Consumer Stories

Checkers’ artificial intelligence drive-thru ordering system passes accuracy test

When I heard Checkers was now using an artificial intelligence-based ordering system in its drive-thru, I wondered about its accuracy, so I decided to put it to the test. The first time I visited the Wrightsboro Road location across the street from the mall, I sat in line for several minutes waiting to place my order. But the line wasn’t moving, so I became impatient and left. To be fair, I went during the lunch rush, when most fast-food drive-thru lines are wrapped around the building. When my wife, Rebecca,

Read More »
B2B Stories

Beyond the commercials: What business owners and employees need to know about Medicare

If you watch TV, you’ve probably seen the likes of Joe Namath, William Shatner, and Jimmie Walker pitching Medicare supplement plans. The companies who hire them know they’ll hit home for the age group who watched them win football championships, conquer space, and make you laugh in the 1970’s. Trying to sort through the avalanche of commercials, direct mail and social media advertisements for Medicare can be more complicated than driving through Atlanta during rush hour traffic. It’s enough to make you pull out your gray hair. That is why

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: Business owner trades in higher education to spread God’s love through toys

If you’ve ever driven miles and miles and fought for parking spaces at big box toy stores, only to not find what you’re looking for, then you can relate to Aubrey Hinkson’s journey. Late last year, the 33-year-old Aiken native had a conversation with her young child that would change the trajectory of her life as a professional and a mother. The bargaining chip? Classic toy royalty: A jump rope. “I told her that if she could listen to mommy, daddy, and her teachers and have a good week at

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Local workshop to help businesses find and retain quality employees

If you’ve tried offering sign-on bonuses, flexible schedules, remote work options, and other incentives, but you’re still struggling to find and retain employees, the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center may have the workshop you need. The Center’s Augusta office will offer a Recruit and Retain Employees Workshop on Thursday, September 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 2907 Professional Parkway in Augusta. The in-person workshop will cover a variety of topics, including workforce changes, effective hiring strategies, and employee retention, as well as ways to promote your

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Downtown restaurant survives Covid, revamps menu

Covid nearly forced a downtown restaurant to close its doors, which prompted its owners to make some changes. For many years, The Bee’s Knees located at 211 10th St., was a tapas bar, but it’s now a gourmet tea and coffee shop that serves vegetarian and vegan comfort foods, according to General Manager, John Porter. The eatery also sells a variety of non-food items, such as vintage vinyl records, CBD oils, and houseplants. The Bee’s Knees menu includes biscuits, burrito wraps, hummus, and baked goods. The restaurant also serves alcoholic

Read More »
B2B Stories

$20,000 donation helps job skills training program keep running

Last year, 40 people graduated from the Salvation Army Kroc Center’s Job Skills Training Program, and of those, 80 percent found immediate employment, according to Chris Bailey. Bank of America recently donated $20,000 to the program. Bailey, the Center’s marketing and public relations manager, said Bank of America’s donation will probably be used to update equipment and keep the program running. “Workforce development is key to advancing economic opportunity and we look forward to seeing the positive impact of this program on our region for years to come,” said Marissa

Read More »
B2B Stories

Entrepreneurs getting help through Congressman Allen’s new bill

Starting a new business can be hard even in the best of times and even tougher in a distraught economy. But entrepreneurs could soon have some good news if legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga) is adopted into law. The legislation, called the Startup Act, would amend the current Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to include entrepreneurs and startups. The WIOA, passed in 2014, requires states to align their core workforce development programs to coordinate the needs of both job seekers and employers through combined four-year state

Read More »
B2B Stories

Thoughts from the General: Stories from the remarkable life of Bill Russell

I will never forget the day that basketball great Bill Russell visited the Air Force Academy. He was serving the U.S. State Department as a special envoy to Africa. The year was 1973. He had retired from playing basketball and would soon move on to full-time coaching. When he arrived at the Political Science Department his handshake was memorable. Bill’s hand seemed to be twice the size of mine; it surrounded mine. He visited a class with about 20 cadets who were taking a course in international relations. An introduction

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Cheeseburger Bobby’s

Editor’s Note: Our regular lunch reviewer, Wes Hennings, is taking a few weeks of paternity leave. While we assume he is still eating something, somewhere, he won’t be writing about it while he’s off duty. Meanwhile, ABD editor, Gary Kauffman will pinch-hit with the reviews of his lunches with a colleague, as a way to advise our business community on the good, the bad, and the tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let the restaurant know where he is going; his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he

Read More »