This popular Columbia coffee pop-up is planning a permanent home in Five Points
A Columbia coffee pop-up known for its creative drinks is planning a brick-and-mortar shop in one of the capital city’s key retail districts.
Godspeed, which has been operating as a pop-up in a couple of spots in Columbia in the last year, is planning a more permanent location at 747 Saluda Avenue in Five Points. That location formerly was home to a Starbucks, which closed in 2023 after 20 years in business.
This will be the second time Godspeed has operated in the space at 747 Saluda Ave. Last year, when longtime record shop Papa Jazz was renovating its store on Greene Street for several months, it temporarily moved into the storefront at 747 Saluda, and Godspeed shared the space with them. After Papa Jazz reopened its Greene Street store, Godspeed moved its pop-up operation down Saluda Avenue to the Boyd Innovation Center, where it continues to operate several days per week.
But now the coffee shop is planning a more lasting return to 747 Saluda. Godspeed co-owner Roger Caughman said renovations at the former Starbucks space are ongoing, and he is hopeful for an opening this summer, or perhaps in the fall. Caughman owns Godspeed with his fiance, Kailey Cunningham.
“It is true,” Caughman said of Godspeed planning a brick-and-mortar at 747 Saluda. “We leased the space in February and we have begun some work on the space. We started taking back the drop ceiling that was installed in there by Starbucks, and Kailey and I, with help from her dad, as well, have been in there popping up tiles and revealing the nice broken tile [design] underneath the tiles Starbucks had put in there.”
Caughman and Cunningham are both former baristas at Five Points’ Drip Coffee. Caughman said the neighborhood has always felt like the right spot for Godspeed, both as a pop-up and the coming permanent shop.
“There’s a lot of arts, a lot of great food, a lot of great boutique shops down there, head shops, the whole nine yards,” Caughman said. “It has a little bit of everything, and we just love the folks down there. It’s such great energy and it’s a forward-thinking area of town for the future of Columbia.”
Longtime Five Points businessman and property owner Richard Burts owns the Saluda Avenue building where Godspeed is planning its shop. He told The State that, since Starbucks closed two years ago, he had numerous would-be tenants approach him about the space at 747 Saluda. But he wanted to wait for just the right business that matched the vibe of the neighborhood, and Godspeed fit the bill.
“I was trying my best to locate a concept that I think would be good for that particular building,” Burts said.
While Godspeed features more traditional coffee and espresso beverages, its proclivity for creative drinks has drawn attention. The pop-up has served up specials such as the “Magpie” (a cold brew beverage shaken with strawberry Prosecco jam) and “Movin’ to the Country” (pairing matcha with peach nectar, Sprite and lime).
This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
