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Consumer Stories
Consumer Stories

Startup businesses expected to skyrocket in 2023

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

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Mitzi Oxford January 10, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

North Augusta entrepreneurs establish endowment for local technical college students

Jack and Judi Poole understand the value of education, which is why the North Augusta business owners have established a $25,000 endowment at Aiken Technical College to provide scholarships for its students. The college will decide how the money will be distributed to its students, and the couple plans to donate $25,000 annually to the endowment. The Pooles own Vampire Penguin, a dessert shop located at 507 Georgia Ave., Suite A that sells shaved snow treats in a variety of flavors. They bought the franchise a little over a year

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Josh Heath January 10, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Canadian furniture design business moves to Aiken

Covid took a big hit on many businesses. Some reassessed everything about their business. A few reinvented themselves. Some closed their doors forever. Others moved to another location. For Dan Diotte, President and Lead Designer of Chattels In Design, the survival of his business encompassed all those considerations. “Once Covid hit, we reassessed everything about our furniture design business. I believe when one door closes, a new door opens and presents new opportunities,” Diotte explained. Chattels In Design started in Ontario, Canada in 2016 and later moved to Massachusetts and

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Mitzi Oxford January 9, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Local IT company donates $2,500 to Augusta medical nonprofit

Christ Community Health provides medical services for uninsured and underinsured patients, and many of these patients don’t have reliable transportation. But a donation from a locally managed IT company will help them get the care they need. IntelliSystems, which offers its clients a variety of services, including cybersecurity, IT consulting and telecommunications, has donated $2,500 to Christ Community Health, a local non-profit organization, to provide transportation for its patients. “We are honored to facilitate transportation for people who desperately need medical and dental care, but are challenged by transportation reliability

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Josh Heath January 9, 2023 No Comments
Closings

Downtown fast-food location closes

Arby’s may have the meats, but Augusta now has fewer Arby’s fast-food restaurants. The location at 1823 Walton Way between Papa John’s and Happy China II has closed permanently. To find out why, ABD spoke with an employee at the Evans location. “There just wasn’t enough business,” the employee said. “The closest one is either Gordon Highway or North Augusta.” Besides those, Arby’s also has multiple restaurants throughout the CSRA, including Martinez, Grovetown, Thomson, and Aiken. Founded in Ohio in 1964 by brothers Leroy and Forrest Raffel, the chain currently

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Josh Heath January 8, 2023 1 Comment
Consumer Stories

National publication ranks Augusta in top 10 real estate markets for 2023

2023 is expected to be a very successful year for the local housing market, according to a recent article from USA Today. The newspaper ranked the top 10 real estate markets in the U.S., and Augusta made the list, which also includes Columbia, Chattanooga, Toledo, and El Paso. “Home sales across the top 10 markets are expected to grow by 5.2 percent year over year, whereas national home sales are projected to experience a decline in sales (-14.1 percent),” the article said. “Average home prices in these markets are expected

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Josh Heath January 8, 2023 No Comments
Closings

Former Columbia County restaurateur selling business’s remaining items

An Evans eatery is officially gone, but its owner now faces the onerous task of clearing everything out of the building by the end of the month. Stay. Social Tap + Table closed its doors permanently on Friday, Dec. 30. Last month, Chief Judge James Blanchard upheld the Columbia County Commissioners’ decision to revoke the restaurant’s liquor license. Its owner, Renee Hajek, has begun selling a variety of items, such as cups and takeout containers. There were also some opened food items, such as condiments, Hajek couldn’t sell, so she

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Josh Heath January 5, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Columbia County restaurant serves unique international dishes

If you’re bored with Taco Tuesday or need a place for this weekend for a date lunch or dinner, you might want to give Latin Flavor a try. The Martinez restaurant offers a wide range of Latin American dishes. Think Mexican cuisine with a bigger selection than a traditional Mexican restaurant. Latin Flavor located at 3568 River Watch Parkway opened in August 2022 and serves a variety of dishes from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Their menu includes a variety of soups and salads, empanadas, and sandwiches. Maria

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Josh Heath January 5, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Oliviana’s

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 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.” Food

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Wes Hennings January 4, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Columbia County to celebrate third annual Restaurant Week

Each year, the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and the Convention & Visitors Bureau hold a week-long event to celebrate the county’s eclectic eateries that serve everything from Mexican to Mediterranean cuisine. The third annual Restaurant Week will be held Monday, Jan. 23 through Sunday, Jan. 29, and applications are now being accepted. The deadline to apply is Friday, Jan. 13. Renee Meyer Dean and her family have already signed up to participate again this year. Meyer Dean, along with her parents and sister, own Red Oak Manor, which also

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Josh Heath January 3, 2023 No Comments
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