A landmark and a legacy.
After 124 years of business, Hinkle’s Restaurant announced it would be closing. 124 years of legacy, memories, and business would be lost. People would lose their jobs, customers would lose their spot and a community would lose a landmark. And Don and Becky Murphy, like many other locals, were not okay with that.
As a response to the community’s desire to stop Hinkle’s from closing, Don and his wife Becky decided to take action and purchased the staple of Columbia. After a few weeks of planning, on October 17, 2017, Hinkle’s was saved.
In addition to Hinkle’s Restaurant, Don had a vision for saving the nostalgia that came along with it. Although the original pharmacy of Hinkle’s is no longer an operation of the establishment, Murphy’s Mercantile & Co. was added in its place.
Murphy’s Mercantile was inspired by old-time general stores from the days of Hinkle’s. Murphy’s offers a variety of gifts, candy and other items that bring customers back in time.