Augusta’s restaurants are multiplying thanks to tourism and growing population
By Haley Harward
The restaurant industry in Augusta is a thriving and diverse scene that caters to a wide range of tastes and preferences, from southern comfort classics and barbecue to Indian street food and vegan delights. The city’s rich history and vibrant culture provide a unique backdrop for dining experiences, and the growing tourism industry means that there is a steady stream of customers. However, Augusta wasn’t always a melting pot of cuisines and local businesses.
In the mid-20th century, dining options were limited and focused primarily on traditional southern cuisine. The city had a reputation for tradition, Southern hospitality and heritage, so there weren’t a lot of restaurants featuring international cuisines apart from Luigi’s, the Ballas family-owned and -operated Italian institution that has remained a staple in Augusta for five generations.
“We are often asked why we are a Greek family and own an Italian restaurant,” says Penelope Ballas-Stewart, the current owner of Luigi’s. “The answer is that it was difficult years ago to locally source the ingredients and spices that were needed to offer diverse menu items, such as those needed for Greek foods.”
With its Southern hospitality roots, in recent years the city has welcomed and embraced innovation and diversity. One factor that has contributed to the growth of diverse eateries in Augusta is the city’s growing population and economy.
With hospitals and colleges like Piedmont Augusta and Augusta University, the city has become a nexus for healthcare in Georgia. It’s also home to some major manufacturing facilities and companies as well as Fort Gordon and the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center.
And there’s more development to come in the military sector. In 2010, the US Army designated Augusta as the headquarters for the $1.6-billion US Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER). Construction is underway through 2028 and when open the campus will bring thousands of new jobs to the region.
As a result, the city has seen a lot of families flowing into the area, leading to the three counties surrounding Augusta to grow a double-digit percentage pace annually – and for its downtown to see new restaurants and shops opening.
“The more people you bring to the area, you start to reach that critical mass of population that helps support more restaurants,” says Havird Usry, owner of Southern Salad and partner in Fat Man’s Hospitality as well as a chair on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Restaurant Association. “Then, there’s longer wait times and longer lines, and business people like us see the opportunity to open other concepts or duplicate some of the same concepts.”
Tourism Dollars
Overall, while tourism can present challenges for restaurants, it also offers opportunities for growth and increased revenue if approached strategically.
Tourism is a vital part of the economy in Augusta and has a significant impact on the restaurant community. According to Destination Augusta, visitors alone spent $211.8 million within the restaurant sector during 2021. That’s a significant source of revenue for restaurants in the Augusta area, helping to drive future growth and profitability.
Of course, one of the biggest and most well-known events to happen each year is The Master’s golf tournament. Each April, local restaurants see a massive surge in business, which restaurateurs in the area have compared to fitting an entire spring break’s worth of traffic into one week.
“Preparations begin months in advance to freshen decor, train new staff and build up bar inventory, or [we] risk not being able to stock a popular wine or bourbon,” says Ballas-Stewart.
Augusta also sees heavy tourism traffic during the city’s other events, including the annual Arts in the Heart festival, the Nike Peach Jam, and the Half Ironman, which brings in over 4,000 participants and their family and friends.
“The Half Ironman competition is our second busiest time of the year,” Ballas-Stewart says. “But we also have many local theaters and performing arts centers that host musicals and concerts that attract out-of-town visitors throughout the year.”
Not to mention, the various recreational opportunities offered in the city alongside the banks of the Savannah River, including the 1996 Olympics rowing facility, attract people year round.
However, the influx of tourists can also create challenges for restaurant owners, such as increased competition and higher costs. As with other cities in the country, Augusta’s restaurateurs have and continue to face staffing issues. Despite being the third largest city in Georgia according to World Population Review, Augusta has a relatively small population of just over 200,000. As such, it can be difficult to find qualified workers who are willing to work in the restaurant industry.
Usry believes the solution to the labor issue both statewide and nationwide comes down to employee relationships and transparency.
“When the restaurant does well, those people who are helping operate that restaurant should do well, too,” Usry says. “So I think it’s about treating those employees and bringing value to their job. Appreciating them but also bringing packages that, you know, have all the assets like 401(k)s, potential health insurance and paid time off.”
A New Generation
This influx of people has created a demand for more diverse and creative dining options, giving rise to a number of new restaurants that are taking advantage of the growing population and the vibrant culture. Noble Jones is one of these newer restaurants, opening in 2018. Here, Chef J.D. Wier takes creative liberty with dishes that he may not have otherwise been able to do before Augusta’s growth, playing on dishes from Texas, Georgia, New Orleans and Charleston.
Restaurants like Noble Jones allow for private events and host their own events to attract diners like the newly launched Snack and Sip series, which invites guests to indulge in appetizers and create a cocktail.
Similarly, the growing population and tourism has allowed Usry to expand Fat Man Hospitality’s portfolio to include the healthy fast casual concept Southern Salad.
“It’s a concept similar to some of the things we had seen come up around the country, and we kind of wanted to put our own Southern flare on it,” Usry says. “We wanted to have this quick healthy food concept and also bring in that farm-to-table aspect to fast-food, which isn’t attained in many places across the country.”
Usry and his dad Brad Usry opened The Southern Salad in a downtown neighborhood, creating healthy dishes using ingredients from their hydroponic greenhouse.
Even Luigi’s, which Ballas-Stewart has said uses recipes that have been handed down through four generations of ownership and prides itself on creating and maintain a retro ambiance similar to the big band/rat pack area, has been able to experiment and expand their offerings to cater to a newer, growing demographic of locals and tourists.
“As [Augusta] has changed significantly over the years, along with people’s diversified palates, it has allowed us to include different dishes on our menu as well as for many different ethnic and fusion restaurants to open and succeed locally,” Ballas-Stewart says.
Overall, Augusta is a city that welcomes and celebrates diversity in its and food scene. The growing population and economy have created opportunities for new restaurateurs to bring their unique cuisines to the area. And with tourists flocking to the city for events like the Master’s golf tournament, restaurants have been able to thrive and grow their businesses.
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