Gather Cola is bringing something to Columbia the city has never seen. 

The destination will have nine restaurants, along with two retail stores and two bars all in one spot. There’s also going to be outdoor seating to eat and enjoy live entertainment – or people can take their purchases home.

Christine Alsina, Gather Cola’s general manager, said the business did something similar in Greenville and wanted to duplicate the success in Columbia. 

“This project has been such an exciting one to bring to life,” Alsina said. “The idea really grew out of what we’ve built with Gather GVL, a place where local businesses thrive, people connect and there’s always something fun happening. We saw how much energy that kind of space brought to Greenville, and knew Columbia deserved something just as special.”

Gather Cola will be located in the Bull Street district, on the corner of Sabal and Freed streets. 

The restaurants will offer food from different cuisines. From Mexican to Asian and Greek, Gather Cola will have a wide variety to choose from.

One of the retail stores will be a clothing store, selling vintage shirts along with sneakers. The other store will feature flower arrangements. 

“Our goal is to create a true community hub, a spot that celebrates local flavor, creativity and connection,” Alsina said. “I really believe Gather Cola will help bring more people into the Bull Street district and shine a light on the amazing small businesses right here in Columbia.” 

Carl Cross is the operations manager of Bang Sai and Bull + Bread, two of the restaurants. He is also the manager of Remedy, one of the bars to come.  

“We have a really good opportunity,” Cross said. “All of us are going to create an environment that is successful. It’s going to be an awesome spot. We are very very excited to be here.” 

Gather Cola hosted a three-day job fair Oct. 20-22 across from where the complex is going up.  

Joseph Cornelius, owner of Gyromania Grill, said it held the fair on site for a specific reason. 

“We wanted people to be able to see what we’re bringing to the neighborhood and to the city,” Cornelius said. “When you look at this spot, it’s impressive. We’re going to have high capacity – close to 1,000 people will be able to fit in here. Once people realize the vibe this place is going to (bring), they’re going to be excited to work here.” 

Cainan Desilva, general manager of Banh Sai and Bull + Bread, said the businesses preferred to meet in-person as they are searching for cashiers and cooks.  

“We’re bringing new faces in,” he said. “We wanted to meet person to person instead of over a screen. … We wanted to get to know people on a personal level.” 

Alsina, the complex’s general manager, said there have been a total of 370 applicants, with about 80 showing up to the fair. 

Gather Cola this week announced its grand opening will be at 10 a.m. Dec. 5.  

“There’s nothing like this in Columbia,” Cross said. “We’re excited to bring something new to the table.”