Plus, Columbia is looking to relaunch the Blue Bikes Program.
 
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☕️ You’ve never seen something so brewtiful
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Methodical Coffee plans to open its Columbia shop in fall of 2024. | Rendering courtesy of Project Plus Architects
As part of Drink Up Week, we’re bringing back one of your favorite city guides, updated with seasonal menus, pop-ups, and coming soon news. For richer or pour over, Columbia’s coffee shops are what keep us going in the morning.

The Capital City has no shortage of masterful baristas, aromatic roasts, and foamy lattes. But if you’re having trouble deciding on a spot, gather some brews clues with our guide to some of the best coffee shops in Columbia.

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Roger Caughman and Kailey Cunningham recently opened Godspeed, a new pop-up coffee shop.

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Photo by COLAtoday

Specialty drinks

Godspeed, Five Points District + Mobile | Try this new Godspeed coffee + Papa Jazz Record Shoppe collaboration pop-up at 727 Saluda St. in the former Starbucks location. The two businesses plan to be there through next week.

Roasts to boast

Methodical Coffee, coming soon to the BullStreet District | The Greenville-based coffee roaster and café announced its plans to open a new flagship store in the bustling BullStreet District at 2149 Pickens St. by early November 2024. Fun fact: You may be familiar with its beans from Piecewise Coffee, which serves a custom Methodical roast called “The Daily Driver.”

smallSUGAR

Order a smallSUAGR breakfast with an iced vanilla latte. | Photo by COLAtoday team

Best bites

smallSUGAR, The Vista | City editor Sam here. One of my favorite lattes in Columbia is the iced vanilla latte with oat milk from smallSUGAR. Pro tip: order the smallSUGAR breakfast for a filling, yet fresh, meal.

Perfect for a date

Farmers Market Xchange, The Vista | Grab a cup of Joe and then browse breads, meats, cheeses, and more from Monday through Saturday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Pro tip: Hot lunches will be served from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays through Friday. This is a good option to test the waters — you know, a reach for the bread at the same time moment.
City Guide presented by AllSouth Federal Credit Union.
 
Asked
 

Do you prefer to make your coffee or tea at home or get it on the go at a local business?
A. I brew my own drinks at home
B. I stop at my local coffee shop
C. I get my order from a large coffee chain (Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, Panera... etc.)
 
Lexington Medical Center
 
Events
 
Thursday, July 25
  • Jazz Party & Jam Session | Thursday, July 25 | 7-10 p.m. | The Aristocrat, 1001 Washington St., Columbia | Free | Unwind and enjoy some amazing jazz.
  • Public Tour: (Un)Settled | Thursday, July 25 | Times vary | Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main St., Columbia | Free | Take a guided tour of “The Landscape in American Art,” a new exhibition exploring the rich, complicated, and evolving topic of what it means to be American.
  • Meeting Street Artisan Market - Summer Series | Thursday, July 25 | 4-8 p.m. | Interactive Art Park, 425 Meeting St., West Columbia | Free | For a boutique shopping experience, park, play, shop, eat, and explore the Meeting Street Artisan Market.
  • Columbia Fireflies vs. Lynchburg Hillcats | Thursday, July 25 | 7:05 p.m. | Segra Park, 1640 Freed St., Columbia | $6-$18 | Christmas in July: Deck the ballpark, because Santa will be stopping by to take in a Fireflies game before the holiday season.*
Friday, July 26
  • Meet the Author: Wylie Cash | Friday, July 26 | 7-9:30 p.m. | Richland Library Main, 1431 Assembly St., Columbia | Free | The NYT bestselling author will discuss his recent works “The Last Ballad” and “When Ghosts Come Home.”
Saturday, July 27
  • Cayce Cool Down | Saturday, July 27 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Granby Garden Parks, 1800 12th St., Columbia | Free | Keep cool with this summertime event featuring water slides, water balloons, super soakers, and snow cones.
  • Bratfest | Saturday, July 27 | 12 p.m. | Bierkeller, 600 Canalside St., Unit 1009, Columbia | Free | Celebrate brat summer with classic German street food in all its forms.
  • Poets on Stage at Good Life Cafe | Saturday, July 27 | 6-8 p.m. | Good Life Cafe, 1216 Taylor St., Columbia | Free | Join Good Life Cafe for some poetry, music, and an open mic.
Sunday, July 28
  • Public Tour: Behind the Collection | Sunday, July 28 | 6-7 p.m. | Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main St., Columbia | Free | Get a glimpse into the story behind the art: the science to create the materials, the thought process that leads a museum to acquire a piece, and more.
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🛍️ How to find the best local deals + rewards (for free)
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Get the bliss of no deals missed at all your fave local shops, eateries, coffee joints, groceries, and more — plus, all the online brands you love, too. | Photos via COLAtoday and Pexels
Shopping that “once-in-a-season” sale? Lots of fun. Sifting through sites + email offers to find the sale? Not so much.

