Openings

It’s been an interesting journey for Lisa Benefiel. She served 25 years in government intelligence with the National Security Agency. Now, she provides security for pets. “I enjoyed my work with the NSA but in the past few years, I realized one thing that made my soul happy was taking care of my animals,” Benefiel explained. She was three years short of full retirement when she and her husband decided to move from Tampa to Aiken. “With no income at that point, I figured if I needed to go back

Eli Andrews is about to introduce the CSRA to a unique pizza concept you won’t find at Pizza Hut or Domino’s. Andrews will launch a Kono Pizza food truck on Friday, Jan. 27 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Crawford Creek neighborhood in Evans. Unlike traditional slices, Kono’s pizza is served in a cone imported from Italy, which is where he discovered it. “You hold it like an ice cream cone,” he said. “Everybody thinks it’s a unique idea.” Andrews said the cones are much less messy to

Before cell phones and selfies, there were photo booths. Now, the next generation of both is trending across the country and it’s for hire in the CSRA. The Electric Selfie 360 spins. It has lights and video. They are the product of technology, innovation, and pop culture. 360 Photo Booths capture 360-degree photos on a rotating platform and offer an eclectic experience to guests of all ages. Apparently, all those bells and whistles can turn business executives into teenagers “We were part of a North Augusta Chamber mixer in November

Lowes Foods is continuing to grow in the Carolinas and has announced five new locations including Aiken. That store will be built at the intersection of Whiskey Road and Powerhouse Road. Other new stores will include one in Indian Land, SC, and others in North Carolina. “We’re excited to be building additional Lowes Foods stores to serve the booming growth areas around Charlotte and northeast of Augusta, Georgia,” Tim Lowe, President of Lowes Foods said. “All five of our new stores are in various stages of planning and construction, and

When Jessica Gaskins moved Maddi P Boutique from Warrenville to Aiken last year, she knew it might not be easy. She and her team stuck with it and together, they have created a successful small business. Are you ready to be your own boss? Do you prefer flexibility over big profits? Are you dissatisfied with corporate America? Not ready to retire? Maybe, like Gaskins, you’ll be running a new business in the coming year. Business statistics from 2022 show that over 3.8 million new business applications were filed in the

When Katrena and her husband, Jason, moved to Augusta from New York City more than two years ago, she noticed there weren’t many businesses that offered 360-degree photo booth rentals, so she decided to start her own. The couple, who asked us not to use their last name, launched NYC to AGS 360 Rentals at the end of October and are currently working on marketing their new business. People can rent their photo booth for a variety of celebrations, including Christmas, birthday, and New Year’s Eve parties, as well as

Michael Hinson previously owned two CSRA businesses, and after selling those, he decided to use his interest in electronics to jump into the growing Bluetooth speaker business. In October, Hinson launched Big Dog Speakers, an online business that sells high-quality speakers that are much less expensive than those of his competitors. He said the waterproof, 40-watt speakers can reach a maximum volume of 105 decibels but still produce a clear, crisp sound. They can be connected to other devices, such as TVs and gaming systems, and used to charge cell

After being closed for three months, a local antique shop re-opened in its new location on Friday. Mema Had One has relocated from 2328 Washington Road to 135 Davis Road across the street from Good Earth Produce & Garden Center. The former location closed on Aug. 31. While the new location is much smaller, it will only be filled with items people want to buy, such as toys, artwork, collectibles, and gifts, according to the business’s co-owner, Pam Hayes. “We’re excited about the more curated items,” Hayes said. “We pride

A new business in Evans gives customers the opportunity to build a custom golf cart or give their old cart a makeover. Kart King, 4158 Washington Road, Suite 11, celebrated its grand opening yesterday. Until now, the company has provided retail sales and service at 1697 Broad St. in Augusta’s King Mill Park, but the retail side of the business has moved to the Evans store, according to Chandler Hall, Kart King’s head of operations and owner, Barry Hall’s brother. “We’ve decided to use the other location as our shop,”