Carolina Café, “The Bagel Shop,” closes its West Columbia location

December 2, 2019

Owners Sell Location to Focus on 20-Year-Old Downtown Location Upgrades

Breakfast and lunch patrons of Carolina Café’s West Columbia location near Lexington Medical Center in the Westland Shopping Center, will have to travel downtown for their “bagel fix” from the business beginning Monday, December 2nd.  Owners Max and Lauren Schlueter have announced the sale of the West Columbia location to another local restauranteur who will change the name and the menu.

“We really enjoyed our West Columbia location and patrons,” said Lauren Schlueter, co-owner “But when our lease expired and we started thinking about our options, selling just seemed like the way to go. Our catering division is flourishing, and we’ve been a part of downtown Columbia for over 20 years in the Cornell Arms Building at the corner of Sumter and Pendleton Sts.  That’s our home and really where we want to be.”  Schlueter and her husband Max have been making fresh bagels daily for all those years and that won’t stop.

Schlueter added that new menu changes would be coming in the next few weeks including a variety of daily specials, soups, and salad offerings in addition to their staple bagels.  “We’re excited about the new menu changes and the café upgrades as well,” she noted.  “Our customers old and new will see a lot of changes in the next few months.”

Carolina Café is open at 925 Sumter St.