Business is booming throughout the CSRA following the state trend that is currently outpacing most of the nation.
According to the Federal Reserve, the state of Georgia is second in the nation with a 56% increase in new business applications in 2019 and 2020. The state trend is continuing, despite pandemic woes and the effects can be seen in the CSRA, according to planning filings and new businesses springing up.
On Walton Way Extension, a build-in is occurring for a restaurant named Trattoria Popilo. The owners have not yet applied for an alcohol license, but from the looks of the ongoing project, an announcement will be forthcoming.
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Kevin Goldsmith of Takosushi is the force behind Trattoria Popilo. Chefs from the restaurant catered the WestoBOO Bash in October 2021, according to the Westobou website.
In the midtown area of Central Avenue, people have awaited the return of Chef Andrew Crumrine’s take on pizza and Soul City Pizza held its soft opening Feb. 10 and he says he is pleased with the response.
“We saw a need for a family friendly and fun restaurant and it is coming along great. After taking off time to be with my family and raise my kids, I am glad to be back,” said Crumrine, who once operated Crum’s on Central in the same location where Soul City Pizza is located.
Soul City Pizza bills itself on Facebook as “little bit 70s, a little bit 80s.. all great food and fun times.”
Crumrine’s partner, Brian Brittingham, says the opening was a success and that their brand, which includes Southbound Smokehouse and Drift Raw Bar, is benefiting from a rebounding economy locally.
“It was great to work out a few wrinkles, but the opening was better than expected, and we got a ton of positive feedback on the food,” Brittingham said.
Retail and service businesses are continuing to grow as well.
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The owners of property at the Village at Riverwatch have applied to the Planning and Development Department to create new retail space that will span over a half acre. There is no word yet on any prospective tenants of the new proposed building addition. However, it appears the patch of land that includes Costco, Regal Cinemas and Top Golf will be expanding to include more retail.
Nearby, a new application has been filed to create a car wash at the Augusta Village on Riverwatch located on Interstate Parkway.
In downtown Augusta, Phoenix Printing has filed plans to expand on its property located at 601 11th St., and The Book Tavern, a mainstay retail business downtown, is moving into a larger location. The store’s owner, David Hutchison, has posted photos of the progress on his social media page showing a preliminary layout of the new space.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
