The Olive Cafe and Grocery moved in earlier this month.

"The people in Columbia are very nice people. Small town, nice town, I like it," Olive Cafe and Grocery chef Jawad Hijaz said.

All the food at Olive Cafe and Grocery is Halal, which means the meat is prepared in a certain way to meet the dietary guidelines of Islam.

Other than meats you can find rice, cheeses, and snacks.

While the Olive Cafe is the new grocery on the block, Campus Eastern Foods has been in Columbia since 1984.

But like the Olive Cafe, Campus Eastern Foods is a family business.

"Since my father has owned it I've always put in work," Campus Eastern Foods co-owner Ahmed Eltayash said.

Some mid-Missourians are willing to travel to the Columbia grocery to get a taste of something different.

"We're from Kirksville, and we're buying some chutneys for a friend up in Kirksville who is an Indian cook," professor Bob Mielke said.

"We have a really good mix. I couldn't tell you just one type, people from all over the world, locals, from everywhere," Eltayash said.

Eltayash said business has stayed the same, despite the economic crunch.