Clementine’s Ice Cream seeks to
satisfy COMO’s sweet tooth.
It’s ooey and gooey, and it’s ice cream. And if you want your sweet treat to be a little “naughty,” for just a little extra cash you can order an alcohol infusion, making the dairy dish an even bigger delight for the 21-and-older crowd.
Clementine’s Ice Cream opened at 914 E. Broadway on Friday, August 14, the day after an exclusive friends and family soft opening for guests to check out Clementine’s award-winning ice cream. Columbia is the 12th parlor location for Clementine’s, a St. Louis-based microcreamery that specializes in small-batch ice cream crafted with all-natural dairy and premium ingredients. In addition to parlors across Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, and Missouri, Clementine’s Ice Cream pints are available at select Schnucks locations.
From Burnout to Belonging
Entrepreneur Yahav Sal explains that his years in the startup world left him feeling … “hollow.” He discovered contrast therapy as a way to fill his own cup. “What changed me wasn’t the heat or the cold,” he said. “It was the stillness.”
What is contrast therapy? It’s the practice of moving between cold and hot: three minutes in a cold plunge and 20 minutes in a heated sauna. And that’s what Sal’s Vessel Club at 210 Saint James St. is all about. Located in the former DogMaster Distillery building, Vessel Club has targeted September 3 as its opening date. Founding memberships, monthly membership packages, and daily passes are available to purchase.
“You sit in the sauna until your body opens up, then you step into the cold plunge and feel everything sharpen. Then you do it again,” he said. “The thing you’ve been carrying all week loosens its grip a little, and you feel present again. Doing this alongside others is a tradition as old as time.”
Bidding Farewell and Making Changes
Bud’s Classic Barbecue at 304 S. Ninth St. has closed after six years in operation. There’s no word yet from owner Jason Paetzold about Bud’s relocating and reopening elsewhere, though he told COMO Business Times in March 2026 that he was considering expanding Bud’s to south Columbia. Paetzold also owns JoJo’s Biscuit Co., which now has two locations in Columbia. Paetzold’s company is also opening Rosie’s Tortillas and Tequila at 1305 Grindstone Parkway, the former location of Casa Maria’s Mexican Cantina.
Peggy Jean’s Pies is closing the Nifong location that the business has called home for more than a decade. Its shop at 421 N. Stadium will remain open. According to a blog post shared on Facebook, the team said that the Nifong lease does not hold the landlord responsible for maintenance. “Add in outrageous food costs, incrementally rising labor costs each year, and a cautious economy, and you’ll find a tired family in a small business.” The post noted that all staff is making the move to the west location and that the Nifong shop was closing by the end of August. “I know we are making the best choice for PJP and for our family. We are so fortunate to have a storefront that is doing well just three miles away. And soon it will have a Nordstrom Rack across the parking lot, so how can anyone be sad around that?”
The Speckled Frog Toys & Books at 16 S. Ninth St. is closing its retail storefront. “We are incredibly grateful to every family who walked through our doors, attended an event, purchased a special gift, or stopped in to say hello,” the store announced in a Facebook post. The business will continue to offer events and workshops, but at a different location. The store owners had not announced details before COMO Business Times went to press.
A new eatery is on the horizon for Columbia’s west side. Sago Hotpot is opening in the Crossroads Shopping Center at 2101 W. Broadway.
Milestone I-70 Project
Local leaders and Missouri Department of Transportation officials celebrated the new St. Charles Road bridge over Interstate 70 with a ribbon cutting on August 10. The reconstructed bridge is wider to accommodate three lanes in each direction on I-70, taller to allow more clearance for taller vehicles, and upgraded with pedestrian crossings on either side of the bridge, according to a news release from MoDOT. The St. Charles Road bridge revitalization is part of the Improve I-70: Columbia to Kingdom City project.
