Rock Hill is filled with hidden gems for shopping or to grab a bite to eat as an alternative for larger chain stores and restaurants.
During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people turned to shopping local as a way to support those in their communities since their businesses were met with financial troubles with the shutdowns.
Now that the country is beginning to head towards a sense of normality, students believe it is important that citizens continue to support these small businesses in the Rock Hill community.
“It is important to shop local because you are helping individuals grow their business,”, clinical mental health graduate student Mikayla Sengle“Which allows them to provide for themselves and their families. Also, shopping local directly benefits the economy by giving people jobs, an income and a platform for them to display their work ethic.”
There are multiple small businesses within walking distance from Winthrop University’s campus and are accessible for students who do not have their own means of transportation.
Knowledge Perk is a ten-minute walk from campus and is a great place to grab a cup of coffee and pastry while also working on schoolwork. In the past, they have hosted watch parties for major Winthrop men’s basketball games.
Another great place to get some work done is the Sweet Tea Café. This café is located in downtown Rock Hill and is about a 10-minute walk from campus. Breakfast and lunch are served throughout the week and are affordable for the average broke college student.
“Sweet Tea Café is definitely my favorite small business in Rock Hill,” sophomore integrated marketing communication major Austin Spencer. “Their food is heavenly, and their staff is super nice and has stressed that they have free Wi-Fi and would love for Winthrop students to come there in the mornings to get their work done.”
Everyone loves dessert and wants to have a go-to ice cream shop. Thankfully, Rock Hill has a small ice cream shop called PW’s. This location is less than a 10-minute drive from Winthrop’s campus and serves homemade ice cream.
“I love PW’s because it is an authentic ice cream shop, and the people who work there are very nice,” said Emily Reeves, senior exercise science major. “No matter how long the line is, it always moves very fast and is always worth the visit.”
In addition to places to get food, local shops and boutiques are great alternatives to larger chains such as Target, Walmart or Barnes & Noble.
The Liberty Book Company is a cute used bookstore that has a multitude of books. All genres of books can be found here and are always cheaper than buying them from a well-known bookstore.
Wilson’s Nursery & Garden Center is another family-owned business that is close to campus. It is an affordable place to buy small plants for a dorm room or for others.
Now that students are back on campus for this school year, it is important to support the local small businesses that surround Winthrop’s campus.
“To me, I feel so much better giving my money to a local business than a corporation who is already wealthy and does not distribute their wealth to their employees,” Sengle said.
