Spread the local love with COLAtoday’s Best

Make your voice heard, nominate your favorite local biz and they could win COLAtoday’s Best Competition.

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Graphic by 6AM City

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At COLAtoday, we share hyper-local and need-to-know information about your Columbia faves. Now, it’s time for you to tell us the best biz in the city.

Meet: COLAtoday’s Best. From coffee shops to event venues, we’re asking for your insight on the top-tier spots Columbia has to offer. Let’s take a look at what you need to know to participate and vote for your number ones.

What are the categories?

We’re shining a spotlight on an amazing variety of local businesses in these categories, and we can’t wait to celebrate all the incredible talent in our community.

  • Apartment Complex
  • Arts + Craft Supply Store
  • Book Store
  • Breweries + Distilleries
  • Brunch
  • Coffee Shop
  • Coworking Location
  • Dentist
  • Fine Dining
  • Food Trucks
  • Golf Course
  • Gym + Fitness Centers
  • Happy Hour
  • Home Service Provider
  • Ice Cream + Desserts
  • Local Influencer + Celebrities
  • Local Non Profit
  • Lunch Spot
  • Medical Center
  • Museum
  • Music Venue
  • Outdoor Dining
  • Party Venue
  • Pet-friendly Venue
  • Photographer
  • Real Estate Agent + Group
  • Spas + Salons
  • Sports Bar
  • Sports Medicine
  • Tap Rooms
  • Theater + Performance Venue
  • Veterinary Clinics
  • Vintage + Resale Shops
  • Winery or Wine Bar

How do I nominate a business?

Nominations are officially open Monday, Sept. 15, and close Friday, Oct. 3. Click on this form to start nominating in various categories.

To nominate a business:

  1. If you’re planning to nominate using a desktop, please use this link. If you’re a mobile user, please use this one.
  2. Desktop users may need to click the “Nominate” button at the top right of your screen to begin adding a nomination.
  3. Select a category to nominate.
  4. Input the business or venue’s name or address, and select one from the drop-down.
  5. If you are the business owner or representative, please provide your email address.
  6. Once you’ve finished, click “Add nomination.”
  7. If a business or venue has already been nominated, don’t forget to upvote the nomination by clicking the thumbs up icon next to their business or venue name. Upvoting helps to increase the chances of making it to our final voting round.

If you’re having trouble nominating, please contact todaysbest@6amcity.com.

When does voting start?

Hold tight. We will crunch the numbers and announce the final nominees and open voting on Monday, Oct. 20 — and don’t worry, we’ll remind you when voting ends on Tuesday, Nov. 25.

What about the winners?

The winners for each category will be announced Monday, Dec. 8.

Now that you have the details, it’s time to celebrate our local biz. Ready, set, nominate.

To get your choices in, nominate from your phone here, or nominate from your desktop here.

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