Groucho's Deli, the Columbia-born sandwich chain famous for its Dipper subs and Formula 45 Sauce, is planning a new location in Lexington County, with owners hoping to be serving food by early 2027. The announcement comes as the fast-growing Red Bank and White Knoll areas continue to change.
A Columbia Original Expands Again
Groucho's traces its roots to 1941, when Harold “Groucho” Miller, the son of Russian immigrants who had moved to the Midlands from Philadelphia, opened a restaurant in Columbia. The shop later took on Miller's nickname and grew into the Groucho's Deli brand known today, as detailed in the Post and Courier's reporting. In the 1960s, the chain introduced its trademarked Dipper-style subs, and its menu today includes sandwiches, salads and quality meats alongside the tangy, housemade Formula 45 Sauce, which the company says was perfected in 1945, according to Groucho's own Lexington location page.
Groucho's already has a shop on East Main Street in Lexington, and the brand now counts 32 locations spread across South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. The chain's growth has shown up elsewhere in the state too: a West Ashley franchise recently opened at 975 Savannah Highway in the St. Andrews Shopping Center, co-owned by Max Miller and Nick Basile, with plans to hire 25 employees, the Post and Courier reported separately.
Red Bank's Growth Spurt Keeps Drawing Retailers
Lexington County is seeing significant growth, including in the Red Bank area. Red Bank has grown to more than 11,000 residents from just under 6,000 in 1990, according to The State.
New rooftops keep following the retail growth. The State reported that Lexington County Council approved the Serenity Lake Subdivision, which it described as adding 400 new single-family homes. Another 624 homes are being planned between South Congaree and White Knoll along Edmund Highway, per the same report. The area's growth already prompted construction of South Lake Elementary, a $55 million school that opened in 2024 to serve the expanding population.
Retail has followed the rooftops. Platt Springs Crossing, a nearly 60-acre, $65 million mixed-use project along Platt Springs Road near South Lake Drive, is planned to include 142 townhomes. Retail offerings in the area have expanded significantly over the past two decades, the outlet noted, a trend the new Groucho's would be stepping into.
What Isn't Confirmed Yet
Plenty of specifics remain unsettled. The exact permitting and construction timeline depends on the general contractor's progress and drawing approvals, per Manley's comments to the Post and Courier, and no firm date beyond the early 2027 target has been laid out. Details like hours, pricing and staffing for the Lexington County location have not been made public.
