You want ‘em. We ain’t got ‘em. What popular chain businesses is Columbia missing?
Whenever a new business is reported in a local news story, one of the first public responses is “Columbia needs a (insert popular national brand here)!”
We consumers are intensely loyal to our favorite brands, and we covet their presence wherever we go.
If you’ve migrated south from a town with a Wegman’s grocery store, or if you’ve stopped at a Wawa gas station on one of your travels, you’re likely to wish and hope and dream for one where you live. We know you do, because we’ve heard you say so.
With a growing population and, particularly, an influx of millennial residents, the Columbia area is ripe for certain kinds of developments and new businesses. And as more people move into South Carolina in general, more national businesses are likely to follow, said Mark Rosenbaum, a retail expert and former chairman of the retail department at the University of South Carolina.
“As the southern states increase in population, especially due to migration, you will expect retailers that have a loyal base to move with their customers,” Rosenbaum said.
That said, the Columbia area likely doesn’t have all the characteristics needed to lure some coveted chains. Columbia’s downsides include its spread-out population and segmented areas of congestion, Rosenbaum said.
“You see pockets — in Forest Acres and Devine Street, and maybe the emerging BullStreet and Vista and Harbison,” Rosenbaum said. “But notice how we said ‘pockets.’ Because our population is so geographically diverse, it is very hard for retailers to target a specific area because there isn’t necessarily this one specific area that has this one population. The question becomes how far are people going to drive?”
Those shortcomings don’t stop us all from crossing our fingers for our favorite businesses to land closer to home.
Here’s a rundown of some popular regional and national brands that haven’t made their way to Columbia, but we wish they would:
Cheesecake Factory. Hey now, you knew this was coming. Y’all been hollering for Cheesecake Factory for years, and with fair reason.
The California-based restaurant chain is famous for its book-length menu with more than 250 dishes including, you know, cheesecake. There are more than 200 locations around the world, but the nearest restaurants to Columbia are in Greenville and Charlotte.
The company did not respond to a message recently left by The State newspaper.
Harris Teeter. These grocery stores are prolific throughout North Carolina, where the company is based, and they’re found in every other metro area in South Carolina besides Columbia. Why not Columbia?
A Harris Teeter representative told The State that the company “is always reviewing new real estate opportunities. ... Our decisions, however, to build or maintain stores are never based on one thing, but rather a variety of factors: size and configuration of available sites, existing and future traffic patterns, the proximity of existing Harris Teeter locations, as well as other demographic and economic considerations including residential growth.”
The company has not executed any leases for future sites in the Columbia area, and a spokesperson declined to comment on whether any nearby locations are under consideration.
Local alternative: Lowes Foods is another North Carolina-based grocer that’s moved into the Columbia market with great fanfare in the past few years. Sip a beer while you shop, and let yourself be tempted by the smells of smoked sausages that waft throughout the store.
H&M. This popular clothing store was rumored to be eyeing Columbiana Centre mall a few years back, but it never materialized. The Swedish fast-fashion chain is known for cheap, trendy and wide-ranging clothing choices.
Though none in Columbia, there are eight stores in South Carolina, including in Spartanburg, Florence, Myrtle Beach, Charleston and North Charleston.
The company did not respond to a message recently left by The State newspaper.
Sheetz, Wawa or Buc-ee’s. Guys, you love gas stations. We get it. When The State recently reported on QuikTrip stores opening in the Midlands, waves of comments both cheered the new stores and begged for more — specifically, Wawa, Sheetz and Buc-ee’s.
These three stand out for everything they offer besides gasoline, particularly their hot foods. None of these chains have any South Carolina locations, though Buc-ee’s plans to open in Florence County, with construction expected to start later this year. A Buc-ee’s representative also told The State the company is looking at other sites in South Carolina for potential future stores.
For now, you can only find Buc-ee’s in Texas and Alabama; Sheetz in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Ohio; and Wawa in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and Washington, D.C.
Local alternative: The QuikTrip chain is opening at least five gas station/convenience stores in the Midlands this year, and many people have rejoiced.
