Shop Around: Eateries Opening at 650 Lincoln

The shops and restaurants on the first floor of the new University of South Carolina student housing complex at 650 Lincoln might be set up to target college students but their appeal is sure to extend to Columbia residents and visitors of all ages.

The complex is home to Dave and Leslie Duffy’s third Tropical Smoothie location, which opened for business Aug. 26. In addition to, of course, smoothies, the business offers wraps, sandwiches, salads and even vegetarian and vegan meals. The most popular smoothie — and a favorite of the USC football team — is the Island Green, Duffy said, and includes spinach, kale, mango, pineapple and banana.

“They call it the Incredible Hulk smoothie,” Duffy said of the athletes.

The couple’s other two Tropical Smoothie locations are on Sunset Boulevard in Lexington, which opened in 2012, and Columbiana Station on Harbison Boulevard, which opened in 2013.

Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina will open its doors there on Monday — just in time to serve football traffic for the Gamecocks’ first home football game next Saturday. The Athens, Ga.-based franchise, known for its fresh, made-to-order burritos, will offer something no other Barberitos has: a service window opening to 650 Lincoln’s pool and courtyards. The Columbia location is the franchise’s third in South Carolina, joining locations in Charleston and Anderson.

Another Athens, Ga.-based business, Jittery Joe’s Coffee, will open shop next door to Barberito’s by early October, according to Chief Executive Officer Bob Googe. After opening in Athens in 1994, the coffee shop received attention after being frequented by celebrity guests Michael Stipe, members of the B-52s and comedians Penn and Teller. This will be the company’s first location in South Carolina.

This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 6:11 PM with the headline "Shop Around: Eateries Opening at 650 Lincoln."