Wed, April 29, 2026

Facebook-f Youtube Instagram
Newsletter Sign up
Show Support
Menu

Top Story
Consumer Stories

A new business with sweet treats is coming to Washington Road

If you’re watching your calories, this might not be good news for you – a new frozen custard business is coming to Washington Road next to Krystal. Construction is underway on a new location of Whit’s Frozen Custard, a national chain with locations in 10 states, including Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and Ohio. RW Allen Construction is building the new restaurant. “It’s a five to six-month project,” said Connie Melear, chief financial officer for RW Allen. “You should see it come out of the ground very soon.” Founded in Ohio

Read More »
Josh Heath February 25, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

New entertainment venue hopes to be #1 in U.S.

Vibes & Vines Jazz Lounge in Beech Island may just be the place to Take Five if you are In a Sentimental Mood. Vibes & Vines is relatively new to the Augusta-area dining and music scene, having opened in December, 2021 at 4659 Jefferson Highway. But it’s a great choice if you are looking to dress up for a night out, listen to cool jazz and enjoy some good food. Owners Tongi Bartlett and Darnell Holston met through family and friends because of similar interests. She worked in the medical

Read More »
Mitzi Oxford February 24, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Georgia labor market grows 2.2%, Augusta at 0.4%

The labor market in Georgia grew at a 2.2 percent annual rate in 2021 but the growth was not evenly spread around the state. Urban areas around Atlanta and coastal cities fared best. The fastest growing labor market, at 3.8 percent, was Savannah with nearby Brunswick also reporting 2.1 percent growth. Atlanta and Gainesville grew at 2.1 percent and 2.3 percent respectively. Augusta recorded growth of 0.4 percent. Two cities saw deteriorating labor markets: Albany and Columbus. Only two Metropolitan Statistical Areas beat the Georgia growth rate suggesting non-MSA areas

Read More »
Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Economics Professor February 23, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Delta flies high with new systems and old-time service

Jason Blackburn is a third-generation owner of the Delta Pest and Termite Company headquartered in Burke County, but he’s not set in doing things the way they’ve always been done. “For the first time in 40 years, we optimized all of our routes,” he said from his spacious office on Millen Highway in Waynesboro. (see photo above) That’s not only a tall order, but a big deal since his grandfather Jimmie and grandmother Frankie founded the company in December, 1963. Frankie is alive and ensures Delta is run with the

Read More »
Neil Gordon February 23, 2022 No Comments
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

Read More »
Mitzi Oxford February 22, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

SRP Park offers many ways to help your company hit a home run

Even if you’re not a baseball fan, SRP Park offers a variety of ways for a business to reward employees and customers, entertain clients or just enjoy a little R&R. “Whether you like baseball or not, it’s a great place to come and relax,” Tom Denlinger, Augusta GreenJackets Vice President, said. “All you have to do is give out the tickets and we’ll do all the work.” There are two ways to enjoy the amenities of SRP Park – at a baseball game or at one of the numerous events

Read More »
Gary Kauffman February 21, 2022 No Comments
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

Read More »
Neil Gordon February 18, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Local electronics recycler wants your old business equipment

You’ve heard the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Richard Green wants to help businesses recycle their old computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices to create new devices. Green, CEO, and founder of Tech 4 Success, LLC, a local electronics recycling company, was the guest speaker for the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Third Thursday Business Builder event on Thursday. He discussed the importance of developing a plan for dealing with e-waste. “Electronic devices are 100 percent recyclable,” Green said. “We ensure the items never make it

Read More »
Josh Heath February 18, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

CSRA Business Networking event helps businesses connect with one another

When Jessica Jones realized that marketing costs transcended the budgets of many small business startups, she felt a need to create a space for those businesses to connect affordably – in this case, free. “Especially with the pandemic, new businesses and restaurants have tight profit margins and can’t afford to advertise,” Jones said. “I wanted a way to bring business owners together.” Jones, Regional Sales Manager at Elevated Payments, started a Facebook group with Tiffany Justice of Vandermorgan Realty called Augusta Business Connection and out of that grew a monthly

Read More »
Gary Kauffman February 17, 2022 2 Comments
Consumer Stories

Simon Says: Employment in Augusta area inched upward in 2021, led by retail sector

Overall employment for the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area has increased by just 0.3%, or just 600 jobs, from December 2020, according to employment data for 2021 published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). There are currently 239,300 jobs in the local economy. However, some sectors of the economy have done exceptionally well. Retail jobs, for example, are up 11.9% compared to a year ago. There are more than 3,000 additional people employed in the retail sector than a year ago. Other sectors that have more jobs than a year

Read More »
Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Economics Professor February 16, 2022 No Comments
Load More