There’s a new market in downtown Columbia. Here’s what makes it a ‘Southern bodega’
There’s something to be said for being able to walk from your home and pop into a neighborhood market to pick up a few items you might need.
There’s now just such a store in the Sola Station neighborhood in the Canalside development near the Congaree River in Columbia.
Midtown Market has opened at 337 Taylor St. in Sola Station. The shop has been open for a few weeks and will have a grand opening event from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 12.
The market is essentially a small grocer, carrying milk, beer and wine, fresh produce, prepared meals from Soul’d Food and the Food Academy, canned goods, sodas, candy, hygiene products, frozen food, pet food, artisanal soaps and more.
Co-owner Lakesha Rasberry said the idea of a neighborhood market is one she has been considering for a while. She called Midtown Market a “Southern bodega,” which is a play on the small grocery stores that are ubiquitous in large cities.
“We wanted to think outside the box,” she said. “There’s already a convenience store on every corner. We wanted to go in somewhere where it is convenient, where people can walk out of their apartments and come right on over.”
As a reporter from The State chatted with Rasberry at the shop on a recent morning, residents of Sola Station were casually popping into the market, fixing cups of coffee and grabbing sodas and snacks. Rasberry hopes Midtown will truly become a community store.
“Anybody can come, of course,” Rasberry said. “But (nearby neighbors) are our customers, and we want to get the products they need. Our thing is, ‘We grow together.’ You let us know what you need and we’ll try our best to get it in.”
Rasberry, who co-owns Midtown Market with her husband, Kevin, said it means much to her to be able to open a market near downtown Columbia.
“It’s an amazing feeling for me,” she said. “I have been in retail since I was 16, and I learned a little bit from each company I worked for. To finally take that step and open up my own market, that has been amazing.”
This story was originally published March 8, 2022 at 2:07 PM.
