Roofer in Columbia, SC

A growing restaurant chain known for its Korean corn dogs is headed to Columbia.

Corn Dogs by Mr. Cow, which has a host of locations across the U.S., will open a spot in the Columbiana Centre mall off Harbison Boulevard, according to a recent Facebook post from Columbiana Centre. An exact opening date for the Mr. Cow location hasn’t been announced, but mall signage said it is expected in “spring 2024,” and Columbiana Centre said in a Monday reply to a commenter on social media that the corn dog spot could be open in “the next few weeks.”

Korean corn dogs have grown in popularity. Much like American corn dogs, they are often battered, deep fried and served on a stick, though K-corn dogs are typically battered in rice flour rather than cornmeal.

“Mr. Cow uses our own custom premix which contains a majority portion of rice flour, which makes our corndog very chewy and savory,” Mr. Cow notes on its website. “Also, we use freshly prepared dough for the best taste.”

The corn dogs at Mr. Cow come with a host of different toppings, coatings and fillings. For instance, you can get them filled with an all-beef hot dog frank, or with mozzarella cheese, or with a mix of a hot dog and mozzarella, or with a mix of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. They have, among other offerings, a caramel puff dog, covered in caramel and sweet barley puffs, and a spaghetti dog that’s covered in marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese.

A post on Mr. Cow’s Instagram page offers the following definition of K-corn dogs: “A culinary masterpiece that proves everything is better on a stick. It’s like a regular corn dog went to Seoul for a makeover and came back looking like a snack straight out of a K-drama.”

There are Mr. Cow locations in Hawaii, Florida, Virginia, Georgia and elsewhere.

The Columbiana Centre mall has remained an active shopping hub about 10 miles northwest of downtown Columbia, along busy Harbison Boulevard. About 30,000 cars per day travel down Harbison, while about 95,000 cars per day traverse Interstate 26 near the mall, per state Department of Transportation data.

According to historians, thousands of women played a huge role in America's aviation history.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Historians and aviation lovers gathered to remember aviation history and look forward to a bright future.

On Saturday, the Jim Hamilton Airport held a day of remembrance as dozens gathered for the South Carolina Historic Aviation Foundation's open house. According to the organizers, they wanted to emphasize women's contributions to aviation history. One area of conversation was around women who built planes during World War II.

"They had a collective name of 'Rosie the Riveter.' And these women were putting together aircraft at an incredible rate. Matter of fact, the B-25 behind me, if you took all the plants and put them together, they were producing one every 24 hours," he said.

He said the most famous female aviator, Amelia Earheart, stopped by Columbia in the early 1930s.

"She came into the airport in 1931. Demonstrating the Pitcairn autogyro," Berry said.

The hangar was filled with memorabilia and historians sharing stories. Stanley Rikard, who works as a reenactor, highlighted female journalists.

"Margret [Bourke-White], she served in the European theater in South Africa. And Dicky [Chapelle], she served in the Pacific theater," he said. "They were pretty gutsy women, and they went into the heat of the action to get the photos and get the stories."

Not only is the past of female aviators a storied one, but the future looks bright, too. Emma Steed, at only 18 years old, has already completed a multi-engine commercial pilot license and has flown through all 50 states.

"It just clicked; it was obsessed with it," she said.

She's among a minority of female pilots. According to data from the International Civil Aviation Organisation, in 2021, fewer than 6% of pilots worldwide were female. The FAA's Women in Aviation Advisory Board said in 2022, women made up less than 20% of the workforce in most aviation occupations.

"You don't see many kids in aviation, especially girls, but that's beginning to change," Steed said. "I don't think many people consider it a possibility, and there's not enough information about it to people who might be interested in it."

She has advice for any other young women who may want to be pilots like her.

"It is possible, and once they do it, it is the best thing ever," Steed said. "Push past your comfort zone, and just put yourself out there."

The historic aviation foundation will host another open house on April 13.

This is an edition of Capital City Progress, a weekly column that focuses on business, growth and development news in the Columbia area. It is written by Post and Courier Columbia business reporter Hannah Wade.

COLUMBIA — The capital city's only location of PDQ, a fast-food chicken sandwich chain, will close its doors after nearly a decade.

The last day for the chicken shack, located at 4456 Devine St., will be Tuesday, Feb. 20, an employee at the restaurant confirmed to the Post and Courier. Calls to a number associated with the location's owner and to PDQ's corporate office were not answered.

It's not clear why the eatery is closing its doors.

PDQ opened along the strip of road that leads out to busy, chain retail and restaurant corridor Garners Ferry Road, in March 2014. It was the first location in the state at the time. There is a second location in Greenville.

Since opening, the area has seen a number of business change-overs. In the same area, Southern grocery chain Bi-Lo closed its "Gamecock" location, known for its use of the University of South Carolina's mascot in its signage, in February 2021.

Food News & Features

As PDQ leaves, the bustling area is left mostly chicken-less when it comes to fast food, aside from Dave's Hot Chicken up the road. It's unfortunate timing as the Bojangles just across the street is closed down for massive renovations.

