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Consumer Stories
Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Willie Jewell’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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Wes Hennings May 12, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Discount liquor store to expand with second Columbia County location

If you need alcoholic drinks for an after-hours business event, Beverage Outlet probably has what you need. The local discount liquor store is expanding by building a new, even larger second location in Columbia County. The 20,000-square-foot store will be located in Mullins Colony next to Belk in Evans, according to Jordan Trotter Commercial Real Estate. RW Allen is handling construction. Located in Duffie Plaza at 248 Bobby Jones Expressway near the Martinez Walmart, the more than 12,000-square-foot store carries a wide selection of products, including wine, craft beers, and

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Josh Heath May 11, 2022 No Comments
attic-treasures-sign
Consumer Stories

Harlem thrift store surpasses $1 million in giving back to the community

You’ve probably never thought donating your old couch or shoes you no longer wear could help someone in financial distress. But at Attic Treasures, it can. Since opening in 2008, the Harlem thrift store has given away more than $1 million to the local community. To celebrate this achievement, the business located at 575 West Milledgeville Road, will host a customer appreciation event on Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event is open to the public. Attic Treasures will provide hot dogs, chips, and drinks.

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Josh Heath May 11, 2022 No Comments
Closings

Retirement leads to the end of one dry cleaning franchise, and the start of another

After 70 years in the local dry-cleaning business, Brickle’s Cleaners & Laundry has closed its stores, paving the way for Lapels Cleaners, a national franchise, to take over one of its locations. In April, business partners, Frank Booker and Christopher Westbrook opened a Lapels franchise at 4296 Washington Road between Taco Bell and Mattress Man in Evans, the former home of Brickle’s, whose owners retired earlier in the year. Brickle’s opened its original location on Walton Way in 1952. The business name on the front of the building is currently

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Josh Heath May 10, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Thanks to CSRA businesses, non-profit makes changes

A CSRA nonprofit that supports cancer patients has a new name, but its mission hasn’t changed. As of April 29, The Lydia Project is now Cancer Support Services, thanks to Powerserve, a local advertising agency that helped with the rebranding effort free of charge. The Lydia Project was founded in 2004 to provide female cancer patients with hope and encouragement by distributing free tote bags created by volunteers, which contain a journal and other items. Patients also have the option to receive supportive cards, emails, or phone calls monthly for

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Josh Heath May 10, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

SRP opens new branch in Aiken at a former branch location

What’s old is new again. SRP Federal Credit Union recently celebrated its Grand Opening of a new branch at 3559 Richland Avenue. If the address sounds familiar, it’s the same site of the branch that closed during the covid pandemic. The original building was torn down and the new branch revealed some updates at a Chamber ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, including innovative technology with several Interactive Teller Machines that serve as both ATMs but also provide personal service. With the press of a button, a live SRP teller is available

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Mitzi Oxford May 9, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Chamber event will help businesses avoid social media pitfalls

Whether your employees post selfies on Facebook or videos on TikTok, you should be aware of the possible legal consequences of social media in the workplace. That will be the topic for this month’s Women in Business Program hosted by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce. The event will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Enterprise Mill Events Center located at 1450 Greene St. The guest speaker is Katrell Nash, a local attorney. Nash will present “Avoid the Legal Landmines: Social Media in the Workplace.”

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Josh Heath May 9, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

New Olive Garden coming to Aiken

If you’re tired of driving from Aiken to Augusta to satisfy your craving for Olive Garden’s breadsticks, you won’t have to do that much longer. The popular Italian restaurant plans to open a new location in the former Golden Corral Buffet & Grill in front of the Aiken Mall. The city of Aiken plans to redevelop the building located at 2265 Whiskey Road in the next nine months, according to Meybohm Commercial Properties. This restaurant will be the second Olive Garden location in the CSRA. The other one is at

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Josh Heath May 6, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

New Fastest Labs facility will provide fast results

If you need to fill a job quickly, you don’t want to wait days to receive a candidate’s drug test results. But a new Fastest Labs location coming to Martinez promises to have those results sent to you within a few minutes, according to Travis Evans. Evans, franchisee of the new location at 4106 Columbia Road, Suite 102 in the Columbia County Medical Center, plans to open the business early next month. He said Fastest Labs provides a variety of lab services but specializes in pre-employment drug screening and DNA

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Josh Heath May 6, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Faith Friday: Twin beauty duo says God rewards their faith doubly

They answer to Jocelyn or Jasmyn, depending on which one you’re attempting to talk to. They’ve become accustomed to answering “Hey, Twin!” Even their husbands’ names, Bryan and Ryan, rhyme, though they’re not brothers. However, the title Jasmyn Wright and Jocelyn Budgett are most proud of and prefer is “business owner.” It’s a blessing they say came only from God, with a little inspiration from some faithful clients early in their business. “We actually started in college,” said Jasmyn. “Jocelyn was already taking clients and I had started playing in

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Monique Williams May 6, 2022 No Comments
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