Businesses Coming To North Augusta – Do We Really Need More Of These?
There’s no doubt that the North Augusta area is growing. Many new businesses have come to the area just within the last year, and the growth isn’t stopping. But some of the businesses coming to North Augusta have me asking, do we really need more of these?
Businesses Coming To North Augusta
Just last week, I was on Edgefield Road near Sweetwater Road. Previously, I noticed they had cleared the lot right on the corner across from the Sprint station, but hadn’t thought too much about it. On this particular day, I saw some people working on the lot. And that’s when I saw the sign of what they were building…
The coming soon sign shows they’re building an O’Reilly Auto Parts. My first thought? We already have one of those… why do we need another? Plus, there’s an Advance Auto Parts not even a half mile down the road. So to say I’m a little disappointed is an understatement.
But this isn’t the only business that North Augusta is adding that we already have at least one of. Just recently, they opened a Wing Stop in the strip of stores in the Walmart Shopping Center Parking lot right there off of exit 5. We already have one of those down on Martintown Road.
Now, they did add the Chick-fil-A on Edgefield Road, and I’m not mad about that duplicate. It’s less than 5 miles from my house. But did we necessarily need another? Probably not.
While I understand that growth is going to continue happening, I feel there are so many other things we could benefit from off exit 5. Personally, I think having a good pharmacy down our way would be nice. While Walmart and Food Lion have pharmacies, they aren’t always the easiest or best options.
Restaurants In North Augusta
And when it comes to restaurants, I wouldn’t mind a few more sit-down/dine-in places. We have a few fast-food restaurants, but a few other options would be nice. A post on the North Augusta Info page on Facebook asked, “What’s one restaurant North Augusta needs but doesn’t have?”
The responses are all over the place. Of course, someone mentioned Cracker Barrel. Pretty sure there’s a running joke on multiple North Augusta pages that whenever something new is being built and people ask about it, someone always says Cracker Barrel. Now, don’t get me wrong, I would be okay with that!
Some people mentioned getting a steakhouse, a place for seafood, or authentic Korean, Puerto Rican, or Dominican restaurants. Most comments were in support of large franchise restaurants like Chili’s, Ryan’s, Whataburger, Culver’s, Texas Roadhouse, and Longhorn. Personally, I’d love to see something that we don’t have just down the road in Augusta. And even better if it was a local business!
Businesses In Development
I am excited about the new Beacon Bluff development downtown. Fleet Feet has already opened there, but there are other businesses coming soon. According to North Augusta Info, Melty (a grilled cheese place) and Bowl Boss (an acai & smoothie spot) are coming soon. And then in February 2025, Brinkley’s Tavern is set to open.
There’s also a Hobby Lobby set to open in early 2025 located in the old Bi-Lo building in Edgewood Square on Edgefield Road.
Other Businesses Rumored To Be Coming To North Augusta
There are a few other areas of construction happening in North Augusta. One area is at the corner of Edgefield Road and Georgia Avenue next to the McDonald’s. The SCE&G building used to be there, but it was torn down not too long ago. From various posts I’ve seen, it looks like they plan to build an oil change business. And according to the Post & Courier, yet another oil change business is set to be built at the corner of Atomic Road and East Martintown Road.
There’s another area that appears to be under construction in the shopping center where Goodwill and Planet Fitness are located on Knox Avenue. Many people were commenting on what it might be. And you can tell there are many businesses coming to North Augusta that we really don’t need. People are speculating that it is going to be either another oil change place, a Dollar General, a storage facility, or another mattress store. I’ve been trying to locate the actual answer, but haven’t confirmed anything yet.
