A Taste of the South moving to Cottontown

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Gift basket retailer A Taste of the South will become the newest member of Cottontown’s growing business community next month.

The 30-year-old business, which specializes in treats such as chocolate-covered pecans, is moving from its current location at 3827 Broad River Road into a leased facility at 2222 Sumter St., according to a news release. The 4,000-square-foot space had housed a maintenance facility for cash-handling company Loomis Armored US and is being redeveloped by Cason Development Group.

Cason Development Group, which brought Cottontown pioneers War Mouth gastropub and Indah Coffee to the neighborhood north of Columbia’s Main Street, purchased buildings at 2222 Sumter St. and 2238 Sumter St., the former site of the Dunn Electric Co., in 2015. Indah and Circa Barber Shop opened at 2238 Sumter in May 2017.

A Taste of the South hopes to open in its new location around Valentine’s Day, president and CEO Elie Abikhaled said. The location will include a retail outlet, a packaging operation for the company’s online business and a new line of gifts by local artisans.

“Cottontown is a great location and this will be an exciting opportunity for us,” Abikhaled said. “I was truly impressed with what Cason Development Group has done in attracting quality and unique local businesses, and we are looking forward to joining the neighborhood.”

Cason Development Group also is working to relocate Columbia Printing and Graphics to space adjoining the Indah building and recently completed the redevelopment of the former Dave’s Transmission property on Sumter Street for new offices for Cason Development Group, Seed Architecture, No BS Sales School, GrayFox Strategic and Citta del Cotone pizzeria.