1736 Magazine - Vision for the Future

Dr. Benjamin Casella, left, and his father, Dr. Thomas Casella, are keeping the family business going at Casella Eye Center on Broad Street. The practice was
started by Thomas Casella’s father, Dr. Victor Casella, on Jan. 15, 1948.
began to make their way back to
the urban core where they grew up,
and Millennials were looking for a
walkable community and affordable
housing away from the suburbs. Real
estate for downtown Augusta began
to boom once more, prompting more
restaurants and stores to gravitate to
downtown, Woodard said.
Just as things were beginning to
pick up, the country was struck by
the COVID-19 pandemic. Although
many retailers and restaurateurs
were preparing to open in downtown
Augusta, that was placed on
hold with the prediction by the
Small Business Administration that
one-third of businesses would meet
their demise as a result of the virusinduced
restrictions.
But hope for downtown is just
around the corner, Woodard contends.
New restaurants, retail and
offices are making plans to open
in 2021 with efforts to cope with
the pandemic. Present businesses
have weathered through years of
changes and growth and shared
their experiences and plans with us.
CUSTOMER SERVICE THE KEY
TO SUSTAINING BUSINESS
OVER A CENTURY
Fashion changes each season, but
a local retailer has stood the test of
time by providing men’s, women’s
and children’s clothing and shoes
to the Augusta area for more than
120 years.
Max and Rebecca Ruben opened
Ruben’s Department Store in 1898
after emigrating from Eastern
Europe, according to The Augusta
Chronicle archives. Their son, Paul
Ruben, owned and operated the store
until 1979. His daughter, Bonnie
Ruben, took over with her husband,
Jeff Gorelick, who is now the vice
president and general manager.
Ruben’s longevity at the 900
block of Broad Street has allowed
generations of families to frequent
the retailer. The secret to the
business’ continued success has
been their customer service and
the ability to provide hard-to-find
sizes and items, the owners say.
If they don’t have a product in the
store, they’re able to find it for
the customer and that keeps them
coming back.
“Most of the people who come in
have known our clerks for 10, 20 or
30 years,” Gorelick said. “Service
has been what we’re famous for. No
size is too big or small for us.”
Gorelick said a man recently
came in for matching suits for him,
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