Consumer Stories

B2B Stories

The pressure of succeeding in a flooded market

A flooded market is one with an excessive number of competitors. Realtors and restaurants probably come to mind. Some are large chains or big guns with hundreds of employees. But what of the small businesses, the mom and pops or the ones with less than five workers? When it comes to the most competitive businesses in the CSRA, you can count pressure washing companies in the mix. After a Yelp search on the number of those businesses, we stopped counting after 100 listings. Some are one step above a DIY

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Consumer Stories

New self-storage facility opens in Columbia County

Motel 6 will leave the light on for you, but so will a new self-storage business in Columbia County. Storage Hotel, located at 5060 High Meadows Drive in Grovetown near the Columbia County Fairgrounds is now open for business. The three-story, temperature-controlled facility features 24/7 access, flexible lease options, and surveillance cameras. Storage Hotel rents units in a variety of sizes, ranging from 5 feet by 5 feet to 10 feet by 30 feet. It also carries various storage and moving supplies, like boxes, dollies, and handcarts, but also offers

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Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: A miracle gave Simbia Thomas new sight on God’s mission for her career

Simbia Thomas was barely out of kindergarten when she realized the power of entrepreneurship. Having become a “shampoo girl,” someone who performs shampooing-only duties at a hair salon, alongside her aunt, a master cosmetologist, she was amazed at the amount of cash flow for providing a service women loved. She was 6 when she asked her aunt a question that would change the trajectory of her life, “How can I make that kind of money?” “I was making $5-$10 a head just shampooing!” recalls the native South Carolinian. “My aunt

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Consumer Stories

Local car dealership offers unique restaurant option

Sharon Caskey runs a restaurant that gives new meaning to “drive-in.” The restaurant, At Your Service Gourmet Cafe, is located inside the Jim Hudson Lexus dealership at 3410 Washington Road in Martinez. Caskey was selling cars for Jim Hudson Lexus when its General Manager, Bill Gibbs, told her they wanted to add a food concept to the new dealership and asked if she would be interested in running it. Caskey developed the concept and name, and the café opened in October 2018. If the concept sounds unusual, that’s because it

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Consumer Stories

Local Dunkin’ customers can go for the gold and help fight childhood cancer

Starting next week, Augusta area residents can help fight childhood cancer and earn a little “sweet gold” in return. Augusta area Dunkin’ customers can make a $2 donation to the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation to support those battling childhood cancer. The promotion runs Sept. 14-28 in honor of September being National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In return for the donations, customers will receive a Gold Joy Donut – a donut ring featuring gold icing topped with a Munchkins donut hole treat. The gold icing pays homage to Childhood Cancer

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch: Baldino’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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Consumer Stories

Augusta University named one of the top employers in Georgia

Many employers claim to be the best, but not every employer is chosen by Forbes for that distinction. The magazine has unveiled its annual list of America’s Best Employers by State, and for the fourth year in a row, Augusta University, which has 6,500 employees, has been included on that list. Augusta University Health has also been selected this year. Forbes and Statista, a market research company, created the list by surveying 70,000 American workers from 25 industries. The companies examined a variety of factors, including salaries, working conditions, growth

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Consumer Stories

New pub brings a taste of Ireland to Aiken

Ireland is a small country with a big personality. Spanning generations of cultural unrest – a result of famine, oppression, civil wars, and invasions – it is surprising that the Irish collectively claim a chirpy disposition. Marty Dubber and his business partner, James Anderson, have managed to bundle a menu and the cheerful atmosphere of an authentic Irish public house, named Jameson McDubby’s, almost 4,000 miles away from the Emerald Isle, and put it right in the heart of downtown Aiken at 126 Laurens Street. Dubber grew up in Georgia,

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Consumer Stories

Texas-based salad restaurant company plans franchises in Augusta locations

A growing restaurant chain plans to expand by launching new franchise locations in Augusta, possibly as early as next year, according to Julie Davis. Davis, Vice President of franchise development for Salata Salad Kitchen, said the Houston-based company already has 10 locations throughout the Atlanta area. But based on market research and Augusta’s demographics, particularly population density and income, she said the city would be an ideal place to expand its brand. Salata is currently looking for franchisees who want to open locations in this area. “We’re looking to connect

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Consumer Stories

National soap company to open Evans location Thursday

Tomorrow’s a big day for Blake Pearce. He enjoys taking an empty storefront and watching its shelves fill up with a variety of handmade soaps. Pearce, District Manager for Buff City Soap, recently got the chance to help do that again by preparing to open a new location in Mullins Crossing at 4225-3 Washington Road in Evans. The store will celebrate its soft opening on Thursday, Sept. 8 beginning at 9 a.m. To celebrate the store’s opening, Buff City will offer a variety of promotions. For example, for each of

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