Coleman’s Lunch Box held its ribbon cutting ceremony, Wednesday afternoon, with the help of the Downtown Development Authority of Augusta (DDA) and Commissioner Jordan Johnson.
The Walton Way comfort food eatery was busy and bustling when Johnson and DDA Director Margaret Woodard arrived to welcome it into downtown’s business community, in front of an audience of dine-in customers, with DDA Project Manager Corbin Freeman noting that the Authority is “so excited” to usher in the new “addition to the Augusta restaurant scene.”
The spot first opened on Oct. 23, at the former location of Munchies Lab, and business has been steady ever since, says co-owner Norman Coleman.
“We’ve been very blessed,” Coleman said. “Very, very good traffic from all over: the hospital, downtown, schools, the courthouse…. people coming our way through word of mouth, even people in South Carolina.”
Norman Coleman decided to “step out on faith” and go into business with his wife, Rhonda Coleman, after several years as a head chef at Primetime Bar & Grill.
“God blessed other people to do this, so we knew He could bless us to do it on our own,” he said.
The menu is designed for quick preparation and short wait times for on-the-go patrons looking for a quick, but filling, bite to eat during lunch breaks. The wide array of familiar food offerings ranges from hamburgers and wings to pork chops and chicken wraps.
All of them have proven popular so far, Coleman says, but his signature is the pasta dishes, made with his own homemade alfredo sauce.
The Colemans found the location for their new diner when coming to eat at Munchies Lab one day and seeing a sign saying that it would soon be closing. Munchies Lab closed in late September.
Potential future aims for the family-run restaurant include soul food specials and a program to feed the homeless, says Coleman.
“I want [the Augusta community] to know that we’re here for them,” he said. “That’s the key. I want to be here for them, as well as I want them to be here for us. Because without them, there’s no us.”
Coleman’s Lunch Box is located at 1022 Walton Way, Ste. A.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
