Consumer Stories

Japanese restaurant to open near busy Martinez intersection

Hibachi Grill Express, a new Japanese restaurant, will open in a familiar Martinez location at 3861 Washington Road near the Bobby Jones Expressway intersection. For many years, the building was occupied by Taco Bell. Hibachi will serve a variety of dishes, including egg rolls, fried rice, and teriyaki chicken. Customers can either dine in the restaurant or order and pick up food at the drive-thru window. All meals cost less than $15. ABD previously reported the restaurant was expected to open by Valentine’s Day, but it still hasn’t opened. Thanks

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Consumer Stories

Local chef now serving up hot dogs in downtown Augusta

When word went out that “the hot dog man” was serving lunch for a meeting at Auben Realty, there was an air of excitement usually reserved for fine dining. The hot dog man is Jutavian McCord who dishes up all-beef hot dogs, sausages, and chicken wings from a sidewalk food cart with the business name Dat’s My Dog. There are plenty of condiments and toppings for the dogs, along with baked beans made from his mother’s recipe and coleslaw for sides. He’s been at it a year, but he’s had

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Taj of India

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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B2B Stories

CSRA bank celebrates 120th anniversary

When Queensborough National Bank & Trust was founded, Teddy Roosevelt was in the White House. The local bank just celebrated its 120th anniversary. Founded in May 1902, it was originally called the First National Bank of Louisville, which is a small town located about an hour from Augusta. Queensborough now has 27 locations in towns throughout Georgia, including Augusta, Waynesboro, Sylvania, and Statesboro. The bank, which was established with only a few employees, now has a staff of more than 350 people, and currently manages more than $2 billion in

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Employee Benefits

Free Access: The correlation between StubHub and health insurance

Tom Mastny went from a Major League pitcher to helping local businesses with their health care benefits with The Pennant Group. In this interview with Neil Gordon, Tom tells us about the similarities between online ticketing giant StubHub and shopping for health insurance.

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B2B Stories

Simon says: Augusta economic forecast gloomy as jobs continue post-pandemic lag

Employment in the Augusta MSA has increased by 4,000 jobs in the last year, through April – the latest available data, but remains more than 6,000 jobs off the pre-pandemic peak (see chart below). As I have written about in recent articles (April 13, May 4), this makes Augusta one of the worst-performing economies in Georgia. The more bad news was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on May 18. Job openings in Georgia declined by 33,000 in March. Georgia was one of four states to see a decline,

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Consumer Stories

New golf organization gives local amateurs the PGA tour experience

For decades, Augustans have watched some of the greatest players on the professional tour come through the area. Now, some of the great local amateur players – and even the not-so-great ones – have an opportunity to experience the tour life. Marcus Maddox, a sales consultant for KAMO, has created the Augusta chapter of the Amateur Players Tour, a national organization with tours in about 40 cities nationwide. “It’s designed to provide the average Joe with the PGA tour experience,” Maddox said. “It’s for players of all skill sets.” The

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Consumer Stories

Two business owners win Man and Women of the Year honors

Erik Smith of Grovetown and Secelia Brown of Evans are the local winners of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual Man and Woman of the Year contest. Smith raised $46,469 and Brown $135,097 to support LLS’ goal to find cures for blood cancers. “Congratulations to our winners, and to all of our candidates and campaign team members who participated in this year’s Man & Woman of the Year campaign,” said Amanda, Yancey, LLS Georgia–South Carolina Executive Director. “These exceptional volunteers are all unstoppable leaders in their communities. Together, we are

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Kay Benitez

Kay Benitez makes a living playing with makeup

Name: Kay Benitez Company/Title: Mary Kay Sales Director Phone: 803-295-8111 Little girls love playing with makeup. Sometimes, they grow up and turn that into a successful business. Kay Benitez has built a thriving career, thanks to Mary Kay cosmetics. The company started in 1963 with a few simple products. Over the years, Mary Kay has developed in 35 countries with more than 3 million consultants, averaging $60,000 a year. Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants who reach the status of Mary Kay Independent Sales Directors can earn the use of a

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