Columbia’s popular Vista to get a new restaurant in a bustling area. What we know
A new restaurant is headed to a prominent spot in one of Columbia’s key districts.
Aura Kitchen & Bar is coming to the space that formerly was home to Boku at 916 Gervais St., according to Tuesday social media posts from The Vista district.
“Something new is headed to The Vista,” the district said on Instagram and Facebook. “(Aura Kitchen & Bar) is taking over the former Boku space, bringing a mix of Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Korean flavors to the district.”
An opening date for Aura has not been publicly announced, though the Vista noted on social media there would be more updates coming soon.
Meanwhile, Aura said in an Instagram post that it will be offering “Pan-Asian fusion” and “drinks and late night vibes,” touting that it “brings together Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Korean flavors all under one roof.”
Boku opened at 916 Gervais in 2022, but closed in 2025 amid revelations that the restaurant’s bookkeeper, Melodie Hoover, was embezzling from the group that owned the business. Hoover was convicted of money laundering and wire fraud in a Nov. 2025 federal trial, and was subsequently sentenced in March to six years in prison. Boku’s sister restaurants, Publico in Five Points and in BullStreet, remain open and operating.
The Vista is one of Columbia’s most enduring hospitality districts, lined with restaurants, bars, shops, art galleries, hotels and more. It’s a high-traffic area, with nearly 32,000 cars per day traveling down Gervais Street, per state Department of Transportation data.
