Consumer Stories

Latin American flavors helping to grow Aiken food and beverage businesses

The owners and managers of four Latin American restaurants in the Aiken area, recently reviewed in the Augusta Business Daily, Cabanas as Salvadorean Restaurant on Richland Avenue, Choices (Jamaican and Caribbean) in Graniteville, caterers Paella South originally from Velencia, Venezuela and the latest, El Borikuazo Puerto Rican Restaurant on University Parkway, all agree on several points. They stick to the recipes and the ingredients they used when they learned to cook at their mothers’ knee, usually back in their original country. All are devoted Americans now. And no matter how

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Consumer Stories

Sister duo launches retail business in downtown Augusta

A new retail business owned by two creative sisters from Wisconsin just opened in downtown Augusta. Located at 1022 Broad St. next door to Flowers on Broad, Freshwater Design Co. celebrated with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, Aug. 4 and a grand opening celebration on Thursday, Aug. 5. Artist Danielle Harmadi and graphic designer Brianne Martin moved into that location in February to design a variety of handcrafted leather products, including keychains, bracelets, and earrings, as well as pennants, T-shirts, hats, and coffee mugs. The sisters sell their products at

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B2B Stories

Why You Might Want to Sell the Family Business

Recently, longtime Augustan Jeff Annis sold his decades old Advanced Services for Pest Control Company to one of the big, regional players in their space. His mom started the company and although a couple of his children worked in the business, there was not a succession plan for family to “step in”. What will the Weinbergers and the Busbys and the Mulherins and so many other excellent, legacy companies in the CSRA do when the time is right to sell? Local business coach Darin Myers says looking outside the family

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Consumer Stories

Transformation of Wild Wing to Doc’s Porchside underway

This week the owners of Doc’s Porchside tantalized our senses with previews of what is next for their former Wild Wing Café locations in Augusta and Grovetown. The following are photos from their Facebook page with captions showing the progress and developments leading up to the Grand Opening..       In the meantime, Wild Wing Café Corporate is looking at land off the Riverwatch Parkway to build a prototype Wild Wing’s to have more emphasis on live music. August 9th—16th???????? It’s been said all good things come to those

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Consumer Stories

Semiannual downtown fair solicits vendor applications as deadline approaches

You’ll have about a week to get in your application to promote your business at a downtown expo for a good cause. This fall, with help from several local businesses, a downtown fair will give the community the opportunity to shop for handmade goods and support a worthy cause. The Augusta Handmade Fair – a semiannual fundraiser coordinated by Redemption Church located at 930 Broad St. – will be held Friday, Nov. 5 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 6 from noon to 4 p.m. at the

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Longhorn gets a record score!

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Monday 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 the 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”.

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Shawna Woodward

Real Talk Real Estate: CSRA millennials scooping up houses

It’s no surprise by now that the real estate market is hot, moving fast, and pretty much a race to be the first buyer to see anything that lists for sale! We are finally beginning to accept this as our new normal and have thrown all past experiences and expectations out the window in favor of just “winning” a house. If you are familiar with the housing market here in the CSRA, and have read my previous article on how we actually are experiencing higher sales inventory than previous years.

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Consumer Stories

Local bank buys adjacent property on Washington Road in Evans

So, what will “Q” do for you with their purchase of prime property in Evans, directly next to their full-service branch? If bank leaders know, they are keeping it a secret—perhaps for competitive reasons. “We are excited about being a part of Columbia County’s current and future growth. While we don’t have plans to share at this time, we look forward to continuing to grow in that area,” said Bill Thompson, Executive Vice President. In January, Queensborough purchased the approximate 1/2 acre property and building at 4317 Washington Road, which

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B2B Stories

National leaders share inspirational messages to Augustans at leadership summit

For Jade Wolfe (pictured above), one important takeaway from the Global Leadership Summit was the importance of overcoming fears. Wolfe – an agent with Keller Williams Realty Inc. in the Augusta area– attended the Summit for the first time at True North Church in North Augusta, which served as one of more than 500 host sites in the U.S. alone. She says she plans to return each year. “It’s not about not having fears, but facing our fears,” Wolfe states. That message came from Michelle Poler – one of 16

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Consumer Stories

Real Talk Real Estate: CSRA millennials scooping up houses

It’s no surprise by now that the real estate market is hot, moving fast, and pretty much a race to be the first buyer to see anything that lists for sale! We are finally beginning to accept this as our new normal and have thrown all past experiences and expectations out the window in favor of just “winning” a house. If you are familiar with the housing market here in the CSRA, and have read my previous article on how we actually are experiencing higher sales inventory than previous years.

Read More »