SUMTER, S.C. — The new year brings new developments to Sumter, and residents might get hungry just hearing about them.
Long-time residents like Jerry Steele say they've seen lots of growth in the past few years.
"It's progress. You can't stop progress," Steele shared.
Steele said he's still learning this lesson. He's lived near Columbia Circle since 1959, when the paved roads were once red clay dirt. In the past six decades, he's seen a lot of change in southwest Sumter.
"Sometimes it's aggravating, but you're close," Steele said, laughing. "You ain't gotta go far to get something to eat."
That's especially true now, with a few significant developments on the way.
A few new chain restaurants have been approved to come to Sumter near Pinewood and McCray's Mill Road.
"That's something that has been asked for for some time now is that type of quality of life development in that area," Chris Hardy with the Sumter Chamber of Commerce said. "It just shows that Sumter's growing and people are wanting to come here and it's showing that we are the economic hub between Columbia and Florence."
Planning Director Helen Roodman agrees.
"I think it follows the residential development that we've seen over the last several years," she said. "More rooftops, more people. It changes the demographics of the community and it does make it attractive for other chain retail and business to come in."
Roodman said that her department has approved the construction of Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Taco Bell, and Habit Burger. And Zaxby's on Broad Street is expanding.
"Just because a project gets approved by us, doesn't necessarily mean it gets constructed right away," Roodman said. "So we could approve a set of plans today and those plans would be valid for up to two years from the date of approval. So they have two years from the time that we approve plans to start construction."
According to Taylor Wolfe with Cason Development Group, Taco Bell will open in early summer 2023 adjacent to a new Starbucks.
"We're excited to put another store over there," Wolfe said.
While residents are asking about Olive Garden, Target, and Krispy Kreme, Roodman said no plans have been submitted for those developments at this point.
Hardy said that if residents have questions about what might be coming to town, they can call the Sumter Chamber of Commerce.
"Any kind of those economic development rumors that are going around, you know, we certainly encourage anybody to call us, and we'll either confirm it or deny it or whatever the case may be," Hardy said.