The sounds of live music, conversation and laughter mingle with the smell of fresh food and burning wood at Columbia’s first open air food hall.
Gather COLA is home to 10 different food vendors, three retailers and two beverage spots. The two-story venue consists of a plethora of outdoor seating, several fire pits and a stage for live music.
Gather COLA draws inspiration from Gather GVL, an open air food hall launched in Greenville, South Carolina in 2020 by the Four Oaks Property Group, a real estate development firm based in the South Carolina upstate. The business was named one of the top ten best food halls in America for the third year in a row in 2025. After Gather's immense success in Greenville, the developers wanted to try and replicate the concept by opening a sister location in Columbia.
Gather COLA general manager Christine Alsina encourages college students to come and take advantage of the budget-friendly food hall. Every Tuesday night the food hall hosts trivia with Palmetto Trivia at 6 p.m., followed by music bingo on Wednesday nights starting at the same time. Both events are completely free of charge.
"No matter what budget you have, there's something here for everyone to do. We have free music, free bingo, free trivia," Alsina said. "I just think it's a really fun, safe environment, and you're not breaking the bank.”
Fourth-year nursing student Josie Pool heard about Gather COLA from some of her friends who already attended. After hearing their praise, Pool said she had to come see for herself.
One aspect of Gather COLA that Pool appreciates is the outside ambiance. The food hall's set-up did not disappoint, she said.
“I love how it's all outside," Pool said. "I love the live band and all the music. I like how there's so many shops you can pick from. You can get something from everywhere. It's awesome.”
Pool also applauded the variety of food options Gather COLA has to offer, making it a flexible spot for large groups. The choices could help eliminate arguments about where to eat or endless attempts at trying to accommodate the group’s picky eater.
Gyromania Grill is one of the various food vendors at Gather COLA. Joseph Cornelius, Gyromania Grill owner and general manager, saw the food hall as an opportunity to expand his already established restaurant in Elgin, South Carolina. He said he knew Gather COLA was the perfect place due to the recent expansion of the BullStreet District. One of the aspects of being a part of the food hall that Cornelius admires most is the unique atmosphere.
“I mean, it's just the energy when you walk in," Cornelius said. "It's something different in Columbia, like I don't think Columbia will ever have anything like this.”
Gyromania Grill boasts its “real fresh Greek food” which is hard to find in Columbia, according to Cornelius.
“We do everything fresh," Cornelius said. "We actually shave the Gyro right off the spit. People go look in the windows and actually see us doing it, so we’re definitely doing something different in Columbia.”
Fourth-year sport and entertainment management student Emma Dean works as a customer experience coordinator at the food hall. The job involves maintaining the area, greeting customers and setting up for events.
“I think one of my favorite parts about it is all of the new people I've met, whether it's the customers, the CECs ... all the vendors," Dean said. "It's honestly so fun because it's such a chill environment."
Alsina said she appreciates how welcoming and friendly the city of Columbia has been. Now that the venue has been open for over a month, Alsina said she is thankful for the public’s positive feedback and is eager to continue improving the food hall.
"We're getting more seating," Alsina said. "We're getting more, better music opportunities. So we're working with Columbia to make sure they like this venue as well.”
Gather COLA is located at 2191 Pickens St. The plaza's winter hours are Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, opening at 10 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, the food hall is open an additional two hours, closing at 10 p.m. Beginning in March, the food hall will return to its normal hours.
For National Hot Sauce Day, Gather COLA is hosting a hot sauce challenge on Thursday, Jan. 22 starting at 6 p.m. Other upcoming events at can be found on Gather COLA's website.