Busy Midlands road to get new McDonald’s; Lexington steakhouse adds to open days
The golden arches are headed to Lower Richland.
A new McDonald’s restaurant is coming to 117 Bunch Lane in Hopkins, near the intersection of Garners Ferry Road and Lower Richland Boulevard. The fast food restaurant will be next door to a Murphy USA gas station and just a short distance from Lower Richland High School.
The restaurant was well under construction when a reporter went by earlier this week. The land where the burger spot is being built is owned by a limited liability company that is addressed at McDonald’s corporate headquarters in Chicago, according to Richland County tax map records.
Job listings for the Hopkins location were posted on sites such as Indeed and Glassdoor as of Wednesday afternoon. An opening date for the Hopkins location has not been publicly announced.
McDonald’s remains a leader in the fast food business, both in the U.S. and abroad, and is known for its burgers, french fries, chicken McNuggets, and legendary Happy Meals. There are 20 McDonald’s locations in the greater Columbia and Lexington area, according to a store locator tool on the company’s website.
Ember steakhouse to expand days in Lexington
A high-end steakhouse that debuted in the heart of Lexington earlier this year is now adding extra days to its schedule.
Ember, a steakhouse from several well-known local restaurateurs, opened in June at 101 W. Main St., near the Icehouse Amphitheater. Currently the business is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, but that will soon change.
“Starting September 8th, we’ll be open 7 days a week — because your evenings deserve Ember, no matter the day,” Ember said on Facebook. Reservations for the steakhouse can be made through the website Resy.
Ember is an effort from several local restaurateurs, including Steve Cook, whose portfolio includes Saluda’s in Five Points, Joe Walker III, who in the past has franchised Marco’s Pizza and Scooter’s Coffee locations locally, and former Hall’s Chophouse general manager Ryan Jones. The restaurant offers steaks, salads, seafood, pork chops, an extensive wine list and more.
Coffee chain that has Midlands locations adds pumpkin drinks
Fall is not quite here yet, but a coffee company that has Columbia-area locations is about to add pumpkin pie beverages.
7 Brew, which has drive-thru coffee locations on N. Beltline Boulevard in Forest Acres and on Garners Ferry Road in Columbia, is rolling out its fall menu on Sept. 1, and that will include “the rich, creamy Pumpkin Pie drinks fans wait for all year,” the company said in a release.
Those drinks will include the Pumpkin Blondie, which has caramel, vanilla and pumpkin pie flavors, and the Pumpkin Roll Shake, featuring brown sugar cinnamon, white chocolate and pumpkin pie.
There are nearly 400 7 Brew locations across 30 states, according to Ad Age.
This story was originally published August 28, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
