Recent Comments

Recent Posts

Categories

Archives

Meta

Have Your Say Archive [9 Nov 2008 through 3 Sept 2010]   1,014 comments

Posted at 2:23 am in

This page is where you can leave general comments about the site, mention closings that I have missed, ask questions and generally 'have your say'.

Simple HTML constructs should work if you want to leave a link. However, having more than one link will get your comment placed in the moderation queue (since comment spam often has many links).

I always enjoy hearing from you (though I may not always respond, or implement your suggestion).

Ted

Written by ted on November 9th, 2008

Tagged with

1,014 Responses to 'Have Your Say Archive [9 Nov 2008 through 3 Sept 2010]'

Subscribe to comments with RSS

  1. Hey Ted, did you ever go to the water slide on Two Notch? I haven't paid attention lately, but I wonder if the top of the slide is still visible.

    ChiefDanGeorge

    9 Nov 08 at 7:10 am

  2. I went looking for it one day, but didn't see anthing that looked likely..

    ted

    9 Nov 08 at 1:17 pm

  3. Does ANYone else remember the Hi Hat club on Forest Drive?

    It was a wooden house-like building painted white, with a neon sign shaped like a top hat. On the south side of Forest Drive near where Forest Drive Baptist church is. I was too young to ever go in before it closed down but I always wondered what it was like. Looked like a genuine old fashioned honky tonk.

    Dennis

    11 Nov 08 at 9:09 am

  4. I remember that place. There also used to be an old wooden house on the corner of Forest Dr. and Beltline where a bank building now stands. In fact, that whole area was once a nice wooded area until the 1970s

    Tom

    11 Nov 08 at 10:24 am

  5. FYI I was reading a history of Forest Acres from their website
    http://www.forestacres.net/index.php?c=about
    and found the exact address of the Hi Hatt Club - 3830 Forest Drive.

    The article also mentions Pop's A&W Root Beer at 4721 Forest Dr. (where Heilig Myers Furniture is now). I think I finally found something that is before my time, as I have no memory of an A&W there. Does anyone else?

    Dennis

    12 Nov 08 at 6:00 am

  6. I enjoyed the site. I grew up in Columbia in the 60’s and 70’s. I pass along some suggestions of landmarked that are gone and may be of interest to explore: Doug Broomes Drive In North Main, Taylor Street Pharmacy, Éclair Bakery In Five Points, Edisto Farm Dairy Stores In Five Points And Trenholm Plaza, Cogburns Steak House On Assembly Street, The Market Restaurant On Assembly Street, Drakes Restaurant On Forest Drive, Morrison’s Cafeteria On Sumpter Street, Don’s In Five Points, Twilight Lounge On Rosewood and The Purple Onion on Wheeler Hill

    Lew

    12 Nov 08 at 6:12 pm

  7. Thanks Lew!

    The Big T is coming soon. Edisto has been mentioned starting here. and the Twilight Lounge has sorta been mentioned several times here.

    Unfortunately, I have no memories of several of those others.

    ted

    12 Nov 08 at 6:24 pm

  8. Doug Broome owned burger joints that were hang outs for teenagers. This is a link to his place on Hardin Street (before my time) http://flickr.com/photos/23117774@N04/2571378318/. He then moved to North Main. Through the 60’s Woody Wyndom (woody with the Goodies) broadcast on WCOS from a trailer studio on top of the restaurant. Doug had carhops on roller-skates delivery food to the cars ala American Graffiti. It was located at Main and Confederate. He called his hamburgers Big Joys and got sued by Shoney who had copywrited Big Boys.
    Woody Wyndom blog:
    “It was ONE FOUR OH OH,WCOS-AM. It was 1960 and by 1962 I was “High atop Doug Broome’s Drive In, at the corner of Main and Confederate.” We broadcast the show from a glass booth on top of the restaurant. In addition to doing the five hour show from there, we did five live commercials per hour. And we did the whole thing for 20 dollars per night. It was my job after the show each night to collect the money from Doug Broome. The boss always said if you didn’t get it that night you would never get it. Doug would hide from me which wasn’t easy since he weighed over 300 pounds. I only missed him twice in three years, because the boss would take the 20 out of my salary and I only made 75 per week.”
    I Thought Of A Couple Of Others The Joyful Alternative Columbia Head Shop On Greene Street, Lums On Greene Street Where Andy’ Is Now, Palmetto Little Baseball Field On The Carolina Children’s Home Campus, Zestos In Five Points, Preisters Barber Shop In Five Points, And Franks Hot Dogs In Five Points
    If you want I will send additional info as I can

