CHRIS TRAINOR
Chtrainorf@thestate.com

There’s a new spot for breakfast, brunch and more near northeast Columbia.

Breakfast at Ruiz, which has had a location in West Columbia for several years, opened an additional restaurant on Monday, Oct. 27 at 566 Spears Creek Church Road suite 104 in Elgin. The new Breakfast at Ruiz is in a spot that formerly was home to Ratio restaurant, a Peruvian restaurant that closed in June.

“We look forward to serving you at our new northeast Columbia location,” Breakfast at Ruiz said on Facebook, touting the Monday opening.

This marks the second Breakfast at Ruiz location in the Midlands. The original opened in 2022 and is located at 116 State St. in West Columbia. Owner Iris Perea told The State in a September interview that the idea for a location near the northeast has been percolating for a while.

“This expansion comes as a lot of our guests travel [to the State Street location] from the northeast,” Perea said. “They have been asking us to expand, basically, since the first year. We knew we couldn’t grow that fast, but now we’ve found the right opportunity.”

The menu at the Elgin location will largely be the same as the West Columbia spot. Breakfast at Ruiz is known for its shrimp-and-grits, omelets, French toast, waffles, breakfast sandwiches and mimosas.

The new Breakfast at Ruiz is in an increasingly busy area just south of Pontiac Elementary School and just north of Interstate 20.

About 68,000 cars per day travel on I-20 near Spears Creek Church exit, per state Department of Transportation statistics. Other businesses near the brunch spot include a Scoop of Heaven ice cream spot and a new Firehouse Subs, among a number of others.