Newfangled Consignments: Everything old is new again

Karen Hoover has decided to make a living finding new uses for old things.

It just makes sense, then, that Hoover’s new home furnishings consignment store would occupy a building that decades ago functioned as a West Columbia service station.

Earlier this week, Hoover opened Newfangled Consignments at 351 Meeting St. across the road from Terra and Al’s Upstairs at the site of a former Gulf gas station. Over the past year, Hoover completely renovated the 1,600-square-foot space and filled it with furniture, art, a variety of home furnishings and some unique jewelry lines.

“The building was covered over with a brick facade years ago. It sat empty for the last seven to eight years when it was owned by the city of West Columbia. I gutted the place and brought the old station back to life. A lot of locals have stopped in just to see the building,” Hoover said. “It’s not just a business opening; it’s bringing life to this rundown historic building and contributing to the business growth in West Columbia by the river.”

Across the bridge in the Vista, Newk’s Eatery is scheduled to open late next month at 707 Gervais St. in the former home of City Market Antiques Mall. This franchise location will be owned and operated by Pam and Chris Corn. Chris Corn is a University of South Carolina graduate and former member of the USC golf team. The restaurant features tossed salads, oven-baked sandwiches, house-made soups and California-style pizzas prepared in an open kitchen. The franchise recently opened locations in Rock Hill and Summerville.

Renovations of the Gervais warehouse include mixed-use development that is also home to upscale Greenville-based burger eatery Grill Marks, which opened for business there last month.

Next door to Newk’s, Wired Goat Cafe is set to open at 709 Gervais St. but a date has not been set. The coffee and bake shop’s only other location is in Chapin, where it recently relocated to 908 Chapin Road.

In Forest Acres, Mattress Firm will be among the shops to open at Columbia Development Co.’s strip mall development at Forest Drive and Percival Road, according to Claire Charhon of Jackson Spalding, who represents Mattress Firm. The new location will be 4,000 square feet and is expected to open Nov. 6. Previously announced tenants for the development include Panera Bread, PetCo, Tijuana Flats Tex-Mex restaurant and Wingstop restaurant.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 9:47 PM.