    Lew

    12 Nov 08 at 8:27 pm

  9. That was before my time, though I definitely remember Woody Windham from some of his other projects! He actually had a pint-size "beach, boogie & blues" network "The Breeze" at one time much later.

    You can always contact me via the email closings at columbiaclosings dot com. If I use something, I have to know it's OK -- for instance, I can post a link to flickr no problem, but I can't just grab someone's photo off there and put it on my site..

    Joyful Alternatiive, Lums, Zesto's and Franks will definitely happen at some point.

    ted

    13 Nov 08 at 12:57 am

  10. I remember two A&W Drive-Ins in Columbia. One at the corner of Two Notch and Beltline, where Mc Donald's is now, and the other on Devine Street where the Burger King now stands, near the old IHOP.

    BTW, the Burger King next to the Ford dealer on Two Notch was the first BK in Columbia. Its original neon sign had a king holding a milkshake sitting on top of a hamburger.

    Tom

    13 Nov 08 at 7:09 am

  11. Went by The Villa on Bush River Rd. today. their sign said closed for lunch but opened for dinner. May be a sign they are about to become history.

    Tom

    14 Nov 08 at 5:41 pm

  12. I think that's been up a at least a month. I don't think I could ever eat there by choice. I don't remember the food being bad, but the totally windowless interior space is very oppressive, like being in a submarine. I can't imagine how the wait staff stands it.

    ted

    14 Nov 08 at 5:46 pm

  13. I used to work on Bush River and we would eat lunch at the Villa. Their personal lunch pizza was a step above cardboard. Their waitstaff was terrible, slow slow slow.

    ChiefDanGeorge

    15 Nov 08 at 6:32 am

  14. The Villa is closed for lunch because the owner is older and his sons who are the managers have been deployed to Iraq until May. They will return to lunch service then And the crowds food are still good!

    Also please consider a story on Underground Columbia which was under corner Main & Hampton. It was a number of Bars and Rests. that were below street level.The iron gate which faces Main is locked but I understand the landlord will allow access for Pics etc

    KC

    17 Nov 08 at 7:39 am

  15. Well, godspeed to them!

    ted

    17 Nov 08 at 10:01 am

  16. I found & thought you would enjoi
    Underground Columbia link

    http://www.abccolumbia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1360:hidden-columbia-exploring-columbias-first-mall&catid=56:hidden-columbia&Itemid=75

    Fox Theater link

    http://www.abccolumbia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=56%3Ahidden-columbia&id=1471%3Ahidden-columbia-the-old-state-theatre&Itemid=75

    KC

    17 Nov 08 at 11:25 am

  17. Thanks!

    ted

    17 Nov 08 at 12:18 pm

  18. Ted, according to the shared website (I guess they have the same owner), Movies Behind The Mall has now opened. However, there is no information on which movies it is showing or a phone number to reach them. Do you know if this place is actually operational now? I know you made a post about it last month, so I figured you might have some insight. Thanks.

    http://www.columbiaplacemovies.com/

    Scott

    21 Nov 08 at 2:14 am

  19. They do appear to be open. They shows are

    Righteous Kill
    Dark Knight
    Journey To The Center of the Earth
    Lakeview Terrace
    How I learned to Drive (live play)
    House Bunny
    Sex Drive

    or

    Wall-E
    My Best Friend's Girl
    The Dark Knight
    Journey To The Center of the Earth
    House Bunny

    Depending on whether you believe the box-office placards or the marquee.

    ted

    21 Nov 08 at 12:39 pm

  20. I have a "closing" that I would like you to check out. At Finlay park, there are two playgrounds. The first and most used playground is the newer one at the bottom of the hill. The older one is up on the hill above the new one. I took my daughter there the other day and I was very disapointed to see the older playground in the shape it is in. Could you find out about it or make it more public. It is a great playground and I would like to start a group to raise money to repair it to its original glory. Thanks alot.

