Restaurants/Food

Consumer Stories

Local coffee shop owners to launch second location, offer more food options

For the last five years, Phillip Weisner and Andre Leon have owned a successful downtown coffee shop, but in a few weeks, they plan to open a second location in Columbia County that will replace a former fast food restaurant location. On Saturday, Aug. 19, Weisner and Leon, owners of Ubora Coffee Roasters located at 1128 Jones St., plan to celebrate the grand opening of their new shop located at 116 North Belair Road in Evans, the former home of Gary’s Hamburgers. Weisner said they would like to hold a

Read More »
Consumer Stories

New CSRA restaurant serves up freshly made Mexican favorites

Rosy Ortiz came to Aiken from Veracruz, Mexico 23 years ago. During that time, she worked for several restaurants, but last week, she and her business partner, Juanita Brito, opened their own place, Taqueria El Charrito. Mexican food is second only to Chinese cuisine in popularity. While you can find popular dishes including carnitas, tamales, and burritos on their menu, Ortiz is very proud of the tacos they serve. “We have five or six different types of tacos available. Everything from the corn tortilla to the salsa, Pico de Gallo,

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Wings restaurant to replace popular CSRA sub shop

With football season just around the corner, a national restaurant chain is hoping to score a touchdown by opening a new CSRA location. Atlanta-based, Touchdown Wings plans to open a new location at 3328 Wrightsboro Road, next door to Walmart in Augusta, replacing Baldinos Giant Jersey Subs, which closed last month. The restaurant is scheduled to open in October, according to the company’s website. Touchdown Wings currently offers 30 flavors of chicken wings, including spicy ranch, lemon pepper, teriyaki, and Cajun, as well as burgers, sandwiches, salads, and seafood. The

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Best of Business Lunch Review: The Purple Hull

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 the 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”.

Read More »
B2B Stories

CSRA coffee biz keeps pouring and growing

A coffee business first spotlighted in ABD in May 2022 as a pop-up coffee cart, then again in October when they opened a brick and mortar is growing again, this time with a drive-thru which opened on June 22. “It’s been a whirlwind to get to this point, but we are excited,” said Mallory Adkison. They have an app so you can order ahead of time and still get to work on time the next day. “It keeps traffic moving smoothly and the employees and customers seem to love the

Read More »
B2B Stories

Creative couple collaborates for business success

She is an event coordinator and bakes custom cakes. He designs and builds wood and metal products. Together, Angela and Glen Dragano are a match made in Heaven. They run two separate businesses, but often work side by side to ensure the success of both. She met her future husband many years ago in Texas. Even though he moved to Aiken, they remained friends. Angela followed him in 2016 and got a job making cakes for MacK’s Deli on Laurens Street. A year later, she and Glen married and last

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Best of Business Lunch Review: Oliviana’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

Read More »
B2B Stories

A cool treat “pops” into town

Just in time for summer, Augusta Pop Company is serving up frozen treats that can keep Augustans cool during the heat wave. Owned by married couple, Nico and Courtney Bernal, the popsicle business was started nearly six months ago. They’ve positioned the mobile company to be an option for people wanting a cold, dairy-free dessert on the go. Courtney Bernal is a native of the CSRA and an alumna of Augusta University. She obtained her bachelor’s, master’s, and specialist degrees from the college. Nico Bernal, originally from Florida, moved to

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Best of 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

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Local businesses create healthy meals and desserts that taste like the “real thing”

Amber Connor’s bakery creates healthier alternatives to popular desserts, such as cookies, cupcakes, and brownies, and she’s now set her sights on teaching kids to follow its motto of “Treats without the cheats.” Connor, owner of Sinless Sweets located at 4336 B Washington Road in Evans, will offer her first-ever kids’ baking class for children between the ages of 5 and 12 on Wednesday, July 12. “There were 24 spots available, and all the spots sold out in an hour and a half,” she said. “We plan to offer another

Read More »