Downtown dreams: Spotted Salamander plans a second shop at this Main Street spot

What is delayed is not denied.

For a few years now, Columbia’s Spotted Salamander Cafe and Catering, located at 1531 Richland St., has been thinking of plans for a second location. While the pandemic initially slowed those plans, Spotted Salamander chef and owner Jessica Shillato confirms an additional location is now on the way.

Spotted Salamander plans to open a second spot at 1441 Main St. in the heart of downtown. That is the former location of Drip on Main, which closed in February. Drip’s Five Points coffee shop remains open.

Spotted Salamander initially started more than a decade ago as a catering company. In 2014 it launched a brick-and-mortar cafe on Richland Street, and it expanded that cafe in 2016. The Richland Street cafe is known for its sandwiches and salads, as well as specials like fried chicken sandwiches on Tuesdays and burgers on Fridays. It also has a rotating list of desserts, such as Moon Pie cake, pecan chocolate chip cookies, sweet potato cake and more.

Shillato told The State she’s excited about the upcoming spot on Main.

“It’s busy and it’s beautiful,” she said of Main Street. “It still has a Southern small-town feel, but also has the hustle and bustle. It’s just great to be really in the heart of downtown Columbia.”

ColaToday was first to report Spotted Salamander’s Main Street plans.

Shillato said the Main Street Spotted Salamander will be a smaller operation than the Richland Street spot. Food will be made-to-order, but the cafe will shoot for a bit more of a fresh grab-and-go vibe in hopes of capturing downtown office workers, students and residents of nearby apartments.

The Spotted Salamander owner said she is hopeful the Main Street location will be open by November. The new shop will have breakfast items and coffee in the mornings and will, at least initially, serve lunch through 3 p.m.