Openings

LaToya Roper’s son was diagnosed with autism at age 3, which prompted her to establish a local recreation center for children with special needs. Roper is the owner and Executive Director of Love and Care ECC (Exceptional Children’s Childcare) located at 106 SRP Drive, Suite A in Evans. The center, which offers an after-school program and summer camp for children ranging from Pre-K to 12th grade, will celebrate the grand opening of its new facility tomorrow, from 12 noon to 2 p.m., with vendors and a fun zone for kids.

The CSRA will soon have its 25th Starbucks location, according to Jordan Trotter Commercial Real Estate. Construction appears to be nearing completion on a new coffee shop at 421 South Belair Road, near I-20 and next door to Popeyes in Martinez. Other locations include Grovetown, Evans, Augusta, North Augusta, and Aiken, as well as Fort Gordon. Starbucks can also be found in many retail stores, including Kroger, Target, and Barnes & Noble located in the Augusta Mall. It’s the U.S.’s largest coffee chain with more than 15,000 locations nationwide. The

If you’ve been dealing with stress, muscle tension, and achy joints, you’re certainly not alone. But a new wellness studio coming to Evans wants to help its clients stretch their way to better health. In Motion Wellness Studio is scheduled to open next Wednesday, March 1 at 3118 William Few Parkway, Suite 6 between Ocean Nails and Master Park’s World Class Tae Kwon Do in Riverwood Town Center, according to a local franchisee, Mike Montarbo. Montarbo was part of the original ownership of Evans Fitness when it launched in December

Hair salons designed specifically for children are becoming increasingly popular, and another one is swimming its way to the CSRA. ABD recently told you about a similar business called Pigtails & Crewcuts, which is coming to 4357 Washington Road, Suite C, near Kroger in the Evans Crossing Shopping Center. This summer, Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids, a direct competitor of Pigtails & Crewcuts, is scheduled to open a salon at 4115 Columbia Road, which will be located near another Kroger grocery store, in Merchant’s Village in Martinez, according to Jordan Trotter

A local car wash with multiple locations is currently building two more, one in Augusta and the other in Aiken. LuLu’s Express Car Wash currently has six locations, including Bobby Jones Expressway in Martinez, Jackson Road in Augusta, Edgefield Road in North Augusta, and East Pine Log Road in Aiken. The company’s new conveyor car washes will be located at 2212 Gordon Highway in Augusta and 3001 Whiskey Road in Aiken. LuLu’s is owned by Mammoth Holdings, LLC, an Atlanta-based private equity firm that owns and operates car washes in

For many women, particularly those who haven’t exercised in years, visiting a traditional gym can be an intimidating experience. But one local gym was designed to take the fear out of fitness. PLUM Metabolic Fitness opened last month at 3830 Washington Road, Suite 16, next door to Taqueria El Rey in the West Town Shopping Center in Martinez. PLUM stands for Planned Use Management, which combines exercise, nutrition counseling, and motivation to help women lose weight and get in shape. Prior to the gym’s grand opening, another women’s gym, Pulse

Retired Army Cpt. Tyler Merritt started his clothing business in his garage and now has four store locations, about 200 employees, and a 60,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Savannah. Merritt serves as CEO of Nine Line Apparel, which has store locations in not only Savannah but also Charleston and Delray Beach. He said the company is expected to open its fifth location at 284 Meridian Drive next door to Cold Stone Creamery in Grovetown on Monday, March 6. ABD previously ran a story about the company, which sells a variety of