Piecewise Coffee Co.
For a long stretch of time, there weren’t many reasons to stroll down State Street in the town of Cayce. Vacant buildings and little investment made this corner by the Cayce Quarry nothing more than a thoroughfare for residents. Within the past few years though, the once-sleepy district has come alive thanks to colorful murals, art installations and businesses like Piecewise Coffee.
Stanton and Lindsey Scoma were long-time residents of the State Street community. Sensing avoid in the area, they opened Piecewise in 2019 to not only offer a coffee shop in the area, but also a community gathering space. That success came swiftly, in ways they could not imagine.
“They felt Piecewise was doing really well. They loved it a lot, but it was becoming bigger than they felt they could manage,” says Zach Kirby. Twins and real estate agents Jacob and Zach Kirby took over the space in 2022. Born and raised in the Midlands, their family history is as long as any family in the area, going back more than 200 years.
“I want to build the communities that you want to be a part of,” Zach says. It's kind of my tagline. You know, it's like, if you want to live somewhere, we want you to be invested there. And so that's kind of what this was, for us.”
Before Zach and Jacob took over, the original owners expanded Piecewise’s space, taking over what historically was thought to be a former mailroom. The expansion not only opened more seating but brought a true community space for events.
“We just did a wedding rehearsal dinner here last week,” Zach says. “We do lots of baby showers. Bridal showers. I want this to be a place for the community. For you to come and have, say, a birthday party for your grandma. I love it. Let's do it. Its entire purpose is to be for gatherings.”
Of course, Piecewise is also a coffee shop. Besides traditional coffee options, they also carry a host of seasonal specials. Their recent spring menu features everything from a strawberry matcha to flavorful lattes.
“Our local baker challenged us for spring,” Zach explains. “She goes ‘Hey, I make a really good carrot cake. You think you could make a carrot cake latte?’ We tried and it turned out phenomenal. Our manager came up with that recipe and it's been one of our biggest hits.”
While Piecewise makes some of the food in-house, they also offer locally sourced baked goods. Their bagels come from just up the road at JJ’s Place, and their sweets are from Fat Baby Baking Co., a farmers’ market favorite in the area. Highlighting businesses not just in Columbia, but specific to the Cayce area is a big part of Piecewise’s long-term vision.
“I honestly would be perfectly satisfied if we made zero dollars, but filled the community’s needs,” Zach says. “Obviously, we want to make some money, but if this place ended up making nothing and we met the community needs, I'd be happy. I want Piecewise to be that space.”
