Consumer Stories

Consumer Stories

Owners of Trinidad-inspired vegan restaurant to celebrate the grand opening

A mother-daughter duo is preparing to launch a unique restaurant concept in Augusta. Georgia Alexander and her mother, Diane Francis, will hold a grand opening celebration for Soca Vegan Kitchen located near Sprouts Farmers Market at 630 Crane Creek Drive, Suite 103 on Thursday, June 30. The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon-cutting at 4:30 p.m., and the celebration will begin at 6 p.m. Customers will be randomly selected to receive a T-shirt, and the first 200 customers will receive a coupon for a free entrée. No

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Consumer Stories

CSRA legal teams raise funds for a worthy cause

In the courtroom, prosecutors and defense attorneys usually have different goals. But local legal organizations recently teamed up to raise more than $33,000 to help Golden Harvest Food Bank provide 99,127 meals for hungry children this summer. These organizations, including the district attorney’s office for the Augusta Judicial Circuit; Durham Bray Law Firm, P.C.; Fulcher Hagler LLP; Richmond County Civil and Magistrate Court; and Attorney Nathan Jolles collected donations for the 11th annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy fundraising competition April 18-29. “The local bench is committed to supporting the community

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Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: ABC’s 1, 2, 3’s of Faith major lessons in business owner’s life as she educates youth

As a young girl, Shannon Franklin would gather her stuffed animals and teach them everything she learned in Sunday School. Her mom knew she had a gift for teaching. Franklin, though, had no idea that gift would eventually usher her into entrepreneurship as founder, tutor, and executive director of a non-profit organization.  She recalls at 17, thinking none of it was possible. “I thought that my dreams were unachievable at the time,” she recalls. Over time, though, she realized this was a calling and if she activated her faith, God

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Consumer Stories

International supermarket chain to open Columbia County location

An international discount supermarket chain has announced it will open its third CSRA location, this time in Evans. Germany-based Lidl plans to build the more than 30,000-square-foot grocery store at 4285 Washington Road, across the street from Publix in Evans Towne Centre. “We are in the early stages of development for our future store in Evans, and it is too early to offer a timeline for opening at this time,” said Lidl US Public Relations Manager, Chandler Spivey. The company, which sells a variety of products, including meat, produce, baked

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Consumer Stories

GreenJackets’ special weekday game gives business persons a fun day at the ballpark

Running a business often means long hours and relentless stress, but the Augusta GreenJackets want to give you and your team a much-needed break with an event next week. The event is called the Business Person’s Special, which will include reserved seating for a game and lunch on Wednesday, June 15 at SRP Park. Gates open at 11 a.m., and the game against the Charleston RiverDogs begins at 12:05 p.m. “We are excited to bring back a noon game for our fans this season,” said Tom Denlinger, Vice President of

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Consumer Stories

National bookstore chain reopens Aiken location

When Lance Danko needs stress relief, he goes book shopping, which is why he was happy when Books-A-Million reopened in Aiken late last week. Danko, administrator for Augusta University Health Imaging, and his wife have already visited the new store located at 1650 Richland Ave. West, Suite 195 near Rose’s and Hibbett Sports in the Kalmia Plaza shopping center. “It’s one of the few bookstores left besides Barnes & Noble in Augusta where you can really go in and look around,” he said. Books-A-Million had a store in the Aiken

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Rockin’ Crab Seafood and Bar

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

Unique concept restaurant opening soon in Aiken

In a couple of weeks, Greg Pierce will open The Feed Sack in the Mitchell Shopping Center Aiken. It’s a good bet that you’ve never been to anything quite like this. It will feature a restaurant, retail wine section, prepared food you can take home, two bars, outdoor dining – and a furniture store. Wait, what? For some background regarding the furniture, his wife, Angie, owns Savvy Home with locations in Augusta, North Augusta, and now Aiken. The Pierces moved from Augusta to Aiken and invested $425,000 to renovate their

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Consumer Stories

Construction continues on the south Augusta townhome project

Oscar A. Jessie has made a multi-million dollar investment in a south Augusta housing development that will likely benefit existing businesses in that area and even spur the construction of new ones. Jessie, a local real estate developer and owner of GreenSpace Communities, LLC is currently building the Orchard Landing luxury townhome development on a nearly eight-acre property located at 3699 Peach Orchard Road. He said the three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath homes sell for between $180,000 to $205,000, 10 percent below market value. “That provides homeowners instant equity as soon as they

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Consumer Stories

Customers get a kick out of coffee entrepreneurs’ drinks

By early next year, Natalie Jacobs and John Bojescul plan to open a new coffee shop with an unusual name in the heart of Evans. Founded in 2021, Goat Kick Coffee Company will be located next to the Columbia County Performing Arts Center in a new development called Evans Society Center at the corner of Ronald Reagan Drive and North Belair Road. The business name is derived from an ancient legend about a goatherder in Ethiopia whose goats ate fruit from a tree that made them so energetic, that they

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