Consumer Stories

Consumer Stories

Love letter to Augusta: Artist restores historic murals on downtown buildings

Addison Niday has found a colorful way to promote CSRA businesses and preserve history at the same time. Niday, a local muralist, has been busy restoring old, faded murals on business buildings, primarily in downtown Augusta. He pays for these restorations, which can cost up to $1,000 each, out of his own pocket. Niday only asks business owners to donate money for paint, but many don’t. “This is a passion project; it’s my love letter to Augusta,” Niday said. He refers to himself as a soda enthusiast, so many of

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Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: One local woman is making fairytales come true for all children

The phrase representation matters, the concept that people want to see and interact with others who look like them, takes on new meaning for Doriane Skales. Growing up as a little Black girl in Tucson, Ariz., she didn’t see Disney princesses with brown skin or kinky coils like hers. In fact, it wasn’t until 2009 when Disney’s The Princess and the Frog hit the big screen that the 33-year-old was able to gaze upon someone as if she was seeing herself in the mirror. After several decades, Princess Tiana suddenly

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Tacocat

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

New doctor group has a prescription for better health, lower costs

Chiropractor Jason Rueggeberg remembers the day one of his employees had a severe anxiety attack at work. She had been diagnosed with a heart condition and considered going to the ER. Instead, she went to her Physician Assistant’s office. The Physician Assistant performed an EKG and told her to go home and rest, instead of going to the ER. That office visit saved her thousands of dollars. Rueggeberg, a chiropractor at Evans Sport and Spine Chiropractic Center, currently has a membership with Welcome Health, a new direct primary care practice

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Consumer Stories

National restaurant chain to open Augusta location

If you like a Bloody Mary with your shrimp ‘n grits, a new eatery coming to Augusta has the brunch you’ve been craving. Another Broken Egg Café, a national restaurant chain, is bringing a new location to 2801 Washington Road near Kroger and Alexander Drive. The café serves a variety of breakfast, brunch, and lunch dishes, such as omelets, pancakes, and French toast, as well as biscuits and sandwiches. Another Broken Egg also offers a wide selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Founded in Louisiana in 1996, the company

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Consumer Stories

New Filipino food business joins local shared kitchen space

It’s not hard to find Chinese or Japanese restaurants in the CSRA, but that’s not the case with Filipino restaurants, according to Roy Publico. Publico, whose parents were born and raised in the Philippines, is excited about Yaya’s Philippine Cuisine, which just opened in Martinez. Yaya’s is the newest business to join OPP Kitchen, a shared kitchen space located at 359 Furys Ferry Road. The business sells a variety of Filipino dishes, including chicken adobo, barbecue sticks, and lumpia, which are spring rolls filled with pork and vegetables. “Yaya’s opening

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Consumer Stories

Local baker to launch Evans storefront this week

Arielle Page hasn’t opened her dessert shop yet, but people have already stopped by to let her know they follow her on social media. This week, Page, owner of Arie’s Confectionaries, plans to open a storefront located at 1202 Town Park Lane, Suite 106 in Evans near Takosushi. She sells full-size and mini cheesecakes in various flavors, including key lime, Oreo, red velvet, and strawberry. Arie’s will also offer a flavor of the week and seasonal flavors, such as pumpkin and salted caramel apple, as well as tea, coffee, and

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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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