Bass Pro Shop or Cabela’s. The Columbia area is home to many sportsmen and outdoor lovers who would go wild inside one of these stores. The pair of outdoor retail giants are part of the same company and are considered among America’s favorite stores for shopping experience.
But to enjoy these vast caverns of hunting, fishing, camping and recreation gear, you’ll have to travel from Columbia to Myrtle Beach, Augusta, Greenville or the Charlotte area.
The company did not respond to a message recently left by The State newspaper.
Local alternatives: We love River Runner Outdoor Center, a longtime locally owned staple for a high-quality selection of outdoor gear. Main Street’s Mast General store, a regional chain based in North Carolina, also covers some of those bases and is just a fun place to shop. Of course, all eyes are on the massive new REI Co-op store being built in the BullStreet district in downtown Columbia; it’ll open this spring.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. If you’ve experienced Jeni’s, you get it. If you haven’t yet, we’re here to spread the gospel.
This Ohio-based ice cream company has scoop shops in a dozen cities, the nearest in Charleston and Charlotte. Locally, you can find pints of flavors such as Brambleberry Crisp and Gooey Butter Cake at some grocery stores, including Publix, Whole Foods and The Fresh Market.
“We’ve loved being in Charleston, and we definitely have plans to expand in South Carolina — we just don’t know where or when yet!” a Jeni’s spokesperson said in an email to The State. “Our customers truly drive where we open shops next. We always listen closely to them, so when they ask for a Jeni’s scoop shop in a certain city, we always check it out.”
Local alternative: Sweet Cream Co. on Main Street is just fabulous. With unique flavors like zucchini bread and Earl Grey — and, like Jeni’s, super good waffle cones — we really can’t speak highly enough Sweet Cream.
Apple. Let’s be honest: This one’s a bit of a reach for Columbia, but everyone’s thought about it for ages.
There are 271 Apple retail stores in 45 states in the U.S., including two in South Carolina — Greenville and Charleston — and two in Charlotte alone.
In the past, Rosenbaum, the retail expert, has shown skepticism that Columbia could attract a store like Apple.
“Downtown Greenville, for example, has a pocket of money and consumers in a very small area making it very lucrative for retailers to easily tap into,” he explained to The State in 2018 when the Apple question was posed to him. In Columbia, he said, “we’re young. We’re almost in an infantile stage, and we do not send a clear message right now to retail developers on where to find a target market.”
Truly, we could keep this list going forever. There’s P.F. Chang’s and Shake Shack, Top Golf and IKEA. It’s a big, big world out there with all kinds of places to spend our monies.
Who would you add to this list? Tell us your favorite businesses you’d like to see come to the Columbia area. Email reporter Sarah Ellis at sellis@thestate.com.
P.S. — Hey, you, the one who’s about to complain that this story isn’t about local businesses. Check out this rundown of some local business news from the past few months:
Most restaurants don’t return after closing for a year, but this vegan cafe is back
Riverfront site lands first commercial tenant: A coffee shop and taproom opening soon
Huge brewery planned for N. Main hopes to be one of SC’s largest, transform the area
At long last! New restaurant opening in West Columbia to fill 116 Espresso bar’s void
Lamb’s Bread cafe makes comeback in Columbia as vegan eating gains mainstream footing
With new opening, Craft & Draft continues crusade to boost Midlands’ craft beer scene
With Sandy’s closing, where else can you get a good hot dog around Columbia?
He traded big business for hot dogs. 41 years later, it’s a bittersweet goodbye for Sandy’s
New chef-driven upscale restaurant opening soon, as Main Street renaissance continues
Long-awaited restaurant-market combo opening soon in downtown Columbia
New Cayce yoga studio flips classes on their heads with rock ‘n’ roll, reggae and more
Nonnah’s dessert restaurant, a Vista staple, closes
Popular candy store closes downtown Columbia shop to focus on one large location
Five Points to welcome popular cafe that recently closed on Rosewood
With new high-dollar homes, Devine Street is poised for Columbia’s next big boom
Five Points development on deck as village sees recent business turnovers
Son opens late father’s dream restaurant after his tragic death
Shrimp and grits biscuit? Bubba’s Biscuit joint opening 2 Midlands shops
This story was originally published March 2, 2020 at 8:55 AM.
