at Halali Farm Road in Evans.  The franchisees posted this message on their Facebook page. “We are truly grateful for every client that has allowed us to be a tiny part of

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Consumer Stories

Retailer growing near Augusta Mall

Besides the Augusta Mall, there is some growth going on in the outskirts of the mall. One longtime retailer and community partner expanded efforts in that area by re-imagining some space. Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia retrofitted its 3362 Wrightsboro Road retail store to form a dedicated donation center. The next step is that Goodwill officials are scouting out a new retail spot in the same vicinity. January 29 marked the final day of retail operations. “This transition allows us to continue serving the community while we prepare for what’s next,”

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Consumer Stories

Simon Says: Augusta growing jobs at faster rate than most Georgia cities

Publisher’s Note: Last week, ABD shared details about multi-million dollar improvements coming to the Doubletree, Augusta Marriott, and a re-imagined Ramada Hotel—which is a Marriott boutique hotel. The numbers bear out how extra employees and business may be leading to the growth. Overall employment in 2025 for the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area increased by 2,900 and ended the year at 249,800. The local hospitality industry was a HUGE factor. This represents a 1.2 percent increase in employment. By contrast, US employment only increased at 0.4 percent, and Georgia employment increased

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B2B Stories

Local cyber students score big in statewide competition

Middle and high school students who attended a camp sponsored by the CSRA Alliance for Fort Gordon scored top statewide honors. The students are participating in the 2025-2026 CyberPatriot competition. Teams from Georgia and South Carolina grabbed first, second, and third place in multiple divisions. “They learned everything from Windows to command lines, Python, cyber ethics, Cisco, and networking. All those types of things are skills needed in our nation because we have a critical shortage of cyber workers,” Dr. Tom Clark (CSM, US Army, Ret.), Executive Director of the

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B2B Stories

Company expands to 3rd location in time for Masters

A successful grad from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts is adding onto her Evans brick-and-mortar bakery and her longtime location at the Augusta Market. Arie’s Artisan Cheesecake shop is moving into the former Dirty Dough cookie spot off Walton Way Extension near Wheeler Road in West Augusta. A big part of Arielle Page’s business is event catering, corporate gifts, and selling wholesale to restaurants, hotels, and coffee shops. Page worked with Jordan Trotter Commercial Real Estate, the plaza management company, and shared this statement with them.

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Consumer Stories

Why Medicare Consulting Should Be Built Into Employer Group Plans (Especially in the CSRA)

Several years ago, I was talking to a CFO of a local company that had around 250 employees and was receiving, on average, around 15-20% increases every year on their health insurance. After an audit, we discovered several fundamental improvements we could make to improve both the quality of the plans and contain costs.  One of those fundamental improvements was providing thorough Medicare consulting for both the employee and the company. Five years later, we were able to deliver on both of those goals, saving the company over half a

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B2B Stories

Busy year on tap for a Chamber of Commerce in Metro Augusta

The Chamber of Commerce that works with businesses in all 13 CSRA counties in Georgia, stretching from Wilkes to Jenkins to Hancock, is preparing for a busy year. The Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce (GABCC) will tackle the year ahead with a kickoff event on Feb. 26. Ronic West, President and co-founder of GABCC, told ABD that their programs run from February through December. The kickoff event is the organization’s traditional opening each year. “We run a heavy program. Once we start running, we run at least three to

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