Retail

Consumer Stories

Chick-fil-A tests CSRA patrons on their appetite for a new product

Chick-fil-A is seeing if the appetites of people in the CSRA will give them the go-ahead to try a new breakfast treat nationwide. Beginning this week, Chick-fil-A launched its new breakfast, Chorizo Cheddar Egg Bites in several test markets. The test markets include nine stores in the Augusta-Aiken areas. “We’ve sold more than we expected to,” said Adam Knight, operating partner of the Aiken Chick-fil-A in the Eastgate shopping center. Chick-fil-A’s goal is to sell about 60 of the four-bite orders per day. Bobby Mussucco, the managing partner of the

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Consumer Stories

Local baker launches 1950’s-inspired dessert business

Corry D’Alessandro wasn’t alive in the 1950’s, but she’s still inspired by the decade, which she refers to as a simpler time. That’s why D’Alessandro, a New Jersey native and owner of a local home-based dessert business called Mother Truckin Eatz, LLC, has given many of her treats 50’s-inspired names, such as June Cleaver and Susie Q. She offers a variety of American and Italian desserts, such as cookies, cakes, and biscotti. D’Alessandro’s passion for baking can be traced back to her Italian grandmother, who will soon turn 100. Her

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Consumer Stories

Local businessman brings old items back to life

If you’re looking for a hard-to-find VHS tape of your favorite horror movie or a classic 1980’s toy, Angel Zapata probably has you covered. Zapata owns Dead Media Collectibles, a packed 500-square-foot business located at 2128 Central Ave. in the heart of Summerville. He sells a variety of items, such as DVDs, toys, comic books, and other collector’s items he buys exclusively from local customers, flea markets, and estate sales. Prior to opening his shop at the end of 2017, Zapata sold items at the Barnyard Flea Market in Augusta

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Consumer Stories

Evans entrepreneur hosts luxury picnics for any occasion

Like many business owners, Denise Vazquez has a demanding schedule. But Vazquez juggles not only a new business, but also a full-time job and full-time college class schedule. Vazquez, the owner of The Posh Little Picnic, an upscale home-based event planning business, hosts elegant picnics for a variety of occasions, such as baby showers, wedding showers, birthday parties, and anniversaries, as well as wedding proposals. She launched the business in early 2022, and demand for her services has slowly but surely increased. “People ask me if I ever sleep, but

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Consumer Stories

Fitness center will not open Riverwatch location

The owners of Endurance Fitness were prepared to open a second location in Evans in January 2022, just in time to help people launch their New Years’ resolutions. But after months of anticipation and construction, ABD has learned that the location will no longer open. For months, Cliff and Amanda Jennings heavily promoted the fitness center at 4099 River Watch Parkway, the former home of the Playhouse, through social media and billboard advertising. While Columbia County won’t have Endurance Fitness, the couple still owns and operates a successful location at

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Consumer Stories

Unexpected catastrophe temporarily closes pet business

STORY UPDATE: Cinna, the dog missing after the car crash was found last night. Cinna will be going to a local animal hospital to be checked out in the morning. As a business owner, you anticipate normal wear and tear to your property. But there was no way the owners of Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming in National Hills could anticipate what happened at their business over the weekend. Early Sunday morning, a person drove a car into the store located in front of The Fresh Market at 2701 Washington

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B2B Stories

Old and new: North Augusta antique mall thrives in a new location, opens a second building

Before Riverfront Antique Mall in North Augusta closed its doors permanently in September 2021, Richard Mayson wanted to keep the business afloat. On October 1, he launched his own business called Riverside Antiques & Treasures. “We had two options: find somewhere else or shut down,” Mayson, who served as a vendor at Riverfront for almost four years, said. After looking at 30-40 places, he decided to lease a 9,500-square-foot building located at 646 East Buena Vista Ave. in North Augusta. On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mayson, his

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: Home ownership in CSRA varies from state to national levels

Buying a house is one of the largest purchases most people will make in their lifetime. In Georgia, 63 percent of all housing is owner-occupied; in Columbia County, it is 80 percent, and 53 percent in Richmond County. Evidence suggests that homeowners are more satisfied with their homes and neighborhoods and have more stable neighborhoods. It is therefore an interesting research question to understand the determinants of homeownership. Fortunately, Vanessa Wimberly, an undergraduate student in the Hull College of Business at Augusta University, has studied this question and presented her

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Consumer Stories

Local retailer expands, due to inflation

If you’re a parent, you’re familiar with this common scenario: you buy your kids clothes, and a few months later, they need new ones because the old ones no longer fit. With the current inflation rate at 8.5 percent, parents want to pay less for kids’ clothes. Many have turned to consignment shops, such as Kid to Kid, for not only clothing but also toys and baby items. Shannon Unger owns two Kid to Kid stores in the CSRA: one in National Hills and another on Washington Road near Goodwill

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Consumer Stories

New business coming to busy Martinez intersection

A new structure being built at the corner of Furys Ferry and Evans to Locks roads will be a liquor store. The building is being built by Peter Patel, who also owns several Dunkin Donuts franchises in the CSRA. The liquor store will be owned by Sam Patel. Duckworth Development is overseeing the construction of the building. There was no information available about the planned opening date of the liquor store.

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