Columbia couple opens brunch, lunch, anytime cafe at Factory at Columbia

Thanks to a sweetheart team-up, Columbia has a vibrant new café option for locally-sourced, house-made menu items at August Sage Café & Lounge, one of the newest restaurants to join a burgeoning collection of eateries at The Factory at Columbia.

Fixed front and center at the entrance of The Factory, August Sage is the brainchild of Columbia couple Sara and Andrew Carlton, focused on offering brunch, lunch, anytime shareables and an array of coffee and mixed drinks to customers looking for a unique range of flavors.

The cafe's grand opening is Feb. 1.

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They say they have some practice as “moderately” seasoned restaurateurs with a passion for food and drink. Sara once served as manager of another popular eatery Buck and Board in downtown Columbia, where she learned about the restaurant business.

“As we were contemplating this new idea, we passed through The Factory and saw a 'For Lease' sign outside of what is now our café,” Sara Carlton said. “We started exploring the idea … and couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“So we just went for it, and we couldn’t be happier!”

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Labor of love for Columbia couple

Customers have remarked about the careful attention spent on the build and renovation of the location from the interior décor and warm appeal to furniture, custom concrete extra-long bar top and craftsman shelving.

Sara proudly credits the interior work to husband Andrew, a professional woodworker, mentioning his open-door process, while they were building out and decorating the space. A carpenter with his own business, Andrew Carlton built most every piece for the new restaurant, making it truly a combined labor of love for the couple.

“We left the doors and windows uncovered so that anyone who walked through The Factory could see our space and the progress being made every day,” Sara said.

Praising her husband’s build of the tables, benches, tile bar, concrete countertop, behind-bar built-ins, the window wall and bench seating, she said even the charcuterie platters are custom fixtures of the café.

Decking the café out to the hilt with custom builds for the location, the public watched as the new space came together over the past several months.

“We were in there working every day,” she said. “People got to see Andrew working and constantly stopped in to express their excitement.”

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A soft opening on Dec. 19 built a lot of interest and anticipation since first mention of their new venture.

Now the café is in full-swing, seeing new customers everyday, attracting a new crowd of brunch-seekers throughout the week and on Sundays.

“It’s really been neat to see the amount of people walk through and how genuinely impressed and complimentary they are by the appearance of our space, the food that we offer, and the amount of locally-sourced items we carry,” Sara Carlton said.

Local product-based menu guides food selections

Sauces, dressings, spreads, breads, pastries, and more are house-made or locally sourced at August Sage, as the couple likes being able to promote local business through their operations.

“Our mission is to have delicious, unique, and house-made items you aren’t able to find anywhere else in the area, and to use local sources when possible,” Sara said.

Discussing the menu with customers, tends to generate excitement for the experience of trying something new and different, she said.

“We offer Columbia a unique space to eat, drink and relax,” Sara said. “We want to be a space where anyone can order anything from our menu and find a new food or drink item that they love, and then come back to try the rest of our menu.”

The restaurant offers featured menu items for morning or evening with a beer, wine and cocktail list.

Currently, their Facebook page prompts visitors with mouth-watering photos of new breakfast flatbreads, blackberry crunch toast and sweet chevre toast.

Top menu favorites for customers thus far have been the B.L.A.T., or bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato on sourdough baked in-house by Kings Baking owner; Croffle, a creative croissant waffle topped with mascarpone cheese and fresh fruit, and the Croque Monsieur, or ham and gruyere on sourdough topped with baked bechamel, appealing to a wide variety of tastes.

Croissants are provided by Savarino's Bakery in Columbia.

“We do not really have a style of food that we are confined to," Sara Carlton said. “We have items on our menu that are inspired by French cuisine, Italian cuisine, Middle Eastern cuisine, and more. As well as ideas that are completely our own.

"We gravitate towards lighter-fare, with plenty of healthy options, all served in smaller portions and a la carte to encourage customers to order an assortment of different items and share amongst the table.”

Those needing a reprieve from the grind of “the Mondays” can find all-day happy hour specials like $5 craft beer in addition to specials on wine and cocktails.

The restaurant has also made waves with local professionals by hosting the Maury Alliance Women in Business Mixer, offering a charcuterie board catering spread.

With in-house dining and catering underway, Carlton said the café also offers rentable event space at their location.

August Sage Café & Lounge is located at 101 N. James Campbell Blvd., Ste. 6 at The Factory at Columbia. For more information, visit the restaurant’s social media listings on Facebook and Instagram.

Hours of operation:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9:30 p.m.

Thursday and Sunday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Closed on Tuesdays

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Columbia couple opens brunch, lunch cafe at Factory at Columbia