Local

A downtown Columbia restaurant closes as another opens nearby. Here’s what we know

Good Life Cafe at 1216 Taylor St. in Columbia, SC
Good Life Cafe at 1216 Taylor St. in Columbia, SC

A restaurant known for its healthy menu options that has long been located in downtown Columbia has closed.

Good Life Cafe, located at 1216 Taylor St., is closed, according to messages on its Instagram account and website, and signs hanging in the windows at the restaurant.

“A heartfelt thank you to our amazing community for your unwavering support over the years,” the restaurant posted on Instagram. “We’ll truly miss each and every one of you.”

On both social media and the signs hanging in the Good Life windows, the restaurant directs customers to the nearby 1624 Bistro, which recently opened at 1624 Main St. Several menu options that were favorites at Good Life will continue to be available at 1624 Bistro, per the company.

A sign hangs in the window at Good Life Cafe on Taylor Street notifying customers of the cafe’s closure.
A sign hangs in the window at Good Life Cafe on Taylor Street notifying customers of the cafe’s closure. Photo by Chris Trainor

Both Good Life Cafe and 1624 Bistro are part of LTC Hospitality Group, which has a number of restaurants in the Main Street District and elsewhere, including The Grand on Main eatery and boutique bowling alley, the upscale Smoked, Hanabi Hibachi and Sushi, and Chapin’s 518 Smokehouse, among others.

Good Life Cafe had been part of the downtown core for at least a decade. It was previously located at 1614 Main St., and moved to 1216 Taylor in spring 2023. For a long while it was a vegan restaurant, but later added some healthy meats to its menu.

Chris Trainor
The State
Chris Trainor is a retail reporter for The State and has been working for newspapers in South Carolina for more than 21 years, including previous stops at the (Greenwood) Index-Journal and the (Columbia) Free Times. He is the winner of a host of South Carolina Press Association awards, including honors in column writing, government beat reporting, profile writing, food writing, business beat reporting, election coverage, social media and more.
Get one year of unlimited digital access for $159.99
#ReadLocal

Only 44¢ per day

SUBSCRIBE NOW