Restaurants, bars gear up for Masters week. Cause Columbia’s only a chip away

Columbia’s proximity to Augusta, Georgia, during the week of the Masters golf tournament means locals renting out their rooms and houses, more cars on the street and an overall increase in traffic.

The 90-minute commute from Columbia to Augusta makes Columbia a lodging hotspot for tournament-goers. 

The fun comes for Columbia business owners, though – and many restaurants are capitalizing on the Masters with special deals and menu items. Whether it is highlighting key menu items found at Augusta National or advertising their television amenities to broadcast the tournament, business owners are choosing to embrace the influx of visitors. 

Even non-business owners understand the hustle of Masters week.

“Businesses promote in two very different ways to one, tournament visitors and two, residents staying in town,” said Amy Riordan, a USC student and Augusta native. “For visitors, they’re promoting restaurant hours, availability of services, rental houses, places to play golf. For locals, they’re advertising ways to beat the Masters traffic, rental house maid service, decorating touches to impress renters.”

Market on Main is one Columbia restaurant leaning into the visitors. The Main Street eatery will livestream the tournament on its outdoor jumbotron and has special-themed sales and competitions all week long. 

Market on Main said its jumbotron brings an uptick in sales and a bigger interest in outdoor seating.

The restaurant also is offering activities that range from karaoke, trivia and bingo to a short game chip challenge to a putting game to make the most out of the space. 

Cantina 76 is another restaurant touting the tournament. The restaurant’s two Columbia locations are offering specially named food and drinks. The menu includes drinks “native” to the Masters, like a Transfusion or an Azalea. 

“We have our weekly special foods that are Masters themed,” said Cantina employee Laura Witt. “And then we also have a bunch of different specialty drinks. And if you purchase a specialty cocktail or a draft beer, then we have Masters Koozies and rally towels.”

The specials help drive new customers into the restaurant.

“During Masters weeks, we tend to be pretty busy and we see a lot of international people, specifically people from the UK area come in,” Witt said. “And so we get an uptick in customers.”

With the Championship Round remaining, both businesses expect sales to continue through the weekend.

Good sales, good energy and good times are what they’re shooting for.