Enter: ShopUp, the free, AI-powered shopping sidekick that gathers the best discounts + offers from thousands of brands (including your fave shops, groceries, and restaurants) and sends the most relevant deals right to your phone. It even helps maximize your credit card rewards.

Plus, did we mention it’s free? Not “30-day free trial” free. Free forever.

Download the app with a tap on Apple or Android.
 
News Notes
 
Community
  • Columbia is looking to relaunch the Blue Bikes Program with a new vendor after the company paused operations in Cola about a year ago. Once a new vendor is found, the program will be relaunched + expanded, but no timeline has been set. (The Post and Courier)
Biz
  • Bub ‘n Mutha’s, Inc. — a veteran-owned, Cola-based barbecue dry rub company — was chosen out of 60,000 applications to be on the TV show, “The BLOX.” Bub ‘n Mutha’s, Inc. will be put through entrepreneur boot camp + compete for prizes. (Cola Daily)
Traffic
  • Atlas Road is expanding to five lanes + will see additions like bike lanes, sidewalks, and improved infrastructure. Phase one is set to begin in October and the whole project should take around three years. (WLTX)
Drink Up
  • Grabbing a coffee or a post-work drink this week? Find a local drink deal and raise a glass to Drink Up Week, our annual celebration of our city’s buzzy beverage industry. Businesses around Columbia are offering fun deals — see what’s poppin’.
Weather
  • News19’s weather team has issued a Weather Impact Alert Day — a new type of alert, making sure citizens know hazardous weather is expected. Today, parts of the Midlands should expect heavy rainfall + flash floods. (WLTX)
Plan Ahead
  • Rock 4 Recovery, a yearly alcohol-free concert at Lexington’s Icehouse Amphitheater, is returning on Friday, Oct. 4. The American rock band Everclear is set to headline the festival + proceeds will support LRADAC treatment programs. (The State)
Sports
  • Carolina Panthers veterans arrive at training camp. Go beyond the scoreboard and behind the scenes of the Carolina Panthers with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
    Drink
    • Watch the Fireflies swing for the fences during their game on Thursday, Aug. 8 at Segra Park. Don’t miss out on Thirsty Thursday drink specials, including $1 fountain sodas, $2 domestic drafts, and $3 craft drafts + cocktails. Snag tickets.*
    Arts
    Wellness
    • Fact or fiction: Sunscreen should be applied every 20 minutes. Find out.*
    Home
    • You deserve beautiful, energy-efficient windows in your home. Get $400 off per window and $850 off per door with Renewal by Andersen®’s limited time offer.*
     
     
    Show
     

    🎧 Dropping beats + a new album
    St. Pat's in Five Points press conference
    Master Splinta aka FatRat Da Czar — the St. Pat’s Festival host — announcing this year’s headliners during the St. Pat’s press conference. | Photo by COLAtoday team
    MASTER SPLNTA, formerly FatRat + FatRat Da Czar — a local DJ + hip-hop activist — is coming out with a full-length debut album, “DOJO.”

    In the mid-2000s, MASTER SPLNTA began a solo career and released several studio albums under the moniker FatRat Da Czar by 2012. His last album under that alias, “Crucible,” was released in 2020 and since then, SPLNTA has taken time to reevaluate.

    “On the way to and through my transition from FatRat Da Czar to MASTER SPLNTA, it’s been about relinquishing control and the power that comes with it in exchange for a new source of power that is generated from confidence, not control,” SPLNTA said.

    Between then and now, he began writing music-based curricula for K-12 students, revived the Hip-Hop Family Day music festival, and worked on his album.

    SPLNTA will perform his album release concert locally on Thursday, Aug. 8 at New Brookland Tavern and will release DOJO on Friday, Aug. 9.
     
    The Buy
     
    A bestselling set of bamboo cutting boards, so you can ditch plastic boards and chop on a 100% Moso bamboo wood surface.
     
     
    The Wrap
     
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    Today’s edition by:
    Sam
    From the editor
    Today is National Wine + Cheese Day — what a fun national day. It may be a good time to try out Hampton Street Vineyard’s Drink Up Week deal; 50% off rosé bottles during lunch hours. Check out other local drink deals happening this week.
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