Consumer Stories

Sub shop replaces sandwich shop in Evans shopping center

The closing of one Columbia County sandwich shop made room for a similar shop to take its place. Which Wich Superior Sandwiches, which was located at 4239 Washington Road, Suite 7 next to FedEx Office in Mullins Crossing, has been replaced by Jersey Mike’s Subs. ABD spoke to an employee at the other CSRA Which Wich located on Wheeler Road in Augusta to find out why the Evans shop closed. “There wasn’t enough business, and the rent was high,” the employee said. Founded in Dallas in 2003, Which Wich has

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B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: The two pieces of training employees

  Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he talks about the importance of training employees. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: The customer experience of any business that deals with the public, especially restaurants and retail stores, often depends on their interaction with the employees. How important is it to provide good training for your employees? Rick: It’s critically important, but it’s part of a bigger picture. Make training

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Office Support

Free Access: Expecting the unexpected in your business

What happens when a key person in your business has an unexpected absence? Amy Richardson of Richardson Professional Solutions tells Neil Gordon from firsthand experience, the difficulty caused by a key staff member landing in the hospital, along with six tips on how to prepare for the unexpected before it happens.

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Expo Preview

Free Access: Expo Preview: Hargrove Inspections provides peace of mind for home buyers

A thorough inspection is a critical step in purchasing a home, and many lenders won’t offer financing on a home without one. Home inspections can uncover potentially life-threatening problems like mold or faulty wiring that could cause a significant fire. “Buying a home is one of life’s biggest investments. That’s where we come in, to educate the buyer. Inspections are a big part of the buying process,” said Hargrove Inspections owner and CEO, John Boudreaux. He has more than 22 years of experience in the home inspection business, at the

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Consumer Stories

ATT’s Hubspots

Some children in the Augusta area will soon be connected to the world, thanks to two Connected Learning Centers inside the HUB for Community Innovation. The centers will provide internet access and education tools for those who face connectivity barriers. The Connectivity Centers are part of a $2 billion national campaign by AT&T from 2021-23 to address internet accessibility and affordability. It is a collaboration with the Augusta Boys & Girls Club, Augusta University Literacy Center, and Rise Augusta. “Connectivity is the foundation of a thriving community, and AT&T’s investment

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Consumer Stories

Keeping restaurant food safe is the topic of the training program

In Dec. 1992, Lauren Beth Rudolph, a six-year-old girl from California, died of E. coli poisoning after eating a hamburger from a Jack in the Box fast-food restaurant. That incident was part of a larger outbreak on the West Coast. That’s just one of many examples Cathy Watson shares with restaurant employees and owners as a certified ServSafe training instructor and proctor. Watson, the owner of a business called Helping Restaurants, teaches a one-day ServSafe certification course that covers a variety of topics, including proper food handling practices, food storage,

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Shawna Woodward

Free Access: Real Talk Real Estate: How tech is changing residential real estate

There is no doubt in my mind that the internet is the single most revolutionary technology we have adopted in our modern society. Every other innovation since has been built off this highway of information. It has connected us directly to our neighbors and drastically changed the way we interact with others. This information we can grasp instantaneously has also warped our perception of time. Everything now has to be available on demand. If you haven’t been in the real estate market for a while, you may find this shocking,

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B2B Stories

Local startup owners pitch businesses to local community

Joanne Williams has lived in Augusta for years, but she’s never been able to find a restaurant in this area that serves New York deli sandwiches. So the Helms College graduate decided to start one. Williams, the owner of AKUA, New York Deli Style Sandwiches, recently graduated from Make Startup, which is a three-month entrepreneurial training course, followed by a six-month mentoring program offered by theClubhou.se, a small business incubator and shared workspace located at the Georgia Cyber Center in downtown Augusta. On Wednesday, she and eight other graduates of

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B2B Stories

Augusta’s economic developers receive national honor

In his role as President of the Augusta Economic Development Authority, one of Cal Wray’s responsibilities is to bring new businesses to Augusta. For the second year in a row, his efforts have been recognized. Wray has been named one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers for 2022 by Consultant Connect, a national firm that helps to connect site selection consultants with economic developers. He was also selected in 2015. Honorees are chosen by their peers and site selectors. “To me, it’s always exciting because those you work with

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Pizza Joint

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”. Food

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