Columbia’s getting a new restaurant and market. It has a well-known local chef
Details are coming together for a new restaurant and market that is planned for a busy area in Columbia.
Melrose Market is set to open this year at 2710 Gervais St, in the Melrose Heights neighborhood area not far from downtown Columbia. The restaurant was initially announced in Aug. 2025 and was described in a release at the time as a place that “will be a modern take on a classic European café, pairing approachable dining in a refined atmosphere with the warmth of a neighborhood hub.”
Now a look at who will be leading the restaurant day-to-day has come into focus.
Josh Rogerson is set to be the executive chef at Melrose Market, according to a Tuesday news release from the restaurant. He’s a familiar name on the Midlands culinary scene, having formerly been the executive chef at Saluda’s in Five Points for a number of years and later co-founding the Parabellum Mobile Eats food truck.
Rogerson will be joined in the kitchen by sous chef Alex Runyan, a longtime collaborator who also co-founded Parabellum and has experience at other Columbia restaurants including Eggs Up Grill and Saluda’s, per the release.
“I’m really excited about this concept and the freedom it gives our team to be creative,” Rogerson said in the release. “Growing up in Italy, I’ve always gravitated toward continental influences and this is a great opportunity to bring that perspective into a menu that still feels approachable and fun.”
Melrose Market announced that Kaitlin Broome McCrackin will be its general manager. She has worked in a number of restaurants in Columbia, including a decade at Cantina 76 and past roles at Pearlz Oyster Bar, Cola’s and other establishments, per the news release.
“The opportunity to help build something from the ground up — especially alongside this team — was something I couldn’t pass up,” McCrackin said in a statement. “There’s a clear vision behind Melrose Market, and it already feels like we’re creating something really special.”
Diners can get an early flavor of Melrose Market at the Columbia Food and Wine Festival’s grand tasting event on April 26, where the restaurant will be among dozens of vendors. Melrose Market’s festival offering, according to the release, will be a “lobster and avocado salad featuring Maine lobster, fresh avocado, shaved red onion, tomato, citrus vinaigrette dressing and a Tajin dusting.”