    Matthew

    21 Nov 08 at 7:15 pm

  21. Well,um, you know I'm just a guy with a car and a camera -- I don't know any more about this stuff than the average guy on the street. Maybe someone reading this has an idea what's going on with Finlay?

    ted

    21 Nov 08 at 8:15 pm

  22. Just two questions that bother me. Why do places fail in the plaza on Sparkleberry and Clemson road? It seems like a new plaza with ample parking on a busy road. Is the rent just too high(I have seen that it is about $20 a sq. foot.)? I know Za's and D's failed there but I have always thought there food sucked anyways.
    Also, is the fact that there are so many chain restaurants in the harbison area would that keep a family owned place from surviving there? I just always notice that in the plaza with the Books a million and total wine there are so many empty spaces and it just makes me wonder why nobody moves into those spots?

    Michael

    22 Nov 08 at 5:34 pm

  23. Don't forget Al-Amir and Coldstone Creamery.

    You've got me. Coldstone and D's may have their own set of chain-wide problems, but it seems Al Amir & Za's should have made it.

    Harbison -- I can only speak for myself, but I need a *really* good reason to go out to Harbison during the day. It might be a location that works for "destinations", but not for drive-bys. I'm sure somebody actually running a retail operation has a better insight though..

    ted

    22 Nov 08 at 7:01 pm

  24. I'd love to see a photo shoot for "Columbia Underground" underneath the Equitable Arcade Mall on Main Street!! I want to see what's still down there after all the years it's been closed. Someone needs to re-open this!!

    Joe

    23 Nov 08 at 3:01 pm

  25. nevermind about columbia underground!! saw the featured article w/video.

    Joe

    23 Nov 08 at 3:02 pm

  26. Hannah Janes in 5 pts...........yum! it was always our favorite place to go and the food was out of this world. When Richard sold it, it started the slow slide downhill and eventually closed. At least we were able to get the recipe for the spinach & goronzola sauce that came with the filet from a friend that worked there and now writes for FT.

    Debmcd

    29 Nov 08 at 10:49 am

  27. Someone mentioned the Five Points Theater on another subject today. To me it will alays be Pug's.

    Pug's, anyone?

    Dennis

    1 Dec 08 at 6:05 pm

  28. I remember Pugs. Was a very popular and cl;assy place until they got accused of racial discrimination against customers and it went downhill from there.

    Tom

    2 Dec 08 at 10:05 am

  29. Does anyone remember the Guingnard Brick company and the Tremont Hotel on Assembly street I think? I loved the old lights that they had for the Tremonts sign.

    Jeff

    2 Dec 08 at 7:24 pm

  30. I heard from several people in Columbia that there was an old tunnel that went fro the old Confederate printing building to the river. Now this may be a Columbia "urban legend" but I wonder if there is a grain of truth to it. Rumor had it that the confederates built this during the civil war as an escape route to get away from the yankees if they should invade the city. Has anyone heard of this? please do tell if you have.

    Jeff

    2 Dec 08 at 7:35 pm

  31. I wanted to post a comment about an old nightclub in Columbia. "Rumors" was a private gay bar that was (visited by straight people too) behind the auditorium. I think it was on Blanding street. When I was in high school and the drinking age was 18 my friends and I would start at the Twighlight on Rosewood and inevitably end up at "Rumors". Brings back lots of memories!

    Jeff

    2 Dec 08 at 7:38 pm

  32. When I was in college Guingnard was still making bricks over there. They also had a giant mound of used bricks from demolitions and would pay a penny apiece to stand there and carefully clean all the mortar off them with these little hammers they had.

    The mill that is now the State Museum was still operating too. We art students used to go buy canvas by the pound right off the loom to stretch into paintings.

    Dennis

    2 Dec 08 at 8:59 pm

  33. Just a question. Is there any restaurant or other place that you have been to in a different city which you have a feeling it would not work in Columbia???

