Photo by Mark Maddaloni.
Welcome
All sizes
All ages
All cultures
All sexes
All beliefs
All types
All people
Safe here
It’s just a sign: words painted on a piece of canvas. A sign that brings people together; a sign that sits outside of a glass door, drawing people in. This sign represents the mission of The Local Buzz, a coffee shop here in Columbia that creates a community for everyone.
The Local Buzz has been around since 2015, but relocated in January of 2020 to a more trafficked, central location in Five Points. A place that feels like home, the colorful tables, vibrant room and tasty coffee are just a few of the many things that attract people to this local coffee shop. While a cozy coffee shop is welcoming to anyone, it’s the inclusivity that brings all walks of life into the doors of The Local Buzz.
The Local Buzz has the mission to include. They believe that everyone has a place there and they want you to know it— just read the sign. For Columbia local, Amy Yarborough, that sign is what keeps her coming.
“I love the idea of a place that is so accepting. When you walk in, you just feel welcomed. You feel happy,” Yarborough explains to me as we sip our coffee.
Yarborough is a coffee fanatic, as she likes to say, but The Local Buzz has become her new favorite spot.
“I’ve tried lots of coffee shops and there are many in Columbia I like. I just recently found out about The Local Buzz and I think it’ll be my new spot. The feeling is just different when you walk in, and the coffee is good,” says Yarborough.
As I sat there with her, I couldn’t help but to understand exactly what she was saying. The warmth of the room, the many different faces, the smell of the coffee and the sign — it all felt so delightful.
With a menu ranging from coffee to foods to desserts, The Local Buzz is the perfect place for a weekday lunch or coffee with friends. While they are only open Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., they still leave you with enough time to enjoy a fresh morning espresso or mid-day sandwich and to enjoy all the friendly faces that walk in and out of their four by four shop.
“Friendly. If I had to use a word to describe the people working The Local Buzz or anybody that I have met there, it would be friendly. They just make you feel so comfortable,” Yarborough explains.
And comfort is exactly what they strive for.
