South Carolina Business Review

SC Capital City Revitalization Continues

By Mike Switzer

Published March 25, 2021 at 5:30 AM EDT

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The revitalization of downtown Columbia, SC is back on track now that the pandemic eases its way into the rearview mirror. Three historic buildings originally constructed in 1866 are being historically rehabilitated and combined into one new restaurant, smokehouse, and microbrewery expected to open later this fall.

Mike Switzer interviews Sara Middleton, a healthcare attorney and part-owner of Smoked in Columbia, SC.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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