Hunter-Gatherer
Main Street, Columbia SC
Hunter-Gatherer Brewery & Ale House was the most recent local business occupying the historic brick structure at 900 Main Street in downtown Columbia. Located near the State House and the University of South Carolina Horseshoe, the beloved landmark was a special place for students and local residents, as described by Historic Columbia:
"For more than a generation, Columbia residents and visitors looking for craft beer and live music found their way to the corner of Main and College streets. Inside a one-story brick building with exposed walls, hand-hewn beams, iron railings, and a mezzanine crafted from reclaimed wood , Hunter-Gatherer Brewery offered both atmosphere and comfort. Since 1995, entrepreneur and brewmaster Kevin Varner welcomed people to enjoy pints and meals in a space that felt both timeless and familiar. The building at 900 Main Street had a long history before Hunter-Gatherer made it home. Built in 1913 for the E.B. Lyon Motor Car Company, it later became Campus Club South in 1970, a college bar known for its proximity to campus and affordable beer. A series of bars and eateries followed, paving the way for Varner’s microbrewery, which would become a fixture of the city for nearly three decades."
"For more than a generation, Columbia residents and visitors looking for craft beer and live music found their way to the corner of Main and College streets. Inside a one-story brick building with exposed walls, hand-hewn beams, iron railings, and a mezzanine crafted from reclaimed wood , Hunter-Gatherer Brewery offered both atmosphere and comfort. Since 1995, entrepreneur and brewmaster Kevin Varner welcomed people to enjoy pints and meals in a space that felt both timeless and familiar. The building at 900 Main Street had a long history before Hunter-Gatherer made it home. Built in 1913 for the E.B. Lyon Motor Car Company, it later became Campus Club South in 1970, a college bar known for its proximity to campus and affordable beer. A series of bars and eateries followed, paving the way for Varner’s microbrewery, which would become a fixture of the city for nearly three decades."
Campus Club owner Al Miller recounted serving university students through the tumultuous early 1970s, as antiwar protests pressed university administration and clashed with local law enforcement. During the May Student Strike of 1970, Miller remembers protesters running through the surrounding parking lot toward the State House grounds with law enforcement in pursuit. He recalls officers coming through the establishment looking for fleeing protesters among his customers.
"The next day, we all had to go down to the local FBI office and undergo questioning. I found out years later that I had a file that indicated that I was 'harboring' Vietnam War protesters. It was a great life while it lasted."
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After changes in the law allowed the sale of liquor to 18 year-olds, Miller decided to sell the establishment in 1979. The building was then a music venue, an ice cream shop, and a deli before Hunter-Gatherer Brewery & Ale House opened in 1995. Nearly 30 years later, the brewery moved to a new location in 2024 after the property was sold to the university for development.
