A new barbecue restaurant, 518 Smokehousehas opened its doors in Chapin.
The Southern food eatery, at 673 Chapin Rd.comes from the Middleton family, a group of restaurateurs responsible for reshaping much of Main Street in Columbia with restaurants and bars like Smoked, The Venue, Hanabi Hibachi and The Grand.
Their expansion into the Chapin market was first reported in August 2022with initial plans to open the barbecue joint in the spring of last year.
The restaurant, just outside the Chapin city limits heading towards Lake Murray, offers a wide-range of meats and seafood from fried catfish to pork chops and brisket. Meals range from around $15 for smoked pulled chicken to over $30 for a full rack of ribs.
The kitchen will be led by executive chef Kevin Schwabwho spent the last three years leading Bistro on the Boulevard in Irmo, SC
On Saturdays and Sundays, 518 Chophouse will offer brunch until 2 pm During the week, happy hour takes place from 4 pm to 6 pm and includes $5 house liquor and $1 off beer on tap.
518 Smokehouse is open Mondays through Thursdays from 11 am until 10 pm and until 11 pm on Fridays. It opens for brunch at 9:30 am on weekends and is open until 11 pm Saturday and 10 pm Sunday. Reservations can be made at 518smokehouse.com.
Hilton buys out Graduate hotel chain
An international hotel chain, Hilton Hotelshas purchased the Graduate Hotels company, according to a press release from Hilton. The latter operates a boutique stay on the University of South Carolina’s campus.
The building that the hotel, at 1619 Pendleton St.was purchased by the university in 1974. Originally, the school had plans to demolish the historic building, which was constructed in 1911, according to Historic Columbia’s website.
Residents petitioned the university to maintain the building and it eventually was renovated into the hotel, which earned it preservation awards from Historic Columbia.
The Graduate Hotel in Columbia is franchised and owned by AJ Capital, according to a corporate spokesperson for Hilton. The local owner will retain the USC-adjacent boutique hotel, but all branding and logo rights are now owned by Hilton.
Staff will not be impacted, the Hilton spokesperson told Columbia’s Post & Courier.
Antique store Re-Find opens Rosewood location
Iced-coffee-sipping hipsters and adorable elderly couples can rejoice — popular antique store Re-Find has returned, with its new location in Rosewood.
The carefully-curated antique business, which made a name for itself over nearly a decade at its Two Notch Road location, closed that store to move into Columbia proper. The new location is at 718 S. Edisto Ave., just off Rosewood Drive.
“It’s been great for us, but it’s just time for us,” owner Padget McGuire told the Free Times about the Two Notch location in a previous interview.
The new location, just near the Jim Hamilton airport and Hunter Gatherer Brewery at the Hangar, is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 am to 6 pm and Sundays from 12 pm to 5 pm
Other business news you might’ve missed:
Drake’s Duck-inthe iconic fast-casual chicken restaurant in Columbia, will return to its longtime roots Main Street location after nearly a year of renovations.
The updated space, with new booths and decorations, is set for a grand reopening on March 21according to a press release from the city of Columbia.
New apartments could be headed to the plot of land along Elmwood Avenue between Main and Sumter streetsaccording to city planning documents.
The development, named The Woodley apartmentswould bring 102 units to an area of Columbia that separates Main Street, which has seen a renaissance of new restaurants, bars and businesses in the last decade, and North Main Street, which has also grown unevenly in recent years.
The four-story multi-building complex would require around 100 parking spots and houses mostly one to two bedroom units.