Consumer Stories

Consumer Stories

Evans Market accepting vendor applications, starts April 23

Andrea Fanfan looks forward to selling her Hawaiian-inspired snack bags again at this year’s Evans Market, which is now accepting 2022 vendor applications. Fanfan launched PJ’s Snacky Sack in October 2020 in honor of her now 6-year-old son PJ, who was diagnosed with autism. He helps with various tasks, such as labeling and packaging bags, while his mother bakes snacks. The mother-son team sold their treats at last year’s Market and received a positive response from the local community. “We absolutely love meeting new people and seeing all of our

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Consumer Stories

Chocolatier takes a bite out of childhood hunger

Willy Wonka, the most memorable chocolatier of all, said, “So shines a good deed in a weary world.” Think of James Stefanakos, owner of Agape Chocolates, as the Willy Wonka of Graniteville. His business card reflects his mission. Instead of CEO, it reads CFG or Chief Food Giver. He dedicates 15 percent of his chocolate bar sales to Golden Harvest Food Bank in support of their Backpack Program. “Our motto is Buy a Bar, Feed a Child,” he said. “Since we opened in 2015, our donations have helped feed close

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Consumer Stories

Selling boiled peanuts keeps local woman out of hot water

Michelle Cooper has survived severe asthma and four strokes to become a boiled peanut entrepreneur. Cooper, owner of MC Homemade Boiled Peanuts in Augusta, officially founded her business on Oct. 25, 2020. She sells and delivers peanuts throughout the CSRA and charges customers a small delivery fee based on the distance she drives. Cooper said she has also shipped her products to various locations throughout the U.S. and as far away as Haiti. She got the idea to start the business when her brother came to her house with a

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Consumer Stories

Local axe-throwing entrepreneurs chop their way to success

When you visit downtown Augusta on a Friday night, you probably swing by your favorite restaurant or bar to relax and unwind, but Vinnie Ingallinera and Jason Laclair offer a unique alternative to the traditional night on the town. Ingallinera and Laclair, owners of Broad Axe Throwing located at 1025 Broad St., celebrated their grand re-opening on Friday, Feb. 18, and about 110 people attended. Hosting a re-opening party implies the business was previously closed, but it wasn’t. Instead, the pair wanted to recognize its official transformation from Source Code

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Consumer Stories

Mondays with Rick: Reasons for optimism in Augusta

ABD: Why do you sense there is reason for optimism in the Augusta business community? Rick: Take Valentine’s Day weekend for example. I tried to get dinner reservations for Friday or Saturday night at Frog Hollow Tavern to take my wife and they were booked. We went Thursday and it was still crowded. We went to Augustino’s Saturday night and they had a good crowd. ABD: You realize you only get one point from your wife for your Valentine’s efforts, not two! Rick: Laughs out loud. ABD: What other reasons

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Consumer Stories

Local pet sitters and boarders are nothing to bark about

Christine Lowe left a stressful marketing job to buy a friend’s business, and now most of her clients have four legs and fur. Lowe, owner of What the Fluff Pet Sitters of CSRA, provides pet sitting services for not only dogs and cats, but also snakes, lizards and other exotic pets. She even took care of some cockroaches one of her clients was breeding, but fortunately for her, she didn’t have to touch them. Lowe said her mother raised her and her sister to love and care for animals. “I

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Consumer Stories

Count of Augusta’s homeless population begins today

The homeless situation often is a concern of downtown businesses. Now Augusta is about to find out just how many people classified as homeless are living in the area. The 2022 Point-In-Time count of the homeless population in Augusta-Richmond County begins today and will run through the end of the month. This count is led by the Department of Housing and Community Development with help from other organizations. The count features a six-question survey that will determine demographic information, including mental health and addictions. Outreach programs, which many area businesses

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Consumer Stories

Real Talk Real Estate: Homeowners may face tough choices with end of Covid mortgage protection

In December 2021, Covid mortgage protections provided by the government expired. This was concerning to owners, but likely embraced by lenders. These benefits kept those behind on mortgage payments safe from foreclosure. It sounded like a great idea at the time while you were in need of financial assistance, but now you owe all those “missed” payments in one large sum. I’m roughly estimating an average mortgage of $1,600 a month, missing mortgage payments from April 2020 through December 2021. That is about 20 payments and approximately $32,000. So what

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Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: Hard work, faith and perseverance propel creamery creations business to expand

As a young girl, Alea Garvin had no idea her first time serving up scoops, cones, and sprinkles as an ice cream shop employee would eventually lead to her becoming an employer, the sole proprietor of not one but two ice cream shops of her own. She and her husband of 17 years, Ronnie, opened their first store, Whipped Creamery, in the Augusta Mall in 2018.  A few years later the store relocated and opened in Grovetown in 2021. This year is poised to see the opening of a second

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Consumer Stories

Rae’s Coastal Café celebrates 30 years of treating people the right way

In a world where 70 percent or more of restaurants fail within the first year, Rae’s Coastal Café in the heart of Augusta is a rarity. The popular restaurant celebrated 30 years in business this month. Owner Walter Clay, who also owns French Market Grille, said he never thought he’d one day end up owning two restaurants. It was simply a career evolution that started as a cook at Calvert’s and progressed to being the first manager at French Market Grille after Chuck Baldwin opened it. He worked there for

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