Publico takes a break as SC reboots

Photos and words by Sean Rayford

Customers wait for take-out orders outside of Publico on May 5, 2020 in Columbia, SC.

“Let’s just get a bottle of tequila,” says a young man to a friend last night as they walk past Publico in Five Points. It’s Cinco de Mayo, and while outside dining has returned in the state, there’s not many places to celebrate the party. By 6pm Publico has stopped taking names to seat folks on their limited capacity outdoor patio and before sundown they’ll close the front garage door. The other options nearby, appear to be Salty Nut, the upstairs porch at Saluda’s fine dining (via reservations only), and a long line outside of Jake’s.

People wait in line outside of Jake’s in Five Points on May 5, 2020.

After two days welcoming dine-in customers back to that outdoor patio, and while the rest of the state continues the process of reopening, Publico won’t be an option this week or the next. But owner Mike Duganier says it’s not because of any experiences during the last few days. “We made the decision on Sunday and our staff knew that after Tuesday, we were going to let everyone take a breather. We just really want to give our team a break. They’ve been working hard,” says Duganier about their decision to temporarily close after serving take-out through much of the pandemic.

A driver pulls into a convenience store in Five Points May 5, 2020.

On Monday, Publico closed early during the first day back with dine-in customers. Crowds gathered and Duganier recognized a need to change their approach to seating customers. “We learned what worked well and what didn’t work well and we had plan B for the next day. And I think if we would have stayed open, we would have a plan and we would be fine.” The restaurant has not scheduled a day to reopen and has a Gofundme campaign here.

For a list of Midlands area restaurants that have reopened for outdoor dining, The State Newspaper has an updated listing here.