The plan for Bojangles, which the city's Board of Zoning Appeals approved back in May 2022, is to demolish the building and replace it with another Bojangles that'll have nicer amenities and a more expanded drive-thru.

In other chicken news

Chicken Salad Chick, a national chicken salad chain, has circled an opening date for its third Columbia location.

The chain restaurant is at 4840 Forest Dr. in the Trenholm Plaza shopping center and will open its doors Feb. 27, according to a press release from the company.

For the first 100 people in line that day, the eatery will offer free chicken salad for a year, according to the release. This is the third location of the chain in the Columbia-area — joining a location on Lexington's Sunset Boulevard, which opened in 2013, and a Harbison Boulevard location that opened the following year.

“(We've) had our eyes on Trenholm Plaza for a long time. We are so glad we are finally able to expand into such a great lifestyle center alongside many wonderful shops and restaurants," co-owner Julie Beville said in the release.

The Forest Drive location will be open Mondays through Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Columbia Business

Oh, you were tired of chicken news?

In case you missed it on Friday, the temporary location of Drake's Duck-in, at 1840 Hampton St., where the restaurant has been operating for nearly a year closed Feb. 16, owner Daniel Boan confirmed to Free Times.

It's not yet clear when exactly the Main Street location will reopen, but Boan said they're preparing to open back up on Main Street soon. An official opening date will be announced at a later time.

The longtime fast-casual chicken restaurant, known for its chicken sandwiches and affordable eats, closed its 1544 Main St. location in early spring of last year as the restaurant prepared for major renovations.

Other business news you might've missed

A locally-owned soap shop, Raw Essence Natural Soaps and Bath Company, moved its operations and retail store from Two Notch Road to the Arcade Mall on Main Street, the city of Columbia announced in a press release Feb. 12.

The company offers a variety of soaps, candles, body scrubs and deodorants that are completely handmade and free of harmful chemicals. It's located at 1332 Main St. and is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Food News & Features

If you've been missing sandwiches on the south side of Main Street following the closure of Which Wich right across from the Statehouse, here's some good news for you.

Sub Station II, a sandwich chain with locations across the state, opened a location in the former Which Wich space at 928 Main St. Feb. 15. The chain offers traditional deli sandwiches and salads. The eatery will be open Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

In other sandwich news, a popular eatery is coming to the Midlands.

Sully's Steamers has chosen an opening date for its upcoming Lexington location. The sandwich chain will open its doors at 5850 Sunset Blvd. on Feb. 26, according to a Facebook post from the sandwich shop.

And last, but definitely not least, officials broke ground on the Scout Motors plant Feb. 15. The $2 billion electric vehicle plant is expected to bring 4,000 jobs to Blythewood.

"It's hard to believe that a year ago a few of us were locked down in a closed-room session trying to figure out how we could be competitive for this Scout facility ... now, a year later, you look around and see all the work that's going on," state Secretary of Commerce Harry Lightsey said to a crowd of around 300 people the morning of Feb. 15.

The plant will require anywhere from 5,000 to 6,000 workers to complete the construction, the company said.

Do you know a restaurant or retail business that is opening, closing, expanding or in the works? Reach Hannah Wade at hwade@postandcourier.com. Follow her on X: @hannahwade2000.

Class of 2026 wide receiver Jordon Gidron of Columbia (S.C.) Ridge View reported a Georgia offer on Thursday.

Anna Adams

247Sports Embed Resource

Class of 2026 wide receiver Jordon Gidron of Columbia (S.C.) Ridge View reported a Georgia offer on Thursday.

"Coach (James) Coley was at South Carolina and had offered me so we had a previous relationship," Gidron told 247Sports. "We hadn't had any communication since he took the Georgia job, but I had texted him a couple weeks ago the day he got the job just saying congratulations. Then my head coach told me that Georgia was offering. So we are building that relationship."

Gidron plans to visit Georgia for a spring practice.

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Five-star quarterback Julian Lewis recaps Alabama visit

Five-star quarterback Ju Ju Lewis of Carrollton (Ga.) was in Tuscaloosa on Friday.

88 mins

Five-star quarterback Julian Lewis of Carrollton (Ga.) was in Tuscaloosa on Friday.

Lewis, a USC pledge, spoke with 247Sports about the Tide following his time on campus.

“Meeting with Coach Sheridan and Coach DeBoer was the most important part of my visit,” Lewis said. “It was cool to get to know them as people. They are really big on relationships.

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More than 460,000 people (and thousands of businesses) contribute to the Columbia metro area’s $54 million economy. But have you ever wondered about the Capital City’s heaviest hitters?

Consider this Columbia Business 101 — your guide to our region’s five key industries and major employers.

Note: When we say Columbia metro area, that refers to the Central SC Region that includes Calhoun, Clarendon, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, and Richland counties.

The key industries

Five key industries represent ~55% of the Columbia metro area’s economy, based on data from Central SC. We’ve listed them in order of employment numbers.

