A new Indian restaurant is planned for a former bar location in this Columbia district
It seems there’s a new Aroma headed to Five Points.
Aroma of India restaurant is coming to 707 Harden St. in the longtime shopping and nightlife district just east of the University of South Carolina, according to a sign at the property. Early details are scarce, but the sign says the restaurant will have “authentic Indian cuisine.”
The storefront at 707 Harden was formerly home to The Barn bar. It’s right next door to Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint, which opened last year at 711 Harden St.
For more that 100 years, Five Points has been a key urban village for Columbia, one known for its shops, restaurants and bars that have long been favorites of students at nearby USC. And, across its century of existence, the district has been ever-evolving.
There have been a host of new businesses opened or planned in the district’s latest evolution.
For instance, the independent bookstore All Good Books opened its doors earlier this year at 734 Harden St. Meanwhile, Pannerpete vintage clothing store opened at 738 Harden, right next to All Good Books, back in March. Both of those shops are near the SWIFF luxury streetwear shop that opened on Harden in 2022.
And more debuts are on the way in Five Points. Legendary former USC quarterback Steve Taneyhill, who has long owned Five Points’ Group Therapy bar, recently purchased Breakers and Breakers Live on Harden Street and is working with a partner to transformer Breakers into CB18 Bar and Grill, a Gamecock bar that opens on July 29.
Also, Peebles, which has several restaurants in Columbia, plans to open another one at 819 Harden St. in Five Points, in the former Southern Belly location. And Break Point Cola, a shop that sells tennis and pickleball equipment and apparel, plans to open at 719 Saluda Ave.
This story was originally published July 25, 2023 at 12:35 PM.
