There has been a lot of business renovations, improvements and change of ownership over the past few months. The restaurant industry has really stepped up their game. Here are a few things that you should check out soon:
        Fordham's Farmhouse Restaurant, 23657 Highway 80 East, celebrated their 11th anniversary with more than $55,000 in major renovations that have really updated their look. The biggest change is hardwood floors throughout the restaurant and lighter colors that brighten up the place. They also have added a sliding cooler to keep desserts colder and allow for better presentation. You also will notice that they have added more booths. The menu is the same, great home cooking. Fordham's is locally owned by Suzy and Allen Fordham.
        Gnats Landing on South Main Street has completed a $40,000 renovation that includes new hardwood flooring and fresh paint throughout the restaurant. Also, they upgraded the bathrooms, put in new kitchen equipment, new HVAC, lighting, new bar tops and new décor. The menu is the same. Gnats is locally owned by Al Chapman.
        McAlister's Deli, 1100 Brampton Avenue, has completed about $160,000 in renovations. The entire interior was repainted, which included changing the ceiling color to light and neutral off-white. They have a completely updated look with new light fixtures, new artwork, new countertops and new tables and chairs.
        The former fabric partitions were exchanged for a frost glass, which adds to the minimalist feel of the deli. The cluttered wall décor was replaced with larger, simpler pictures. Overall, the restaurant has a more modern and updated look, which they believe keeps up with the fast growth of the Boro.
        Boyd's BBQ and Country Buffet, 302 Northside Drive West, has new owners, Todd and Amy McIntosh. They have renovated the building adding new wood flooring, new buffet tables and bathroom upgrades. They are now slow cooking all the barbeque on an open smoke pit and will add new menu items. Also, they are exploring adding a seafood buffet on Friday and Saturday evenings.
        Vandy's Barbecue, 22 West Vine Street and the Statesboro Mall, was acquired by Brandon O'Mahoney. Brandon is the former owner of Mellow Mushroom and also owns The Americano in Charleston, S.C. One of the most surprising changes are new menus filled with all of your favorites, but most of the prices are lower. They have not changed any of the recipes and will continue to cook all of the pork at the pit downtown. They are experimenting with a sweet and mustard BBQ sauce which they are testing at the Mall location.
        Cool Beanz, located inside of Cake at 58 East Main, will open a second location later this month inside Colonial House of Flowers in the Market District. They will offer locally roasted, manually prepared drinks, including cold brewed iced coffee and limited treats from Cake and others. Cool Beanz is locally owned by David Hoyle
        Statesboro Mall is working to improve the main entrance of the Mall and the exterior façade from the main entrance to Bealls with new paint, decorative details and signage. The $30k project will be complete before Black Friday. Carmike Cinema's has removed their sign which faced Lovett Road and have no immediate plans to replace it.
        After practicing in a partnership for years in the Boro, Dr. David Samuels, has opened a new Psychiatry practice at 204 South Main Street. The practice is named DPS Health and Wellness. He is accepting most insurances including Medicare and is in the process of applying for Medicaid. Dr. Samuels is excited to continue to be an integral part of the mental health community here in Statesboro. His new number is (912) 662-6501.
        WWNS AM 1240 and its new sister FM 107.7 has switched formats from all news to Classic Rock. WMCD 107.3 will continue providing news as a Fox News affiliate.
        Congratulations to Joseph Cason, food service director at the Heritage Inn Health and Rehabilitation Center for winning the Lyons Readycare National Puree Recipe contest. Named "Annie's Strawberry Delight" in honor of longtime dietary aide Annie Perkins, it is a puree complement of their strawberry pound cake delight.
        Sea Island Bank has partnered with the Statesboro Police Department to offer a Fraud Awareness and Prevention seminar on Wednesday at 8 a.m. at the main office downtown. They will cover ways to help individual and businesses become savvier in helping to prevent financial fraud. The seminar is free to the public and includes breakfast, however, space is limited. Please RSVP to Jenna Lawson at (912) 489-9270 if you would like to attend.
        Please email DeWayne at dgrice@statesboroherald.com or give him a call at (912) 489-9499.