Fun fact: Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC offering insurance services, contact center, claims processing... etc. employs over 10,000 people alone and is the top private employer in the region.

Prisma Health Midlands + Lexington Medical Center together employ over 21,000 individuals. The services in these industries are delivered by trained professionals and include establishments providing medical care, health care, and social assistance.

Under that retail bracket of employers, Wal-mart came out on top, employing almost 6,000 people. Amazon followed, employing over 2,600, and Samsung + UPS, both employing 1200-1350 people.

Manufacturing in the Midlands comes in many different forms, but at the top of the list are Nephron Pharmaceuticals, Michelin, Trane, which makes metal products + machinery, and Samsung. Local players such as Kraft Heinz, and Westinghouse Electric Company, also carry a significant employment presence.

Fun fact: According to the latest tourism data from Experience Columbia, visitation increased from 15.1 million in 2021 to 15.8 million in 2022, and visitor spending increased 12% over the previous year to $1.7 billion.

Of the $1.7 billion spent in Columbia, food + beverage spending accounted for $487 million — that’s 29% of each visitor’s budget.

The economic impact of tourism on our region is substantial and the total economic impact in 2022 sustained over 22,300 jobs and generated $130 million in state and local tax revenues.

The top food and beverage employers in the Midlands region are Dak Americans LLC, a company that creates plastic materials and resins, Mark Anthony Brewing, a brewer and producer of hard seltzers, and Devro Inc., a company that creates edible casings for meat packaging.

The Public Administration sector consists of establishments of federal, state, and local government agencies that oversee and manage public programs. In total, the state of SC employs over 30,000 in the Midlands, the top two being the SC Department of Corrections and the SC Department of Social Services.

Now that we’ve established the major industries, we bet you’re curious about some specific names. Whether you’re job hunting (or just “casually prospecting”), here are five major employers — all that employ more than 5,000 workers on average.

32,085 employees | Public sector | Search jobs

With Cola being the capital of South Carolina, the city’s largest employer is the state — which helps drive tourism, the economy, business, and local government agencies.

15,000 employees | Healthcare | Search jobs

In 2017, Greenville Health + Palmetto Health merged to become Prisma — and became the second-largest employer in Richland County and one of the largest healthcare providers in the region.

10,998 employees | Insurance services | Search jobs

BCBSSC is the only SC-owned + operated health insurance carrier in the state and has a family of companies and affiliates also offering services to South Carolinians.

6,557 employees | Healthcare | Search jobs

The hospital in West Columbia delivers more than 4,000 babies each year and performs more than 25,000 surgeries. It was also named the No. 2 hospital in SC and is recognized as the No. 1 hospital in the Midlands, according to U.S. News and World Report.

6,456 employees | Educational services | Search jobs

The over 200-year-old university is the largest in South Carolina and has been ranked as the nation’s number one first-year student experience. The university also boasts the country’s number-one ranking for international business via the Darla Moore School of Business. With its campus spread throughout the city, USC is the heartbeat of Columbia.

2023 was a year of record achievements for economic growth in Richland County. The Richland County Economic Development Office (RCEDO) announced capital investments have surged to $2.35 billion, and with them, 4,532 new job opportunities have become available.

Scout Motors | Automotive |~4,000 jobs | Volkswagon is entering the electric off-road vehicle arena under the Scout Motors nameplate and building those cars at a new facility coming to Blythewood.

Cirba Solutions | Energy | ~300 jobs | Cirba Solutions — an electric vehicle battery materials facility — is investing $323 million to establish operations in Richland County. The new state-of-the-art, world-class lithium-ion battery recycling + materials facility will be ~400,000 sqft and located at Pineview Industrial Park, which is less than 1.5 miles from I-77 via Shop Road and home to Mark Anthony Brewing.

FN America, LLC | Manufacturing | ~100 jobs | The United States subsidiary of global firearms manufacturer, FN Herstal plans to expand its Richland County operations. The company’s $18 million investment will create approximately 102 new jobs.

Blanchard Machinery Company | Construction | ~30 jobs | The construction equipment supplier is opening new operations in Calhoun County. The company’s $46 million investment will create 30 new jobs and transfer 150 existing jobs from its Lexington County operations to the new facility.

Cooperative Electric Energy Utility Supply, Inc. | Utility, Energy | ~100 jobs | A consumer-owned electric materials supplier plans to expand operations in Lexington County, making a $52 Million investment.

Xerxes | Manufacturing | ~80 jobs | Xerxes is planning to establish its first SC Operations in Richland County by leasing a new production facility that will expand the company’s capability to deliver market-leading underground fuel and water storage tanks.

Mark Anthony Brewing | Fourth largest brewer in the US |~300 jobs | The Mark Anthony Brewing is a supply chain management company that invested $400 million in a new facility that created 300 new jobs to increase production of White Claw and Mike’s Hard Lemonade on Shop Road in Columbia.

This information is derived from the most recent data published by Central SC.