Two years ago, Eric Emedoh moved to North Augusta from the Bronx, where bodegas line every street corner. If everything goes as planned, there will be many of the small restaurants across the CSRA as well.
Bodega means a storehouse for wine. In New York, bodegas are like small convenience stores selling products including milk, eggs, and meats. Le Bodega at 1696 Knox Avenue in North Augusta doesn’t have wine and the ingredients they offer are cooked up in some delicious handheld sandwiches. Perfect for a busy businessperson to stop by and grab a quick bite.
Emedoh is the owner of Le Bodega and studied marketing at the University of South Carolina (USC). His chef, Terica Hills, is a graduate of Goodwill’s Helms College.
“It’s been a great partnership. We opened on January 12 and already have a loyal following. People tend to follow Terica’s food,” said Emedoh.
Some of their most popular handhelds are a three-cheese grilled cheese and sausage, cheese, and egg on a croissant. Their lunch handhelds include Philly Cheese Steak and a Monte Cristo. The good news is they serve both breakfast and lunch sandwiches all day.
“We also add some variety to our menu by adding homemade soups and gumbo. We post those on our Facebook page, so everyone knows what the specials are for the day.”
Le Bodega has also added fresh pressed juices that lean toward the healthy side and includes a Georgia Peach Smoothie.
In just a few short weeks, Le Bodega has caught on and Emedoh is excited about the future.
“I’m looking at expanding into Grovetown and Aiken.”
Stay tuned for a bodega near you. For now, they have expanded their hours from 9:00 am until 7:00 pm, Monday through Saturday.
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means! If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
