Consumer Stories

Consumer Stories

North Augusta restaurant offers customers unique outdoor dining option

A local restaurant wants to give you the chance to enjoy outdoor dining no matter how cold it gets. Last month, Salt + Marrow Kitchen located in the Crowne Plaza North Augusta, unveiled its new dining domes, which seat up to six guests and require a minimum spending limit of $75 per person for a two-hour reservation, according to the restaurant’s AM/PM Supervisor, Hope Gresham. Gresham said so far, the domes have been a hit with customers. “They’re selling like hotcakes,” she said. “It’s easy to spend $75 here with

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Consumer Stories

Local liquor business opens superstore in Evans shopping center

A local liquor store has expanded with a much larger second location in Columbia County. Beverage Outlet just opened a new store located at 660 Mullins Colony Drive next door to Belk in the Mullins Colony shopping center in Evans. The more than 20,000-square-foot store sells a wide variety of wine, beer, and liquor items. The business’s original location is at 248 Bobby Jones Expressway near Walmart. According to its website, the store offers free tastings on a weekly basis. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.

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Consumer Stories

Local businesses help make Christmas merrier for others

Chandler Brewer understands the sacrifices military service members make to protect our freedom, which is why the local business owner decided to give back to them this Christmas season. Last month, Brewer, owner of Elevate Auto Lab, along with Eva Cotto with Riley’s Paint + Body in Martinez, donated 27 bikes to the Fort Gordon Christmas House, a nonprofit that helps to provide toys for children in military families. He said the bikes cost $75 to $100 each. “They have a bike drive leading up to the first week of

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Consumer Stories

Local entrepreneur hopes to hit target with mobile axe-throwing business

Some business names aren’t very memorable, but that certainly can’t be said about the provocative name Jeremy McRae has chosen for his new business. McRae, the owner of CSRA Kayak Rentals, just launched Kiss My Sexy Axe, a mobile axe-throwing business. He originally wanted to call it Kiss My Axe, but he discovered that name was already being used by businesses in other states. When McRae first heard about mobile axe-throwing, he was interested in the activity for strictly personal reasons. “I was thinking about something fun to do at

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Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: Augusta Pastor writes leadership book

All of us have the choice to build barriers or bridges with our lives and talents. Carolyn Moore, the founding pastor of Mosaic Church in Evans, has chosen to be a bridge builder and break down barriers. She oversees a church that started in her living room and is now celebrating 19 years of weekly worship. While in seminary, she became deeply interested in exploring what the church should really look like and how it functioned best. Her research connected her with the Church of the Savior in Washington, D.C.

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Consumer Stories

Evans Walmart collecting items for local military charity today

Burt Sappenfield and Larry Miller established Operation Handwarmer to support U.S. troops stationed overseas. On Tuesday, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners proclaimed today as Operation Handwarmer Day. Each year, Sappenfield, owner of Majestic Floor Care, LLC, and Miller, owner of CENTURY 21 Larry Miller Realty, collect a variety of items, including hand warmers, gloves, bath towels, and protein bars, which are delivered to soldiers in 72 countries worldwide. Sappenfield said over the years, the charity has collected more than 150,000 items. Today, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., donations

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Ironwood Tavern

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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Consumer Stories

Seventh time’s a charm for Aiken County Councilor and businessman

Andrew Siders was born and raised in Aiken, served in the Marines, and owned or worked for seven businesses in the area including Brindles in the Aiken Mall, the Savannah River Site, and insurance agencies in Augusta and Aiken, but he got tired of sitting behind a desk. “People would ask me what I’m going to do next, and every day there’s something new. It’s been an adventure,” says Siders. Maybe he has found his niche. Last year, he bought Dave’s Grill and Grocery. The building which served as a

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Consumer Stories

New coffee shop to celebrate grand opening by giving away free coffee

Many people rely on a jolt of caffeine to get them going in the morning, but a new coffee shop in Columbia County is giving them the chance to win free java for a year. The giveaway is to celebrate the grand opening of a new Dunkin’ location at 5120 Washington Road in the Eclipse at Riverwood shopping center in Evans, which will be held today from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The store opened in late October, according to the franchise owner, Peter Patel. “We’re excited for our guests

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Consumer Stories

Local business to address CSRA food insecurity

This weekend, a local business will host a meeting designed to address food insecurity in the CSRA. Growing Augusta: Arts, Agriculture, and Agency will hold its first-ever Food Access Stakeholders meeting Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta’s location at 2241 Wheeless Road in Augusta, according to its Co-Founder and Executive Director, Karen Gordon. Gordon said last year, Georgia Sen. Harold Jones created a study committee made up of local farmers, nonprofit leaders, economic developers, and other professionals to identify food

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