Business & Tech

New Management in Place, The Columbia Reopening on October 31

An ownership change could be in the works for the embattled bar.

After a two month plus hiatus, a new management team will tentatively reopen The Columbia Bar and Grille on October 31.

Daddy Mims owner John Mims confirmed to Patch that he has taken over management of the bar with an eye on possibly purchasing it, though he emphasizes nothing is official.

Mims said the bar, under his watch, has already hosted several events that were scheduled before its August closure and will reopen in earnest for a Halloween party later this month. The Columbia will keep evening hours after that, but Mims conceded he has “no idea” what exactly the schedule will be.

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“We might just be open on the weekends. I’ve got my hands full with my restaurant right now,” he said, admitting that “there’s a lot of grey area” with the present arrangement.

Several sources told Patch that the Columbia's issues began when owner Daniel Cashman died in September of 2011. Mims, for his part, said the bar’s employees “ran the place into the ground.”

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“There was no way it was going to survive,” he added.

Mims said that in his brief time at the bar’s helm, significant progress has been made.

“One thing’s for sure, it’s a lot cleaner. It’s spruced up a little bit,” he said, adding that there were a handful of code regulations the building had to get in compliance with, a problem that has since been addressed.

While it’s unclear what, if any, role Mims will play in the Columbia’s future, he said the Phoenixville mainstay isn't going anywhere.

“Either way it’s not gonna just stay dormant,” he said.


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