This bustling Columbia district will get a new Mexican restaurant. What we know
A location for a well-known Mexican restaurant chain is being planned in one of Columbia’s key hospitality districts.
A Qdoba Mexican Eats restaurant is coming to 1000 Gervais St., according to Cason Development Group CEO Frank Cason. That’s at the southeast corner of Gervais and Park streets in the heart of the Vista district.
The restaurant could open in early 2026, Cason told The State. It will be on the first floor of the building at 1000 Gervais, while a handful of short-term rental apartments are planned for the upper floor. The building was initially built in 1929, per Richland County property records.
News of the plans for the Qdoba and upstairs apartments was first reported by The Post and Courier Columbia.
“We are excited to deliver another mixed use, historic rehab project in the heart of the Vista,” Cason said in a text message. “Columbia has a lot of momentum and our team feels fortunate that we are able to be a part of it.”
There are about 750 Qdoba Mexican restaurant locations across the U.S., according to data website ScrapeHero. The only current Columbia locations are at the Russell House on the campus of the University of South Carolina and on the property of the U.S. Army’s Fort Jackson training installation.
The menu at Qdoba includes tacos, burritos, quesadillas, bowls, nachos and more.
Cason Development has been at the center of a number of projects in Columbia in recent years. For instance, it shepherded the Fifth and Sloan mixed-use development on Rosewood Drive, which included new apartments in the former Rosewood Baptist Church, as well as space for new businesses. Cason is also partnering in the project that will bring a new Gather COLA food hall to the BullStreet District. And the development company helped usher in the new Cocky Rooster restaurant that recently debuted in Five Points earlier this year.
This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 12:25 PM.
