Restaurants/Food

Consumer Stories

Former Aiken Golden Corral to be demolished, replaced with new Olive Garden location

In Aiken, a former buffet-style restaurant is being demolished to make room for a popular Italian eatery. Chaplin and Sons Clearing and Demolition in Augusta has been hired to tear down the former Golden Corral Buffet & Grill located at 2265 Whiskey Road near the Aiken Mall, according to a post from the company on LinkedIn. That building will be torn down and replaced with a new Olive Garden Italian Restaurant location. ABD reached out to Darden Restaurants, which operates many restaurant chains throughout the United States, including Olive Garden,

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Cracker Barrel

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

Financial planner has a passion for competitive barbecue

When Kurt Mueller isn’t crunching numbers for clients at Apollon Wealth Management, you can probably find him flipping ribs on a smoker. “I know a lot about a little, including financial planning and barbecue,” he said. You don’t usually hear barbecue and talk of money in one sentence unless you own a restaurant that serves the South’s revered food of choice. “I fell in love with grilling as a kid when my dad taught me to grill on an old-school Weber, the kind found in just about everybody’s backyard. Then

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Consumer Stories

Local chef’s business takes flight at Augusta airport location

Lance Smith has owned a food service business for nearly three years, but on Monday, his new brick-and-mortar location took off at the Augusta Regional Airport. Smith owns Bearded Chef, which operates a local food truck that specializes in smash burgers and provides both catering and private chef services. He officially launched the business in January 2020. Smith’s airport restaurant, located in the baggage claim area, specializes in soul food, such as fried chicken, fried cornbread, and macaroni and cheese. “We rotate specialty items,” he said. “We bring in a

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Augusta Mall Food Court

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

North Augusta restaurant offers customers unique outdoor dining option

A local restaurant wants to give you the chance to enjoy outdoor dining no matter how cold it gets. Last month, Salt + Marrow Kitchen located in the Crowne Plaza North Augusta, unveiled its new dining domes, which seat up to six guests and require a minimum spending limit of $75 per person for a two-hour reservation, according to the restaurant’s AM/PM Supervisor, Hope Gresham. Gresham said so far, the domes have been a hit with customers. “They’re selling like hotcakes,” she said. “It’s easy to spend $75 here with

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Consumer Stories

Local liquor business opens superstore in Evans shopping center

A local liquor store has expanded with a much larger second location in Columbia County. Beverage Outlet just opened a new store located at 660 Mullins Colony Drive next door to Belk in the Mullins Colony shopping center in Evans. The more than 20,000-square-foot store sells a wide variety of wine, beer, and liquor items. The business’s original location is at 248 Bobby Jones Expressway near Walmart. According to its website, the store offers free tastings on a weekly basis. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Ironwood Tavern

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

Seventh time’s a charm for Aiken County Councilor and businessman

Andrew Siders was born and raised in Aiken, served in the Marines, and owned or worked for seven businesses in the area including Brindles in the Aiken Mall, the Savannah River Site, and insurance agencies in Augusta and Aiken, but he got tired of sitting behind a desk. “People would ask me what I’m going to do next, and every day there’s something new. It’s been an adventure,” says Siders. Maybe he has found his niche. Last year, he bought Dave’s Grill and Grocery. The building which served as a

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Consumer Stories

New coffee shop to celebrate grand opening by giving away free coffee

Many people rely on a jolt of caffeine to get them going in the morning, but a new coffee shop in Columbia County is giving them the chance to win free java for a year. The giveaway is to celebrate the grand opening of a new Dunkin’ location at 5120 Washington Road in the Eclipse at Riverwood shopping center in Evans, which will be held today from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The store opened in late October, according to the franchise owner, Peter Patel. “We’re excited for our guests

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