Main Squeeze, a plant-based restaurant on Ninth Street in Downtown Columbia, is opening its doors to the public for the first time since the original café closed in 2023.

For 25 years, the original Main Squeeze restaurant was a cornerstone of Downtown Columbia before previous owner and founder Leigh Lockhart converted it to a refillery and eco-friendly market. 

John Gilbreth and his wife Amanda Rainey, owners of Pizza Tree and Goldie’s Bagels, made the decision to purchase the restaurant from Lockhart earlier this year.

“I sold to Johnny and Amanda because I see how hard they work and how successful they are at running Pizza Tree and Goldie’s,” Lockhart said. “I have no doubt that they will do whatever it takes to continue Main Squeeze’s success, just like I did.”

For Gilbreth, buying the restaurant was about honoring the achievements of his friend.

“I’ve always just admired her and looked up to her and loved her place,” Gilbreth said. “I want Leigh’s legacy to be in concrete.”

Much of the restaurant’s original charm will remain, with a menu featuring bowls, sandwiches, wraps, salads, fresh juices and smoothies. 

“We’re staying … truthful and bringing out the old favorites,” Gilbreth said. 

The restaurant will also remain vegetarian, as established by Lockhart.

 “I have it in a contract, I can never, ever, ever sell meat here,” Gilbreth said.

Lockhart believes this structure allows the restaurant to serve a key demographic.

 “Ask any vegan or vegetarian if having a place devoted to not serving meat matters,” she said. “It mattered so much to me when I moved to Columbia that I opened Main Squeeze, and by my calculation, we have saved hundreds of thousands of animal lives.”

Gilbreth also sees room for upgrades and additions, including a goal of introducing online ordering two months after opening. 

Lockhart will now pursue her plant-based ice cream brand, Oso Cremoso, which will be featured at Main Squeeze. Gilbreth also plans to design a menu that will use innovative recipes to fuse milkshakes and smoothies.

“I am thrilled,” Lockhart said. “Having my brand at some place as popular as Main Squeeze is a great way to get folks familiar with the brand.”

After 11 years of running Pizza Tree, Gilbreth said he feels well-equipped to take on this new venture, bringing with him a wealth of experience. 

“I just learned to take it off the chin if I make a mistake and to just keep going,” he said. “The entire thing is going to go much smoother than [Pizza Tree and Goldie’s Bagels] did.”

Main Squeeze is now open seven days a week with a limited menu, with additional items to be added in the near future.

Edited by Julianna Mejia | jmejia@themaneater.com

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