Capital City to get own version of Charleston casual dining restaurant

A new casual dining restaurant/bar is coming to Main Street in the recently bought McCrory Building, the building owner said Friday.

Main Street Public House, a localized version of Charleston’s King Street Public House, will fill the first floor of the three-story building and is likely to open around New Year’s Day, Richard Cohn said.

“We think they’re going to be a great fit in the Columbia market,” he said. “This opens the door to the northern part of Main Street.” Cohn was referring to the blocks from Taylor Street to Elmwood Avenue.

The location is across the street from Mast General Store.

The owners of the Charleston location are the same ones who are coming to the Capital City’s resurging city center, he said. Cohn would not identify the investors, who are from Columbia and Charleston, by name.

Cohn, part of Cohn Construction Services and another Cohn property management company, said he and his son, Harris Cohn, have been marketing the gutted McCrory Building since they bought it for $1,530,000 in October.

The 6,000-square-foot Columbia version of the restaurant will emphasize its menu more than the Charleston location does, Richard Cohn said. In Charleston, Public House offers burgers, flatbreads, salads, and entrees such as pan-seared duck breast, according to its website.

King’s Street Public House serves 20 draft beer selections, has 31 high-definition TVs, and treats guests to acoustic music, live bands and DJs, the website states.

“It’s going to be nice,” Cohn said.

This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 8:52 PM.