Shop Around: ‘The Local Buzz’ brings coffee, ice cream, smoothies to Shandon area

When Stephie Griggs Bridgers started working to create her own business, she wanted to create a place that not only served great comfort foods and beverages but that also was like a second home to her customers.

“It was important to me to create a space where everyone – kids, families, USC students, locals from Shandon, Sherwood Forest and Rosewood – everyone could hang out in a warm, welcoming, safe environment free of video games and TV,” Bridgers said. “I want people to feel like they have a place where they belong; a safe haven.”

When Bridgers found 141 S. Shandon St., she knew she could create her “safe haven” there. After completely renovating the space and adding a kitchen, coffee bar, cafe counter and bathrooms, Bridgers set up shop for The Local Buzz coffee shop/ice cream parlor/smoothie and juice bar and opened for business last week.

On the menu at The Local Buzz are lots of local products, such as ice cream from Sweet Cream Co., baked goods from Silver Spoon Bake Shop and coffee from Turtle Creek Coffee, which customers can purchase for only $1 a cup if they bring their own mug (which Local Buzz will gladly wash and keep at the shop on their mug wall).

“We’ve really tried to promote eco-friendly practices and include the local product,” Bridgers said. “Ninety percent of the cafe is repurposed.”

Local Buzz also sells salads and sandwiches as well as bottled Coke products from an old timey Coca-Cola machine.

Less than a mile away from The Local Buzz, Urban Cookhouse is trying to set up shop for its first Columbia location at Devine and Sims streets.

The Columbia-based restaurant franchise – which has four locations in Alabama, one in Georgia and another in Charleston – submitted an application for a special zoning exemption to the City of Columbia’s Board of Zoning Appeals early last month in seeking approval for a drive-through, pickup window for call-ahead orders. A review of the request originally scheduled for Sept. 8 was moved to Oct. 13.

And don’t forget Rise Gourmet Goods & Bakeshop opens at 926 Harden St. today. The Rise menu will evolve throughout the day starting with an early morning selection of freshly baked breads and spreads, pastries and breakfast bowls, transitioning to a mid-day menu featuring soups, sandwiches, salads and sweets, and closing with a “family meal” option which is available for pickup on weekday evenings from from 4-8 p.m.

This story was originally published October 1, 2015 at 8:52 PM with the headline "Shop Around: ‘The Local Buzz’ brings coffee, ice cream, smoothies to Shandon area."