FOREST ACRES, S.C. — Forest Acres has five new restaurants in the works and added another to the list on Friday. With all this business, what's bringing people to the city outside Columbia?
"Forest Acres is hot right now," Forest Acres City Administrator Shaun Greenwood said. "Chicken Salad Chick is going to go. The old Pizza Joint space, Vicious Biscuit is scheduled. You have a restaurant and rooftop bar area being built at the corner of Brentwood and Forest right now. I don't think they've identified a restauranteur yet. Like I said, TakoSushi, Co. ..."
This isn't including the city's amphitheater project that comes with the revamping of Richland Mall on Beltline Boulevard. But experts said the move has a history.
"Forest Acres, historically was one of Columbia's early expansion areas. This was the suburbs, you know, in the 60s, and now Columbia has grown so much that it's almost become an in-town residential area for people," Rox Pollard with Collier Commercial Real Estate said.
He said the city's history and the area's retail trade demand greatly influence businesses choosing Forest Acres. According to the city's economic development page, there is a potential of $2.2 billion to be spent on food, retail, and activities.
"So, when you have those types of data and independent studies that come out and rate your market like it is, it absolutely is a game changer in terms of attracting the types of businesses," Pollard said.
The city administrator said the only deterrent for businesses is the city's limited space.
"We don't have a lot of extra area to just grow into and put up new buildings, so people have to find, you know, space in these existing buildings," Greenwood said.
Tony Carbone owns Moltó Vino in Cardinal Crossing. He said it encourages people to spend where they live and build community.
"Traditionally, people have had to leave Forest Acres to get some of the things that they want. And now, you can make a really cool date night; you can walk around Cardinal Crossing; you can go to Tombo and then pop over to Moltó Vino," Carbone said. "Although we are private now, if you're a member here, you can come here, go to Crumbl Cookies right over there."
On Friday, the city added a sixth business to its list of businesses, Handel's Ice Cream in Cardinal Crossing.