December: Closer Look
Code Ninjas
Code Ninjas, one of the fastest-growing kids coding franchises, has opened their newest location at 10 W. Nifong Blvd. Code Ninjas will serve the local area by offering computer coding courses for kids. The courses will allow kids to problem-solve while they build video games and collaborate with other children their age.
This new learning center will establish an environment where children can learn about technology while having fun. The Columbia location is owned and operated by local entrepreneurs and married couple Bill Rowe and Shelley Bush Rowe. “We saw how Code Ninjas makes learning fun while teaching an essential skill,” says Bill. “Code Ninjas turns STEM education into something kids thoroughly enjoy and are excited about while learning something so valuable in the process.”
Columbia children ages 5 to 14 can look forward to the new Code Ninjas center, where they can learn how to code in a fun, safe, and social environment. At Code Ninjas, gaming is celebrated and STEM is cool. Everything about their centers — or Dojos — are built around fun, which keeps kids coming back. The center also provides the results that parents are looking for, as their children gain coding and problem-solving skills they’ll need in the evolving job market.
10 W. Nifong, Ste. 117
(573) 754-7007
www.codeninjas.com
Chicken Salad Chick
A new restaurant, Chicken Salad Chick, will be coming to Columbia. The new restaurant will be located at 300 Brickton Rd. and will replace the Verizon storefront that was previously at that location. The family-founded restaurant serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad made from scratch and served from the heart. The restaurant serves more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors ranging from classic chicken salad to spicy or nutty variations, as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches, and delicious desserts.
Chicken Salad Chick continues to be recognized as a standout franchise system, being named one of QSR magazine’s Best Franchise Deals for the second consecutive year and No. 3 in Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers in 2021. The brand was also highlighted as one of Entrepreneur magazine’s Top Food Franchises of 2020 and took home Franchise Times’ highly competitive Deal of the Year Award for Brentwood Associates’ acquisition of the fast-casual concept in November 2019.
300 Brickton Rd.
(470) 607-5550
www.chickensaladchick.com
Toasty Goat Coffee Co.
What began as a coffee roaster inside Donut D-Light has now turned into a brick-and-mortar coffee shop. Toasty Goat Coffee Co. has opened their doors at 515 S. Scott Blvd., Ste. 101.
Toasty Goat was originally started in 2019 by two couples: Danelle and Nate Prevette, and Nate’s sister, Rachel Bryan, and her husband, Josiah Bryan. Danelle and Rachel, both mothers, realized there aren’t many coffee shops across Columbia that are parent-friendly. “There weren’t really any shops in town where you could bring kids and feel like that was welcomed,” says Josiah Bryan. “We really wanted to have a space where people could meet and bring the whole family.”
This coffee shop is welcoming and inclusive to people of all generations. From the children’s corner and play area to the décor — featuring a hand-painted mural, floor-to-ceiling windows, plants hanging overhead, and tables made from reclaimed wood — Toasty Goat has done the work to create their family-friendly vibes.
515 S. Scott Blvd., Ste. 101
(573) 607-9015
www.toastygoatcoffee.com