Mon, April 27, 2026

Facebook-f Youtube Instagram
Newsletter Sign up
Show Support
Menu

Consumer Stories
Closings

Local department store to close this weekend

ABD has learned that the last day Bealls Outlet located near Walmart at 270 Bobby Jones Expressway, Suite 108 will be open is Saturday, Jan. 21. We have contacted both the store and the company to find out why that location is closing, but their representatives said they don’t know the reason for the closure. Founded in Brandenton, Fla. in 1915, the company sells a variety of items, including clothing and shoes for men, women, and children, as well as purses, beauty supplies, and items for the home. Bealls Outlet

Read More »
Josh Heath January 15, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Aiken Regional names new chief operating officer

Aiken Regional Medical Centers recently appointed a new COO. As of last week, Patti Monczewski is now responsible for the hospital’s day-to-day operations and employee satisfaction, driving growth and market share among service lines, and cultivating relationships within the community. Monczewski most recently served as the chief operating officer of Estrella Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. “I look forward to helping grow Aiken Regional, its services and programs to further strengthen the health and well-being of the community and the Aiken Regional team, its patients, your family, and our neighbors,”

Read More »
Staff Report January 15, 2023 No Comments
Closings

North Augusta pizzeria shuts down the ovens and closes the doors

Just a month ago, ABD featured the story of Doughboy’s NY Style Pizzeria as free access to our readers. They were struggling and we thought it might help. It was one of our #1 read stories, but as it turned out their challenges were insurmountable. This was their post on social media over the weekend: “I type this with tears in my eyes, but Doughboy’s will no longer be open! At least not in that location. Maybe down the road in a better location. Obviously, not being open means no

Read More »
Mitzi Oxford January 15, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Carolinas-based grocer to open store in Aiken

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

Read More »
Mitzi Oxford January 12, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Goolsby’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 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”.

Read More »
Wes Hennings January 11, 2023 No Comments
Awards

Regional award for Aiken Tech’s Community Benefit Report

The businesses who support Aiken Technical College have some bragging rights. As ABD has reported previously, Aiken Tech works closely with the business community including partnerships with Savannah River Site (SRS), Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC), Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS). Aiken Technical College received regional recognition for its 2021 Community Benefit Report from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR). The annual publication was recently awarded the bronze Medallion Award in the NCMPR’s District 2 annual report category for its engaging

Read More »
Staff Report January 11, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Augusta staffing company awards new car to a hard-working employee

Some companies reward positive work performance with a pizza party. But an Augusta-based staffing company recently gave one of its employees a brand-new car. On Wednesday, Jan. 4, Sizemore, Inc.’s President and CEO, Preston Sizemore delivered a 2023 Kia Rio to Maria Juilia Rodriguez, a housekeeping supervisor with the company’s Fulfillment Center in Tampa. Rodriguez has worked for the company since Jan. 2022, according to Joey Warren, Sizemore’s senior corporate communications coordinator. “It was open to all non-administrative employees companywide,” Warren said. “We announced the contest in June.” At that

Read More »
Josh Heath January 10, 2023 No Comments
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

Read More »
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

Read More »
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

Read More »
Mitzi Oxford January 9, 2023 No Comments
Load More