Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Not a great picture, but I'll probably add some more when the closing signage goes up. Anyway...

According to The State & The Post & Courier, Columbia clothier Brittons is closing after an 80 year run.

Apparently they will be open through the Christmas shopping season, so if you need to suit-up, this might be the year. You can read their announcement on their Facebook.

(Hat tip to commenter Tom)

The Bent Rod replaced (after a hiatus) the more celebrated Crab Pot Restaruant which closed around 2010. The reviews are mixed, but seem to converge on the positive with a bit of "for in the middle of nowhere" vibe to them. The latest of those reviews say "8 months ago", so I am guessing the place folded sometime early in 2026.

I'm not quite sure what to make of the sign, which if I do my Roman Numerals right is: I Thank You 1945.

As longtime readers know, I don't have much use for seafood, and less use for raw seafood, so I never partook of SakiTumi, but they certainly had their fans, having been in The Vista for 20 years before closing earlier this month. I don't suppose anyone under 60 "got" the joke name, but it did raise a smile for me, and their Facebook goodbye was gracious and heartfelt.

Having seen their street sign from time to time, I just assumed they were in the front corner suite of the building at 807, but in the event, I found them, along with a small parking lot down the alley to the rear. You can read about the closing in The State or The Post & Courier.

(Hat tip to commenter Mr. Hat)

Tiffany's moved into this spot in 2019, having left another Two Notch location for the Polo Road / Spring Valley area. Before that, I believe they were on Devine Street. Originally they ran a restaurant in this location along with the bakery, but closed that side of the business in 2024.

I think I have only been in Tiffany's once, at the first Two Notch location, and in the event I had come for lunch, and they had just stopped serving, so I didn't end up getting anything. I know my sister went a number of times and enjoyed it.

Now, having been around 49 years, since 1977, the owners have finally opted to retire, and the business is now for sale. You can read about it in The Post & Courier or The State.

(Hat tip to commenter Mr. Hat)

No Pepsi, Coke!

I went by the Columbia's Greek Festival on its Thursday start this year, to make sure I got there before all the Galaktoboureko was gone. I thought I might get by again on Saturday, but in the event did not. Even on a work evening, they seemed to have a pretty good crowd, and I did get my custard, some baklava, bread & seseme sticks. Outside, I tried the Greek french fries, and they were pretty good, though I still prefer the State Fair. The band was playing with some impromptu dancing, and everybody looked to be having a great time.

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I don't believe I have yet successfully eaten at a Hickory Tavern. The first time I tried, at Woodhill, they had just closed the regular dining room and were serving at hightops only. Since the last time I enjoyed sitting in a high-chair, my mother was feeding me, I declined. The second time, also at Woodhill was during the tail-end of the pandemic when nobody had any staff. I sat on the patio, and after an hour nobody had taken my order, so I just left.

Anyway, they were apparently bought-out in 2025, and the new owners are evaluating all the locations going forward. Apparently this location in The Vista did not make the cut, though with the demolition of the Five Guys building it does now have a nice view of the Capitol dome.

You can see the story at WIS or read about it in The State.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie, et al)

Basil Thai in the Whole Foods strip mall is closed "for repairs" with a projected opening date of "Early Fall", which it almost is. They have odd hours (for me), so I have never tried it out, but if & when, perhaps I will.

As I was leaving Bullet's the other day, I noticed that the Meetze Plumbing office/showroom on Beltline was gone. It had been in the rightmost suite in that building, next to the vape shop. Looking at Streetview, it happened sometime after September 2025, and I'm pretty sure I noticed them earlier this year, so I'm just going with 2026 for at date. They are definitely still in business, and I don't believe this was a dispatch location, so I don't expect any effect for customers.

This building has featured here previously as Nostalgia Antiques & Collectibles, which closed shop in late 2021. I'm not sure when Bullet's moved in, but Streetview confirms it was after August 2023. I can't find an exact date for their moving to 4839 Edmund Highway either, but it appears to have been sometime around May 2026

(Hat tip to commenter Marcel Miller)

The first time I saw The Swimming Pool Qs would have been around 1978 at the 4th of July celebration at USC's Bell Camp. If you were facing the lodge, the band set up to the right of it, at the bottom of the hill leading to the lake, and the audience was on the grass up and down the hill in the playground area. I had only discovered rock music in 1976, and hadn't made it to New Wave yet, so it was very memorable to hear these pulsing sounds & "Your baby is a big fat tractor, riding down the rows in the dust!" echoing out over the crowd & pond. I didn't quite know what to make of it, but it certainly left an impression!

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