South Congaree, SC (Paul Kirby) 11/16/20 – The Greater Cayce-West Columbia Chamber of Commerce held an official ribbon cutting for the Human Bean, a coffee, smoothie, and other specialty beverages shop in South Congaree last Friday morning. The small drive-thru store has been open for several months and has already garnered a loyal following among area residents and travelers.
The Human Bean is a small but nationwide chain of specialty beverage drive thru shops that specializes in coffee. It is located on an outparcel of the Food Lion shopping center at 669 Main Street, South Congaree (West Columbia).
It is a franchised business based in Medford, Oregon. The bulk of their shops are located on the west coast of the United States. Established in 1998, they have over 100 locations. The South Congaree store is just the fourth franchise east of the Mississippi River but that's about to change. One is coming soon to Irmo and another off Hardscrabble Road northeast of the City of Columbia.
The Human Bean features many coffee choices including a large assortment that’s flavored, smoothies, teas, and cocoas. You can order most drinks with sugar alternatives if you’d like and many are served both hot and cold depending on your choice. They have food choices made to carry in your hand.
The Human Bean’s district manager Arianna said Friday, “We focus on human customer interaction so you won't see any speakers, any screens, they just pull right up to the window so that our employees can deal with our customers face to face the whole time.” She went on to say that it is very important that their baristas know their customers’ names and their regular order. “If they see them in line a few cars back, they can begin working on their order before they ever pull up to the window. It's all about being the best Human Bean,” she quipped.
Christina Bledsoe, marketing manager for the shopping plaza’s developer, said they have found the people of South Congaree, “to be super friendly and neighborly.” She said after the ribbon was cut that the Human Bean will be extremely active in the community. “We plan to be supportive of the local schools, charitable organizations, and other community groups and events,” Bledsoe said. She has already been busy in the community taking coffee to first responders, school staffs, and other businesses in the area as a gesture of thanks for the warm welcome they’ve received.
South Congaree Mayor Cindy Campbell spoke for a few moments saying, “We are so excited to have the Human Bean become a part of South Congaree. We want to make South Congaree the best small town in South Carolina!” She closed by saying the town was happy to partner with the chamber to bring more businesses to the area and thanked everyone for coming out to show their support for the Human Bean.
After the remarks, representatives of the Human Bean, the chamber and the town all joined to cut the ribbon. Then, everyone enjoyed a free beverage and networked among themselves.
The Human Bean has a free app you can download that allows you to select and place your order prior to pulling up. It can be found in either app store. Download the app and earn a free beverage. The app also includes a loyalty program that earns you free beverages as you continue to patronize the Human Bean.
