Columbia man opens The Dollar Sto’ in the building his parents built
In 1989, Brian Thomas’s father built a three-unit building at 3017 Farrow Road in Columbia. Thirty-two years later, Thomas opened his own business in the building — The Dollar Sto’.
“I just want to be able to carry on the legacy and for my son to one day carry on that legacy,” said Thomas. “And just to have something for our community.”
It’s been his dream since high school to one day open his own business, Thomas said. He saw a need in the community for a local, Black-owned dollar store away from the large corporate chains and jumped on the opportunity.
Thomas said he especially wanted to open the store after seeing a need for after-school snacks for students at a tutoring business next door. He heard that the owner of the tutoring business didn’t want students crossing the busy street to get to Family Dollar.
The Dollar Sto’ has a variety of snacks, drinks, microwaveable meals, household staples like butter and milk, batteries and more. Thomas makes sure to ask customers what they normally buy at other dollar stores so he can add items to a running list to buy for his store. The list has sat in front of him by the cash register since opening the store on June 12.
“I’ve been telling everybody to bear with me because it’s going to take a little bit of time to get everything that I want,” Thomas said. “But from what I’ve been hearing, people are saying, ‘You’ve already got everything’ or you know the key things.”
The store will also offer copying and faxing services and Thomas plans to eventually sell hot dogs and other hot snacks at the business.
The Dollar Sto’ is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
