Shop Around: Flooded restaurants open, reopen this week
Two Columbia businesses are thankful to finally put open signs in their windows this week following significant but separate flooding damage to the sites.
On March 19, restaurant 116 State was forced to close suddenly when a second-floor pipe burst and flooded the espresso and wine bar that also serves Latin-inspired dinners and a Sunday brunch. Owner and chef Ryan Whittaker quickly went to work to restore the business and get his employees back to work as soon as possible.
During the renovation, Whittaker said, he received an outpouring of community support.
"There are a lot of negatives about working in the restaurant industry and a lot of people bash Columbia for being too small ... but man I wouldn't trade our friends, colleagues or community in this business for anything," Whittaker said. "They always have you and your restaurant family's back."
Among the supporters was Dave Shaw of SakiTumi Grill and Sushi Bar who, on April 24, invited 116 chefs and staff to have a brunch takeover of his restaurant to help pay staff during their time of unemployment.
116 reopens Thursday and will return to normal business hours: 5-10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for Sunday brunch.
Also opening shop on Thursday is Tropical Smoothie Cafe in the Rosewood Crossing shopping center on Fort Jackson Boulevard. Tropical Smoothie was originally scheduled to open Dec. 15. However, the area's October flooding caused significant damage to nearly all of the newly constructed shopping center, Tropical Smoothie's suite not withstanding. Franchisee Esita Kothari will open the shop at 7 a.m. Thursday and will award the first 50 customers free smoothies for a year.
Tropical Smoothie opened its first location in Tallahassee, Fla., in 1997. In addition to the Rosewood Crossing location, there are three other Tropical Smoothies in the Midlands: on Sunset Boulevard in Lexington, Harbison Boulevard in Irmo and at 650 Lincoln St. in Columbia.
This story was originally published May 2, 2016 at 7:37 AM.