Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Locker Room was the follow-up operation in this suite to Corma's Nutritional Supplements & More, which closed in 2015. With both Locker Room and Ed Robinson now recently gone, the building is completely vacant, and I have to wonder if it is long for the world. The building was clearly built as an old-school service station, and I have to think that property on this stretch of Forest Drive leading to the Interstate interchange is too valuable now to leave something like this taking up a lot. (Though I personally like the canopy look).

Back in the days of Speedy McGreedy & Gilbert Giddyup, Hardees was our goto place on road trips because unlike McDonalds or Burger King, they had "chewy" ice in all their stores. That changed sometime in the 70s or 80s, and with them adding chicken, and with me hating the smell of Chicken, I don't think I have eaten there after breakfast in 30 years or so.

This store was co-located with a convenience store/gas station at the I-20/US-378 interchange, and you can still get your burger on there, as both McDonald's and Chili's are still at this exit.

I like the glass blocks, btw.

(Hat tip to commenter Steve)

UPDATE 19 June 2021: Updating tags and adding map icon.

Here's another Rite Aid this one where the River Roads come together at Boozer Shopping Center. I am having a little trouble thinking of a Walgreens within a mile of here, which is the usual closing criteria for this transition.

Apparently the LoopNet folks decided they already had a photo on file and didn't need another one -- that's certainly a blast from the past.

UPDATE 20 June 2021 -- As mentioned in the comments, this place has been razed:

Also adding a map icon.

UPDATE 24 June 2021 -- The canopy for the Murphy USA already going up:

UPDATE 11 August 2021 -- Construction continues:

UPDATE 27 September 2021 -- Getting there (picture from 18 September):

UPDATE 26 February 2022 -- It's open:

Not very good pictures here as I was shooting against the sun, but it's what I have..

This TCBY was just past the closed Rite Aid at 500 West Main Street. The sign says they were open for thirty years, which is definitely a good run.

In fact, that pushes it almost back into the era when TCBY stood for This Can't Be Yogurt instead of The Country's Best Yogurt, or at least that's the way I remember it. The first froyo places had to combat the notion that yogurt was a sour curdled health-food that people in the Soviet Union ate if they wanted to live to be 130..

(Hat tip to commenter ED)

Atlantic Seafood in the old Taco Bell building on Broad River Road has closed shop, and the place is prepping to be Chicki's Wings. The Decker Boulevard location (interestingly, in another former taco restaurant will remain open.

I've never been in this store, but from the outside, it appears to be *huge*, occupying several potential storefronts.

The store moved to here from its original location on Saint Andrews Road back in 2010, and has, according to its Facebook page, now started its closing sale. I'm not sure how long that will last (apparently through 30 June for sure), so I am listing the closing date as July 2018 for now.

UPDATE 7 May 2025: Adding map icon, updating tags.

(Hat tip to commenter Heath Roberts)

I have tried to go to The Mouse Trap three times, but in the event only managed it once.

The first time was years ago, probably the early 80s, and I just could not find the place. I had seen it once at that point, and knew it was in the office complex off Forest Drive, but after driving around twenty minutes or so, I gave it up as a bad job and went somewhere else. (Was it originally at a different location in this plaza? Because I have no problem now).

The second time was with some folks from the CS department at USC during a homecoming event. No problem finding it this time (I may have been following someone) and the food was fine, though I have very little memory of it.

The third time was a year or two ago when I decided, Hey, it's been 10 or 15 years; time for another visit!, but it turned out to be one of those places that close between "lunch" & "dinner".

Anway, they are now closed for remodeling. The inside looks a bit torn up and there is a storage container out back, so I think work has started, though the sign doesn't give any ETA.

(Hat tip to commenter Midnight Rambler)

UPDATE 30 January 2019 -- As reported in the comments, this is open again:

When I did the closing for Latino's Bar & Grill in this location, it appeared they were setting up to open as an urban club Nuvo Rest.Bar. However, I don't think that ever actually happened. I could be wrong, of course, but I drive this stretch of Percival at least several times a month, and I don't recall ever seeing the building lit up under that name.

At any rate, they are now definitely open as Main Event Sports Bar.

UPDATE 28 March 2019: Add map icon.

I believe the only reason this former banquet hall is counted as being on Bush River Road is that it predates the massive re-working of the area which was entailed by I-26 coming through. (If I'm right, the same work eventually put paid to Boardwalk Plaza). At any rate it is certainly not "on" Bush River Road now.

I don't know much about the place other than the the LoopNet listing says it was built in 1975, and it was listed in phonebooks up through the February 2014 one.

I would have thought that there would have been enough traffic going to the Days Inn to keep the taggers and vandals mostly off of this property, but apparently not.

I'm forgetting what this place used to be called, but it has only been One Main for a few years. At one point, they apparently had my P.O. Box, and I still get important looking mail for them 15 years later..

They left the Forest Park shopping center (if it indeed is still called that) a month or so ago, and have moved into the old VK Nails location across from Richland Mall.