    For example, I went to the Cheesecake factory in Charlotte the other day and I was just looking around and reading the menu and know that it would not make it here in Columbia.

    In my opinion, California Pizza Kitchen would not work her either.

    Michael

    3 Dec 08 at 2:15 am

  34. I'm not sure I remember the brickyard in operation, but I sure remember all those round-topped kiln buildings sitting there between Parkland Plaza and the river!

    ted

    3 Dec 08 at 3:22 am

  35. Well, if there is/was a tunnel, it didn't work because The Union did invade Columbia!

    ted

    3 Dec 08 at 3:23 am

  36. There are lots of restaurants that don't come to Columbia: Bennigans, Chevys, PF Chang, Chipolte...

    I've never been to The Cheesecake Factory, but from what I understand about it, I'd say Bower parkway, maybe.

    On the other hand, I can see CPK making it here. Yes, they do have some "high falutin'" pizzas, but if I recall correctly, you can still get your standard ingredients as well.

    ted

    3 Dec 08 at 3:29 am

  37. I have studied Sherman's march in SC and the burning of Columbia for over a decade and have read literaly hundreds of obscure books, manuscripts, etc. related to the subject and have never heard nor read of tunnels under the printing plant.

    On the other hand, there are tunnels under the State House. Though government officials deny their existence, Sandlapper magazine ran a story about them, complete with pictures back in the late 60s, early 70s.

    Tom

    3 Dec 08 at 7:08 am

  38. I have been in one of the tunnels under the State House.

    I worked for a state agency for a long time and used to borrow photography from the governor's office. Their photographer and one or two other PR staff had an office in the State House sub-basement, which was an odd brick-floored, brick-walled, and I believe brick-ceilinged room. Around the edges of the room were three or four arched doorways with iron gates locked across them. They had no lighting but you could see they were tunnels that went on a looong way.

    One is supposed to come out across Sumter Street in or on the grounds of Trinity Episcopal, and one is supposed to go all the way First Baptist, where the Articles of Secession were signed. The staff told me that there was nothing secret or sinister about them, that they were just a convenience for couriers and such and an emergency exit.

    I last was there and saw them about 1998.

    Dennis

    3 Dec 08 at 10:20 am

  39. When we first moved to Columbia back in 67' and when I was old enough to remember this....... there was a group of duplexes (government housing) where the Columbia Athletic club was. i don't rightly recall how many there were but suffice to say that it was at least 4 maybe more. They moved these up to the corner of Blossom street and ...some other ( I think the same one that the Whitney hotel was on) The Whitney was on devine but the street that ran N/S well I don't know what the cross street was. If you travel down blossom and you get to about the middle of the road traveling west towards USC you'll see these duplexes on the north side of the street theres at least 4 maybe more of them. they used to be located on Forest Drive. Way back in the early 70's

    Jeff

    4 Dec 08 at 2:34 am

  40. Jeff, are you talking about the ones on Maple and Blossom?

    Dave

    4 Dec 08 at 9:28 am

  41. Those are the ones I believe. Are they still there?

    jeff g.

    4 Dec 08 at 7:48 pm

  42. Does anyone remember the Automat Cafe downtown? I think it was behind Taps on Richland Street. Also the Krytal Burger (One of old ones) on N/E the corner of Main And Richland? How about the Notorious Desota Hotel downtown or Drakes Restaraunt on Taylor Street? Maybe the J. C. Penny Store on Main Street or the Original J.B. Whites Dept. Store where Davidsons redid the building on Main Street. B. Berrys on Assembly or the old Belk Hudson two doors down.The old Evans Esso with its stain glass windows on the corner of Taylor and Harden. Or the "Hi-Hat Club on Forest Drive. "The Box" on Rosewood That had once been "Jacks Pallace Bar" We even had a Montgomery Ward on Main Street and a Winn Dixie right down town on Assembly Street Oh my gosh, such memories.
    Joanna

    Joanna Crowder

    4 Dec 08 at 8:16 pm

  43. Yes, the duplexes are still there. Although I don't think they are government housing anymore.

    Dave

    4 Dec 08 at 9:38 pm

  44. I'll probably eventually do a post on Penny's on Main. I remember walking down there from USC in the early 80s and it was like a dead-man walking -- all the merchandise on one floor, and not really filling that. There was some kind of oddness about the continuity of Belks. First it was Belk's, then Belt's then Belk's again..

