Columbia bar set to reopen after picking up pieces from looting, burning during riot
The business that suffered some of the most damage during the May 30 riot in downtown Columbia following the George Floyd protest is set to reopen this weekend.
And a Columbia City Council member wants to explore ways to help it and other businesses affected by the unrest.
Carolina Western Pub at the corner of Lady and Park streets will open at 5 p.m. Friday, owner Marc Segal said.
“We’ve spent the last three weeks making repairs,” he said. “We’re ready to go this weekend.”
The bar, country music dance club and restaurant has made $150,000 in repairs, Segal said, but his insurance company will not cover the damages.
A provision in many policies excludes damages caused during civil unrest, Segal and other business owners said. Damage during break-ins or vandalism is covered., they said.
The pub was one of about 30 businesses damaged in the unrest, which began after Columbia police dispersed protesters from in front of their headquarters buildings on Washington Street.
The damaged businesses include popular restaurants like The Blue Marlin, Jason’s Deli and Thirsty Fellow, and structures such as the former Columbia Fire Department Headquarters on Senate Street, the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on Lincoln Street and the Capitol Center at the corner of Assembly and Gervais streets, the state’s tallest building, according to merchants associations in the downtown area.
Fires were set in three buildings and two were looted, according to the associations and business owners. But the majority of the stores, restaurants and structures suffered relatively minor damage, such as broken windows and graffiti.
At the corner of Washington and Assembly streets in the Main Street District, rioters broke the windows in the Main Street News convenience store and began looting, according to Matt Kennell, president of City Center Partnership, which guides development in the district.
An employee of Main Street News told The State the main targets were beer and cigarettes.
Segal, the owner of Carolina Western Pub, told The State he closed about 5 p.m., “because the unrest was getting a little crazy.”
Rioters then broke into the bar and restaurant and trashed the place, he said.
“They lit my bathrooms on fire, destroyed all the property inside the building, busted up the bars and took all the alcohol,” Segal said.
In light of insurance concerns, the city of Columbia will explore ways to help the businesses, like Segal’s, that were most severely affected, a city council member said.
At-large council member Howard Duvall said he will ask staff to explore federal, state and local assistance programs that might be available.
While city property was also was damaged — including the burning of three police cruisers — much of those damages are covered by insurance.
“Maybe we can share some of that money,” he said.
Here’s a list of all the damaged businesses and building identified so far by the Vista Guild and City Center Partnership:
VISTA
Vista Guild: Van burned
Mellow Mushroom: Window broken
Carol Saunders Gallery: Window broken
Columbia Visitors Center: Windows broken
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center: Windows broken
Old Chicago Pizza: Window broken
PNC: Window broken
Gervais Nails: Windows broken
Jimmy Johns: Window broken
Jason’s Deli: Window broken
Starbucks: Window broken
Former Peanut Man location: Window broken
1229 Lincoln St: Window broken/fire damage/graffiti
Sandler’s Diamonds and Times: Windows broken
Aloft Hotel: Windows and doors broken
Blue Marlin: Windows broken
911 Lady Street: Windows and doors broken
915 Lady Street: Windows broken
Carolina Western Pub: Looted/fire damage
Lincoln Street Parking Garage: Fire damage/graffiti
Lorick Office Products: Window broken/graffiti
Thirsty Fellow: Damage to ice machine and air conditioner
Former Fire Department Headquarters: Windows broken/graffiti
MAIN STREET
Capitol Center, window broken
Ameris Bank, windows broken
Main Street News, windows broken/looting
Sylvan’s Jewelers: windows broken
This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 11:10 AM.