B2B Stories

Augusta coffee pioneer opens new downtown location

The people who started the local coffee scene opened their third coffee shop today in downtown Augusta. Buona Caffe opened this morning at 520 Reynolds Street. Although it’s a new location for a retail shop, the building has been home to Buona’s bean roasting since 2018. The building also serves as a warehouse, an equipment showroom, and a training classroom. Owner, John Curry said opening a coffee shop at the location had always been part of the plan for the building, which is located next to the Augusta Museum of

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Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: Faith-filled native Augustan serves up Christ’s love with a sweet alternative to ice cream, yogurt

The time is upon us to bask in the rays of the summer sun. One local business owner is also hoping customers revel in the love of the Son of God…and enjoy water ice at the same time. What is water ice? According to Deon Jones, owner of DJR’s Water Ice, LLC, it just may become the cold dessert treat of choice you never knew existed. “It is a water-based, non-dairy, cold dessert that has no fat, gluten, tree nuts, peanuts, and no high corn fructose sugar,” said Jones. “The

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Shawna Woodward

Real Talk Real Estate: Actions are being taken to alleviate the housing market crisis

All things, good or bad, must eventually come to an end. Hopefully, the end of this housing market crisis will be sooner rather than later. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has put out an article sharing some good news. People and organizations are taking the initiative to advocate for change on our behalf. The NAR has headed this movement, working with the government and private companies to help support home ownership in the United States. Here are some facts provided by the NAR: • 65.5% of Americans own a

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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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