    Lots of people mention the "Hi-Hat Club", but I had never even heard of it until I started this site.

    We had two grocery stores downtown until very late in the day. One on Assembly, and one just below Main on one of the cross-streets. That one especially was an odd space.

    ted

    4 Dec 08 at 11:49 pm

  45. When they demolished the DeSoto Hotel (they really did Columbia a favor) I parked my pickup as close as I could to the sign. I had this idea I could just take it home when they tore the building down. I came back at the end of the day and sure enough, there it was on the ground on top of a pile of rubble. Problem was, it was huge! Must have been 15 feet long and weighed hundreds of pounds. I was so used to seeing it up in the air I didn't realize how big it was.

    Dennis

    5 Dec 08 at 2:21 am

  46. Believe it or not, when it opened the De Soto was considered a posh place. According to the WPA guide to SC, it was where the Chamber of Commerce had their office at the time. When it burned down there was a joke that Mayor Krikman Finlay himself probably started the blaze.

    Tom

    5 Dec 08 at 3:39 pm

  47. Ted,

    I just heard the Talbots nationwide are closing.

    Love your site,

    Dennis

    Dennis B

    11 Dec 08 at 8:33 am

  48. Underground Columbia, my dad told me that there was a breakfast joint down there that was topless, it was called "Grits and Tits". Who Knows. Might be a novel idea for Forest Acres.

    Rhea Preston

    11 Dec 08 at 10:32 am

  49. Don't forget Shealy's, famous for their pimiento cheese burger, and the Seaboard diner, famous for Stella's Psycho Burger. For that matter, the Capitol Cafe and the brains omelet served with a scowl by Paul, and Marvin's Eat on Devine which did not allow profanity or they would kick you out.

    Khindes

    11 Dec 08 at 11:56 am

  50. If Talbots goes, that's a big, upscale, hole in the old Forest Lake Shopping Center site..

    "Grits and Tits"? Might be a reason to get up for breakfast!

    There is a post on Martin's on Devine though I had no personal experiences to contribute..

    ted

    11 Dec 08 at 12:57 pm

  51. Dont forget The Palace on Gervais St -- Run by a great guy Odell Polson and his wife -- Killer Chilli and dont forget the Mr Knozit Burger -- It was a hamburger with a fried egg on top! The old S&S cafeteria was across the street for years -Now torn down- We always called it the Blue Hair Club.

    Kc

    16 Dec 08 at 11:38 am

  52. I don't remember The Palace. I do remember the cafeteria, though we went to the Redwood Cafeteria at Richland Mall when we went at all. I've noticed the affinity between cafeterias and old people. Since I plan to be a very old person, I expect I will understand it some day.

    ted

    16 Dec 08 at 12:32 pm

  53. I ate at the Palace maybe a total of five times, and I don't understand why anyone would mourn its passing. I was UNimpressed with anything about the place.

    The rooftop of that old S&S Cafeteria was for many years the premier place to watch the Carolina Carillon Parade the day after Thanksgiving. We would get downtown very early and eat breakfast at the Toddle House (now WIS' parking lot) then stand outside to watch the parade. I was always jealous of the people on the S&S roof across the street.

    My wife isn't old yet, but she loves cafeterias. Go figure. You'd think the seniors would want someone to bring the food to them, instead of rattling their walkers down a serving line. And they are no cheaper than other restaurants. All that said, every Picadilly's I've gone to had really good food.

    Dennis

    16 Dec 08 at 1:27 pm

  54. Anybody remember Burger Chef? I remember one near the corner of Two Notch and Covenant... near Midland Plaza. That was my favorite burger place.

    Speaking of Midland Plaza... is anything there these days? I remember getting my first bike at the Western Auto at MP... A yellow Western Flyer with a banana seat!!

    E.J.

