W H AT ’ S I N S I D E
APRIL 2014 • The CSRA’s Only Monthly Business Magazine
30 years serving Augustans and Masters visitors
Enthusiastic crowds flock to Cabela’s
It was Calvert who first told Baldwin about the location and according to Baldwin, it was Calvert who said the building looked like New Orleans. Ideas started rolling. Baldwin traveled to Louisiana to learn more about the culture and food. He liked what he saw and tasted. The Baldwins launched French Market Grille March 29, 1984 and welcomed the CSRA – and many visitors to the Masters – to Cajun cuisine, cold drinks and an environment dedicated to providing customers with a memorable and wonderful experience that still remains an integral part of the successful business today.
By Gary Kauffman, Editor The people in the Augusta area left little doubt that they were eager for the new Cabela’s Outpost to open its doors. The Outpost, just off Riverwatch Parkway near exit 200 of 1-20, is the first Cabela’s store in the Southeast. It opened its doors on March 20. When those doors opened, more than 2,000 people were waiting outside, including Tracy Lingle and his son Preston, who had arrived at 4:45 p.m. the previous day and camped out. They took their place at the head of the line at 2 a.m. “I’ve been on their website and seen their catalog,” Lingle said. “I’m part of Trail Life USA and wanted the opportunity to talk to Cabela’s about it. “But it was also a fun time, a little bit of an adventure.” Katie Duncan, marketing manager for the Augusta Cabela’s, said sales exceeded expectations on that opening weekend, with about 13,000 sales from Thursday through Sunday. That equated to about 25,000 people in the store those four days. Thomas Millner, CEO of Cabela’s, attended the Grand Opening and said Augusta was picked for the first Cabela’s in the Southeast because of the location. “We were really attracted to this piece of real estate,” he said. “It’s right on the border so we can get the South Carolina customer and the Georgia customer. We love to locate with Costco, and we love the development that will happen here. It was kind of a natural.” The 42,000-square-foot store is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream, packed with hunting, fishing and camping gear, as well as a wide array of clothing. To emphasize the outdoor theme, more than 70 taxidermy pieces line shelves mounted to the walls throughout the store. The mounted animals include everything from moose to skunks. Many of those waiting in line on March 20 wore camouflage and were eager to see what Cabela’s had to offer. “I’m really excited to have a store like this in the CSRA,”
See 30 YEARS, page 2
See CABELA’S, page 5
French Market Grille owner Chuck Baldwin and kitchen manager Maurice Turner display some of the restaurant’s favorites – peanut butter pie, oysters and beef tenderloin. Photo by Melissa Gordon
French Market Grille is Augusta’s place for New Orleans cuisine By Jennifer Reynolds When Gail and Chuck Baldwin decided to serve Cajun style food at French Market Grille 30 years ago, they weren’t inspired by childhood experiences or a burning passion to infuse the CSRA with Po’Boys and Crawfish Etoufee. Instead, the decision came from the look of the building in Surrey Center off Wheeler Road. Chuck’s longtime friend and colleague, Craig Calvert, had just established Calvert’s, another popular restaurant also located in Surrey Center. Baldwin and Calvert were classmates together at Michigan State and spent several years working together at Green Jacket, an Augusta restaurant with a Masters theme.
Buzz Bits...................................................... 8,9 E-Z-Go celebrates 60 years.................... 12 Businessperson of the Month.............. 15 Andrew’s Place gears up for Masters.17 Careers & Education................................ 23 GreenJackets prepare for season........ 28