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Consumer Stories
Consumer Stories

Downtown Aiken business promotion begins today

Every year, the Aiken Downtown Development Association hosts an event designed to promote businesses in that part of the city. This year, 25 businesses will participate in the Downtown Aiken Spring Sidewalk Sale, which begins today and lasts through Saturday, according to the Association’s Executive Director, Haley Knight. These businesses include Ginger Bee Boutique, 3 Monkeys Fine Gifts, Bravefriend Apparel & Design and TumbleWeed. Knight said shoppers will find a variety of items at the event, including clothing, embroidery, home décor, kitchen items, and equestrian products. “The purpose of the

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Josh Heath March 1, 2023 No Comments
Openings

First vegan/vegetarian restaurant opens in Aiken

After starting nine different restaurants over the years from Colorado to South Carolina, when Andrew Kraull moved to Aiken a year ago, he circled back around to his roots with a place offering a mostly plant-based menu. He has a master’s degree in nutrition and recently opened the Veg Out Café at 1619 Whiskey Road. “At first, I had a food truck but based on the popularity of vegan and vegetarian dishes, I knew a brick-and-mortar was what we really needed. I stumbled across the health food store that was

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Mitzi Oxford March 1, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

GreenJackets install cashless payment system

When you attend an Augusta GreenJackets game this season, you won’t have to stuff your wallet full of bills. The GreenJackets are going cashless. Instead of using cash, you’ll be able to pay for items like items from the gift shop and concessions with all major credit cards, debit cards, and phone cash apps like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. The cashless system will be used throughout the stadium and the parking decks. The decision to go cashless was made to provide faster service. According to a news

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Gary Kauffman February 28, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

HobbyTown owner to relocate to larger retail space

Prior to becoming a business owner, Dusty Germo worked as an engineer at John Deere for 12 years and pursued various hobbies in his spare time, but he now helps his customers enjoy their hobbies. Since July 2022, Germo has owned the Augusta franchise location of HobbyTown, which is located near Furniture Outlet at 266 Bobby Jones Expressway, Suite 110 in Augusta. The 3,000-square-foot store has been open since 1993. He’s moving the business to a 9,000-square-foot building, which is currently under construction at 4107 Riverwatch Parkway, Suite 4 at

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Josh Heath February 28, 2023 1 Comment
Consumer Stories

New businesses coming to North Augusta

A well-known convenience store chain has opened a new location in North Augusta, while a Kansas-based fast-food restaurant is preparing to open its first-ever location in Aiken County. QuikTrip has opened at 930 Edgefield Road, the latest business to join the growth continuing in the area around exit five off Interstate 20. This is QT’s second location in Aiken County. It had an existing store off Bettis Academy Road in Graniteville. “We bring our signature commitment to quality and friendly customer service, and over 20 new, good-paying jobs to the

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Dana Lynn McIntyre February 27, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Owners of Martinez Asian market launch bubble tea business

The grand opening of a new Martinez tea shop drew a standing-room-only crowd Sunday, as local residents lined up to sample its menu of Taiwanese drinks. Ding Tea, which has hundreds of locations throughout the world, now has a new shop next door to El Rey at 3830 Washington Road, Suite 27 in the West Town Shopping Center. The family-owned shop celebrated its soft opening on Friday, Feb. 17, according to its manager, Paul Phan. The owners, John Phan, Hung Nguyen, and Tim Nguyen, also own the Cho Ba Mien

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Josh Heath February 27, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

CSRA businesses scramble for employee healthcare coverage as Humana exits Group Medical Plans

Major insurer Humana is leaving group commercial healthcare and major medical plans to focus on government-funded programs, and ancillary benefits such as ambulance transportation, blood, drugs, and medical supplies. This impacts employers and their employees under plans which are fully insured, self-funded, and those with Federal Employees Health Benefits medical plans. “Employers need to prepare for changing their insurance provider, for some disruption, and potential rate changes,” advised Tom Mastny, CEO of The Pennant Group. For Michael Harrison, owner of Flow Pro Plumbing in Augusta, Humana’s announcement last week was

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Mitzi Oxford February 27, 2023 1 Comment
Consumer Stories

Medical helicopter has new home at Augusta Regional Airport

Augusta University Health’s AirCare helicopter’s recently completed hangar was dedicated on Feb.23 at Augusta Regional Airport. Dr. Phillip Coule, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Augusta University Health System, said they knew AirCare was needed, especially to help serve the rural parts of Georgia. However, he didn’t anticipate how much of an impact the helicopter would have, or how far it would range. Numbers show AirCare, operated by Metro Aviation in partnership with AU Health, has logged 700 transports in its first eighteen months. The majority have been within

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Dana Lynn McIntyre February 26, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Cost doubles for CSRA Public Safety HQ

Businesses and taxpayers are footing the bill for an extra $10 Million plus of cost overruns in North Augusta—but the people who keep everyone safe say it couldn’t be avoided. After years of discussion and debate, officials held a groundbreaking ceremony, Friday at the site of the new public safety headquarters. Discussions for the building started more than eight years ago. Not until 2020, did the city move forward in earnest. The original plan was to build on East Buena Vista Avenue near the current headquarters. The cost was estimated

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Dana Lynn McIntyre February 26, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Local IT firm donates $2,500 to nonprofit that serves trauma victims, families

Dealing with trauma can be a major challenge for children, but a local IT firm has donated $2,500 to a non-profit organization that serves these victims and their families. IntelliSystems made the donation to Children’s Place Inc., which provides counseling and other services to families in five South Carolina counties: Aiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Edgefield, and McCormick. The company’s donation will be used for the nonprofit’s Guardian Angel program, which provides clothing, classroom supplies, and other items for the children it serves. Each December, Children’s Place takes kids on a shopping

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Josh Heath February 23, 2023 No Comments
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