    19 Dec 08 at 8:39 pm

  55. There is a link to some photos of that Burger Chef here

    I touched on Midland's Plaza here. Short answer is that it is mostly done as a retail site, but a church is keeping it alive, and the Post Office is still there.

    ted

    19 Dec 08 at 11:45 pm

  56. Hi Ted

    I was out Christmas shopping on Harbison yesterday and saw that the Hess gas station/Popeye's chicken place had closed down. Also, the Schiano's Pizza that used to be in the Publix shopping center on Harbison is now a Firehouse Subs.

    I was thinking about another place that used to be over in that general vicinity the other day. It was called Just Breakfast, and as the name implied all they served was breakfast. It was in the building on Bower Parkway that now houses Wild Wings. Being a family that values a good breakfast, we ate there pretty often.

    It was owned by a family from Maine i think. The menu was all breakfast. You could order off the menu, but the main attraction was the buffet.Everything tasted freshly cooked, and never over processed. I love to eat out for breakfast, and have frequently eaten at Shoney's and IHOP. Shoney's of course is good if you want bulk, but the food is pretty bland. IHOP is better, but even still the food tastes like restaurant food. Just Breakfast tasted like home cooked food. And prced at somewhere around 8 dollars for the buffet, it was pretty reasonably priced.

    You had to be patient to eat there, you most often had to wait for a table, and then wait while they restocked the buffet. I remember most the thick maple bacon and the blueberry stuffed French toast.

    The unique thing about this restaurant was that although the posted hours were until 1PM daily, they really only stayed open until they ran out of food. It wasnt uncommon for them to turn customers away at 1245 because they were out. But as long as you got there early, you got fed. And fed well.

    One interesting anecdote: Not too long before they closed down for good, we were eating there and there was what appeared to be a baby shower going on in the back, at the one big table they had. Probably 12-15 women all dressed up with presents and decorations and everything. So we get seated and the waitress tells us that the kitchen is a little behind because...and she leans in real close and whispers, "We think the baby shower people are stealing food."

    LOL

    And sure enough i go up to get some food, and they bring out a plate of freshly cooked maple bacon and there is one lady from the baby shower in front of me in line and im just smacking my lips and praising the gods of good timing.

    And the lady takes all of it. Probably two pounds of bacon. She takes every slice. Loads it up on her plate and never says a word or anything. I was just dumbfounded.

    Im pretty sure that it wasnt too long after that that the place closed for good. It reopened a while later as a different breakfast place, called something like Breakfast On Devine or something, but i was told that food was not as good and was more expensive. So we never got around to eating there.

    But anyway, Just Breakfast was awesome, while it was around.

    IrmoJeff

    24 Dec 08 at 12:36 pm

  57. As Chuck Berry said, "It just goes to show you never can tell!". Sounds like a nice place. I like breakfast, but I like sleeping even more, so I rarely get any.

    ted

    24 Dec 08 at 12:43 pm

  58. Growing up in 1960's Columbia, Daddy would take us to the Krispy Kreme on North Main if we'd been extra good. It seemed like quite a drive from where we lived in the North 21 Area or when we lived out at the (then named) Columbia Bible College. But what a treat!
    When I moved back to Columbia in 2003, I was tickled to see that the Krispy Kreme building now housed a funeral parlor. I've wondered if any of the patrons of the former have used the services of the latter.
    ~~~~~~~~
    We also ate at Drake's Duck Inn when it was by Gonzalez Gardens (where we lived when we first arrived in SC), and and Captain's Kitchen on decker fo Sunday lunch. It was also quite a drive, but they had free (or close to free) meals for kids up to age 12, and there were six of us kids to feed.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~
    Finally, does anyone remember Ed's BeBops which was somewhere in West Columbia in the 1970's? They made lots of flavors of milk shakes (I recall trying sprite and peanut butter flavored) and were a hit with my high school youth group. I assume they are closed, having not found them on several trips up and down the major Cayce-West Columia boulevards.

    Michelle

    2 Jan 09 at 6:52 pm

  59. Michelle - I loved that Krispy Kreme because you could watch the doughnuts flying along the conveyor getting sprayed with frosting!

