Consumer Stories

Consumer Stories

Evans bakery celebrates one-year anniversary and launches food truck

A Columbia County bakery owner is celebrating her first anniversary in business and launching a new food trailer. Kelsey Lucius owns Bottom Line Bakery & Café, LLC located at 4534 Washington Road, Suite 3, near the Evans Walmart. Bottom Line serves a variety of desserts, including wedding cakes, cookies, and croissants, as well as breakfast, lunch, and café drinks. Lucius will celebrate its first anniversary tomorrow, October 19, with a party from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the bakery. “I am launching my food trailer, Salty Tomatoes, as an

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Consumer Stories

Downtown businesses to participate in annual trick-or-treat event

Claire Riche has created a fun, interactive trick-or-treat event that helps to promote businesses in downtown Augusta. Riche is the organizer of the third annual Trick or Treat on Broad Street, which will be held Saturday, Oct. 29 starting at 5 p.m. During the free event, more than 40 businesses, including The Southern Salad, Grantski Records, and Knuckle Sandwiches, will distribute candy to children 12 and under. The event will also include an art show hosted by Augusta & Co. and the Greater Augusta Sports Council, as well as face

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Consumer Stories

GreenJackets revive Chili Cook-Off to pick best recipes from individuals, companies

That great chili recipe you’ve carefully crafted over the years could garner some cash – not to mention bragging rights – at the Augusta GreenJackets’ Beans & Brews Chili Cook-Off. The Cook-Off is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. on Nov. 13 at SRP Park in North Augusta. The contest is open to individuals, corporate collaborations, and professionals. Or if you simply want to sample some interesting chili, tickets are on sale now to taste-test the offerings of up to five contestants. This new event at SRP Park has been revamped from

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Consumer Stories

Evans-based grill manufacturer to host customer appreciation event

This weekend, an Evans-based company will give back to the community by hosting a large customer appreciation event. Recteq will host its annual Recteq Fest on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., at its showroom located at 4301 Evans to Locks Road. The free event will include a car show, product demonstrations, free food, giveaways, and live music. Founded in 2009 by Ray Carnes and Ron Cundy, the company sells a wide range of pellet grills, as well as rubs, sauces, and accessories. Besides Evans, it also has a

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Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: Augusta native turns pain into passion through pouring candles

The global coronavirus pandemic hit Quita Gibson doubly hard. She lost both of her grandmothers within two months, and depression sought to steal her spirit. She knew if she didn’t activate her faith quickly, she would not recover. Empowered by her elders’ lives and legacies, she became intentional about self-care and healing. However, it came in the form of something she would not only benefit from, but also for others: Candles. “I started Light of Grace Candle Company, LLC, in June 2021 as a way to remember my grannies,” the

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Groucho’s Deli

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

Smoke signals: Cigar lounge opens in downtown Augusta

James Lee enjoys smoking cigars and meeting people, so he launched a business in downtown Augusta that allows him to do both at the same time. Lee owns Augusta Cigar Club, 722 Broad St., the former home of Ice Lounge & Restaurant. Large crowds visited the business during its soft opening on Friday, Sept. 16, thanks to the 2022 Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival. “We didn’t sell much, but we did some good community work,” he said. “That was a cool weekend.” Lee, a U.S. Air Force veteran,

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Consumer Stories

Cruise ship travel making a comeback

Business is finally starting to pick up for the hardest hit industry during covid. For more than a year, many cruise lines suspended operations and the entire travel industry came to a standstill. Ships were docked in ports, while others sat idle at sea. The losses were staggering for the major cruise lines. Even now, with an uptick in bookings, the biggest cruise lines are swimming in debt, including Carnival with losses of $35 billion, Royal Caribbean with a debt of $25 billion, and Norwegian owing $14 billion. But Brian

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Consumer Stories

Many job opportunities coming to the CSRA

Job opportunities are in abundance in the Augusta area, now and in the future. The jobs include part-time, full-time, and seasonal. Amazon Amazon recently announced a large nationwide hiring push ahead of the Christmas holiday that will include about 800 jobs in the Augusta area. Most positions start at $19 per hour and some include sign-on bonuses of $1,000-3,000. Overall, Amazon is hiring 150,000 employees, about 6,000 in Georgia. “We’re proud to offer a wide variety of roles for people of all backgrounds, with more than 150,000 roles available across

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Consumer Stories

Army program prepares service members for life, careers after the military

When 1st Lt. Marcus Masello transitions out of the U.S. Army next summer, he hopes to work in the aerospace industry and plans to apply for jobs at NASA. On Thursday, Masello, who currently works in IT and cybersecurity, attended a job fair hosted by the Army Transition Assistance Program (TAP) at Fort Gordon. “I want to continue serving my country in a different capacity,” he said. Masello said TAP’s services, such as resume writing assistance, have been helpful in preparing him for his next career. “It’s a year-long process,

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