3 Georgia businesses make Yelp's Top 100 Local Businesses list

ATLANTA - May is known as Small Business Month, and Yelp has released its annual Top 100 Local Businesses list. This year, three businesses in Georgia made the list.

Automotive

Apna Garage, Decatur

Ranked No. 1 in its category. Jatin "Jay" Desai is described by many as friendly/nice, punctual, fast, and honest.

Fitness

FitWit, Decatur

Owned by Josh Guerrieri. According to its reviews, the trainers at FitWit care about each individual member, and there is a sense of community at the gym. Many members say that the gym has changed their lives. Ranked No. 3 in its category.

Food

Empanadas & More, Valdosta

Alberto Sanchez is the owner/manager of Empanadas & More. Apparently, the empanadas are so good that people are willing to drive hours for them. The restaurant is run by the family, who obviously take pride in what they do and serve. Ranked No. 3 in its category.

Other Georgia related stories

• Georgia city named among Top 100 Best Places to Live in US 

• Georgia beach named among the best in the US by Travel and Leisure 

• Metro Atlanta city named best place to move to in Georgia 

• Best Places to Live in America rankings released, how did Georgia do? 

• Here's the minimum annual income required to be middle class in Georgia

• Here’s how much money you need to make to live comfortably on your own in Atlanta

• Rent vs. Buy: Shocking disparities revealed in 50 major metro areas

• Atlanta home buyers need to earn almost $60K more in 2024 than 2020 to afford home

• Atlanta ranked as 4th loneliest city in America, new study says

How Yelp picks the businesses

Yelp picks the top 10 local businesses in 10 different categories each year based on Yelp reviews. The categories are automotive, beauty, books, magazines, music and video, fitness, fashion, food, home decor, home repair, kids, and pet care.

Local is defined by Yelp as businesses that are independently owned and operated. Yelp also ranked the businesses in each category using a number of factors. Additionally, only one business per state could be included in a category for geographic diversity.

This year's list includes longtime neighborhood mainstays as well as newer businesses and concepts, according to Yelp.

Many of the top businesses have found success by embracing a particular niche or have learned to adapt to the evolving needs of the community.