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Consumer Stories
Closings

Local chocolatier temporarily closes one of its CSRA shops

Two months ago, Bebette Smith opened her Belgian chocolate business’s second CSRA location, but she’s already been forced to close that location temporarily and throw away about 200 pounds of chocolate. Smith owns La Bonbonniere located at 231 Furys Ferry Road, Suite 206B in Augusta and 227 Chesterfield St. South in Aiken. She said her Aiken store is one of three retail units located in the same building, and the building’s owner is currently revamping the other two units. Unfortunately, La Bonbonniere’s chocolates absorbed odors from a chemical used on

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Josh Heath May 3, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: BBQ Barn

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 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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Wes Hennings May 3, 2023 No Comments
Closings

The conflict behind the closing of historic golf club restaurant

A little more than a year after opening at the Aiken Golf Club, The Legends Grille has closed its doors. There was some buzz on social media regarding the closing which attributed the shutdown to staffing shortages. Former Legends owner, Michael Allen agreed that staffing was an issue. “Between staff calling out of work, not showing up, and not completing their jobs once they arrived, yes, it was a contributing factor.” But there were issues for the restaurant even before the staffing challenges. Allen and Aiken Golf Club owner, Jim

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Mitzi Oxford May 2, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

New fast-casual restaurant location opens in CSRA

Brett Rickert just opened his sixth franchise location of a national fast-casual restaurant chain in North Augusta. Yesterday morning, Rickert and his team, along with the city’s Mayor, Briton Williams, and the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce, celebrated the grand opening of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers located at 505 East Martintown Road, across the street from Monterrey Mexican Restaurant. The restaurant serves a variety of meals, such as burgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, and hot dogs, as well as desserts made with frozen custard, including shakes and root beer

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Josh Heath May 2, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

New CSRA restaurant serves American, Asian cuisine

Owning one restaurant can be overwhelming, but Jason Yang owns six eateries in Georgia and South Carolina. In March, Yang opened his latest business, Kanda Kitchen, which is located at 3555 Richland Ave. West, Suite 186 in Aiken. The restaurant serves a variety of menu options, including Philly sandwiches, fried rice, hamburgers, and chicken wings. Yang said no other restaurants in the Aiken area serve both American and Asian cuisine. “We’re a one-stop shop,” he said. Kanda Kitchen also serves several flavors of bubble tea, a drink that originated in

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Josh Heath May 1, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Local bagel shop and deli opens its doors

The wait is over. A New York-style bagel shop is officially open for business in Aiken. ABD previously told you about Straight Outta Brooklyn Bagel & Delicatessen, owned by New York natives, Joseph and Yvette Gallacchi. The business, which is located at 106 Park Ave. Southwest, opened its doors on Wednesday. In a Facebook post, the couple thanked everyone who visited the eatery that day. “We had a few glitches, but we hope everyone enjoyed their food,” they said. “We are working behind the scenes to fix a few things

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Josh Heath May 1, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

CSRA partnership touted as “huge win” for global security and workforce development

Augusta University and Savannah River National Laboratory have sealed a partnership for workforce development, education, and technology, all with a focus on cybersecurity. “This is a huge win because this is one of our fastest-growing areas,” AU Provost, Neil MacKinnon explained. “We have over 700 students now in our school. This provides real-world internships for them and obviously meets the workforce needs of a local employer as well. So yeah, it’s definitely a win for us and will help us continue to grow and I think increase our national prominence

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Dana Lynn McIntyre May 1, 2023 No Comments
ABD Extra

Economic Update: “Feeling Good”

We knew that you would! Join Coach Dave Holdeman from The Alternative Board of the CSRA and Augusta Business Daily publisher, Neil Gordon to recap the week that was. They discuss a bill Governor Brian Kemp signed in Augusta that will assist in creating a reimagined James Brown Arena, providing new jobs and bringing big names to the CSRA. Be the first to get the scoop on all this and more in the latest economic update!

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Neil Gordon with Dave Holdeman May 1, 2023 No Comments
ABD Extra

Nutritional Resources Inc. and Ovation Foods Announce Strategic Partnership

Nutritional Resources Inc. dba HealthWise, a Grovetown, Georgia creator of meal replacements and high protein nutritional foods announced a strategic and financial partnership with Ovation Foods Inc. based in Waterloo, Wisconsin in a press release April 27. In a statement released by Nutritional Resources Inc., the company said that it finds Ovation Foods Inc. to hold similar values. “For almost 30 years, Nutritional Resources has been committed to providing healthcare professionals with the highest quality, greatest tasting, and affordable nutritional products to help their patients reclaim their passion for life.

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Rakiyah Lenon May 1, 2023 No Comments
ABD Extra

Simon Says: Employment declines in the CSRA

Last week, I reported an improvement in the labor market variables in the Leading Economic Index (LEI). After falling from mid-summer 2022, there was an improvement in the first two months of this year. Unfortunately, the main indicator of labor market health, employment, has yet to show signs of recovery. As suggested by the decline in the LEI since mid-summer, employment in the Augusta MSA has fallen from 245,200 in November to 241,000 in March (see graph). Education and health services, professional and business services and transportation and utilities all

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Simon Medcalfe May 1, 2023 No Comments
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