A gym, coffee shop, hotels, more: Check out these new businesses in the Midlands

Laurryn Salem
·5 min read

These new businesses recently opened or are coming soon to the Midlands. From restaurants to barbershops, check out these eight new businesses.

If you are starting a new business or know of one coming to Columbia or Lexington, reach out to reporter Laurryn Salem at lsalem@thestate.com.

Azalea Coffee Bar

A new coffee shop opens at 2700 Devine St. today for its soft opening. In October, owner Brittany Koester announced plans to open the female-focused brick and mortar coffee shop in Columbia.

The name azalea comes from Koester’s childhood in Summerville, where the springs were filled with blooming azaleas, she said. The name is also a tribute to Koester’s late mother, who inspired her to leave a corporate job and start a coffee business in 2017.

Azalea Coffee Bar will sell coffee and pastries, along with some retail items from women-owned companies, Koester told The State in November.

The shop features a mural painted by the prominent Columbia muralist Ija Monet, who is painting a mural on 1401 Main St. in Columbia called Black Wall Street.

Brittany Koester will open her new coffee shop, Azalea Coffee Bar, early 2021. Azalea Coffee Bar will sell coffee and pastries produced by women.
Brittany Koester will open her new coffee shop, Azalea Coffee Bar, early 2021. Azalea Coffee Bar will sell coffee and pastries produced by women.

Asian Express

An Asian Express restaurant is set to open at 2400 Forest Drive in Columbia.

Built in 1979, according to Loopnet, the fast food building is undergoing renovations before opening again. It was last a Church’s Chicken before the business closed in 2018, and has remained empty for more than three years.

Asian Express will be near the intersections of Taylor Street and Millwood Avenue, across from Providence Hospital.

Lai Lin is the listed owner of the building. The building sold for $475,000 in 2018 and has a drive through window.

An Asian Express restaurant will open in the former Church’s Chicken building on Forest Drive in Columbia.
An Asian Express restaurant will open in the former Church’s Chicken building on Forest Drive in Columbia.

Results Fitness

A new gym is opening in a former warehouse building at 4326 Wildcat Road in the Rosewood-Garners Ferry Road-Devine Street district.

Construction is expected to be complete in time for Results Fitness to open this summer. The gym will be next to the McDonalds at 4801 Garners Ferry Road.

Robert Simmons, a personal trainer in Columbia, is opening the gym and will offer personal training and treadmill-based group classes for groups of 18 to 24 people. The personal training sessions will use free weights and various fitness machines.

Simmons started as a personal trainer for Jamie Scott fitness in 2013, according to a release from the Cason Development Group.

“My goal is to bridge the gap between personal training and the class sessions and get to know the people in classes because I believe that is the best way for me to build relationships and for people to start seeing results,” Simmons said.

The Cason Development Group is renovating the building, which has been vacant for a decade, according to the company. Boyer Construction is the general contractor and SEED Architecture is the architect for the project.

Results Fitness will open at 4326 Wildcat Road off of Garner’s Ferry Road in Columbia this summer. The building was vacant for 10 years before being transformed into a gym.
Results Fitness will open at 4326 Wildcat Road off of Garner’s Ferry Road in Columbia this summer. The building was vacant for 10 years before being transformed into a gym.

NOMA Warehouse

At 2250 Sumter St. in Cottontown, the former gift shop A Taste of the South opened as an art-focused co-working space on March 29.

Mazie Cook and Beth Lawson co-own the NOMA Warehouse and will sell anything from arts to antiques to jewelry. Cook said she was inspired by Andy Warhol’s Factory as a vision for the communal art workshop.

Cook most recently painted a mural in Indah Coffee shop, next to NOMA Warehouse. Cook’s father, Trahern Cook who also is known as Easel Cathedral, is a Columbia artist most known for his live paintings at Soda City Market.

Cottontown is a growing district with Indah Coffee, The War Mouth and Cottontown Brew Lab creating a vibrant scene in the older Columbia neighborhood. The Cottontown neighborhood hosts an annual art crawl in the spring for the past few years to showcase artists and sell art work to the community.

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Towneplace Suites by Marriott

Towneplace Suites in West Columbia opened at the beginning of the year at 2915 Sunset Blvd. for guests.

The hotel offers 111 rooms that feature studio, 1 bedroom and home office suites. Some rooms feature full kitchens with separate living areas, and the home office suites provide guests with storage and space to work at the hotel.

Solara Hospitality developed the hotel and operates three other hotels in the Midlands— the Residence Inn by Marriott on Lake Murray Boulevard in Irmo, The Residence Inn across from Lexington Medical Center and the TownePlace Suites by Marriott on Columbiana Drive.

Towneplace Suites by Marriott hotel opened in early 2021 in West Columbia, SC. The hotel has 111 rooms.
Towneplace Suites by Marriott hotel opened in early 2021 in West Columbia, SC. The hotel has 111 rooms.

Modern Companion

A boutique pet supply store held its grand opening on March 27 at 508 B Lexington Ave.

Modern Companion specializes in dog and cat accessories like bandannas, scarves, bowties, collars and leashes. They also carry a variety of human items like t-shirts to match your pet and mugs.

Maddie St. Gelais, a self-described crazy pet mom, started Modern Companion as an online shop two years ago. She regularly sets up shop at Soda City market in Columbia and decided to open a brick and mortar store after sales rose during the pandemic.

St. Gelais grew her business out of her house and into more than 60 retailers who carry Modern Companion products. The new store at the Old Lexington Town Center will be both a retail shop and a workshop to manufacture most of the products.

Maddie St. Gelais was inspired to open a pet boutique, Modern Companion, from her two dalmations. St. Gelais will open the first brick-and-mortar location in Chapin in March, 2021.
Maddie St. Gelais was inspired to open a pet boutique, Modern Companion, from her two dalmations. St. Gelais will open the first brick-and-mortar location in Chapin in March, 2021.

Home2Suites

A Home2Suites hotel is being built at 92 Creech Road off of Blythewood Road and near I-77.

Home2Suites is a Hilton branded hotel and has other locations in Columbia near Fort Jackson, Harbison and at Pickens and Gervais streets in downtown Columbia.

The Home2Suites brand of Hilton hotels focuses on affordability, sustainability and eco-friendly amenities to guests. The hotels do not offer plastic plates and utensils, and instead provide real china to guests.

The West view rendering of the Home2Suites hotel under construction in Blythewood, South Carolina.
The West view rendering of the Home2Suites hotel under construction in Blythewood, South Carolina.

Southern Gentleman’s Barbering Co.

Southern Gentleman’s Barbering opened a third location in Chapin on March 25, according to the company’s Facebook page. The vintage-inspired barbershop offers cold beers while you’re in the chair and a variety of retail products for hair and shaving.

The barbershop started in Five Points and has another location in Lexington. Southern Gentleman’s in Chapin is at 203 Amick’s Ferry Road in the former Chadwicks Barbershop building.

The barbershop accepts walk-ins or appointments from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Southern Gentleman’s is hiring licensed barbers and cosmetologists for immediate hire. To apply, email cnlovett10@yahoo.com.