    My dad would take me to that one even though it was out of the way for us because nearby was Columbia's only automated car wash. No people -- just put a quarter in. Like the ones they have at gas stations today. Loved it.

    Dennis

    2 Jan 09 at 9:09 pm

  60. I was just commenting tonight to friends about "most repurposed building" when we drove by a Myrtle Beach crematorium which used to be a strip club.

    I don't recall the N. Main KK at all, but the one in Cayce certainly does the "visual doughnut assembly line" thing. I was tickled one night when a bunch of high-school girls came in and started naming the doughnuts as they went through the line, and trying to buy "their" Freddie or whatever.

    ted

    3 Jan 09 at 12:31 am

  61. Ted, the KK on N Main was near the old Coke bottling plant to give you another Closed Columbia reference.
    My grandparents used to live on that street right before the train trestle on N Main, so my grandma would take me to the KK there.

    ChiefDanGeorge

    3 Jan 09 at 7:19 am

  62. The North Main Krispy Kreme was located across the street from Doug Broome (On the opposite corner). This location had the first coffee bar counter and the first "Viewing Window" to watch the doughnuts cook. My family was in this business for 35 years in Columbia, first on Taylor Streetm then North Main and also in West Columbia across from Zesto.

    Gail Crossland

    4 Jan 09 at 1:26 pm

  63. Guess we can now add Sounds Familiar to the listgiven what The State newspaper reported this morning.

    Tom

    7 Jan 09 at 6:57 am

  64. Does anybody remember Bum's Bummers, Cheap Joe's and Sims Music when they were in Boardwalk Plaza on Bush River Road? It would have been between KMart and I-26? That Sounds Familiar story reminded me, because the fellow who taught me drums also worked at Sounds Familiar (Bush River Mall), and I think I used to go to Sims for drum lessons. I remember that Cheap Joes moved into Dutch Sqaure, Bum's moved out on Broad River behind Rush's and I know Sims is on St. Andrew's now. But that whole shopping area moved. I remember the cool thing at Irmo was to go to Bum's and get the "flawed" Polo shirts, where the logo was on the right side of the shirt. I think I still have some of their "shirts with a flair, and a flaw" shirts!!

    Jonathan

    7 Jan 09 at 9:39 am

  65. I do remember Boardwalk Plaza -- The Book Exchange was there and I used to walk over there from Dutch Square every week while my sister was at piano lessons to browse. (It's since moved to Boozer)

    ted

    7 Jan 09 at 10:29 pm

  66. I remember Cogburn's on being on Sumter St. We would go there on Fri. nights people would be lined up down the street and around the corner up Lady St. They had a great steak sandwich, steak,fries,salad and tea for $1.50 or so. They had nice mostly older ladies providing pleasant service. When they moved across the river to 378 we didn't get over there often.

    Thanks for this site Ted, it sure brings back memories

    Mike L.

    11 Jan 09 at 1:35 am

  67. You're welcome!

    ted

    11 Jan 09 at 2:54 am

  68. Somehow I missed the Cogburn's phenomenon all those years. But speaking of steaks downtown, is there anyone out there who ever ate at Shimmy's on Lady St.? My parents liked this place when I was very young. It must have closed in the 70s though.

    Dennis

    11 Jan 09 at 9:06 pm

  69. St Andrews Road
    It looks like St Andrews Road is turning into the "Restaurant Graveyard". Wendys at the top of the hill closed recently. Hilltop, across the street has been closed for years. Bojangles shut a few years ago. Rynas next door is now offices. I think if you keep driving down St Andrews towards Irmo, you will see even more.

    O'Reilly

    11 Jan 09 at 11:40 pm

  70. Scarborough Cafe,Daylight Donuts &
    Bessie Mae’s Ice Cream Parlor
    108 Scarborough Drive
    Lexington, SC 29072

    Driving Directions:
    Follow Hwy 378 through Lexington. Where Hwy 378 and US 1 split at Ben Satcher Ford, stay straight onto US 1. Follow until you pass the Corpus Christy church campus, Scarborough Cafe is on the right.

    CLOSED. New owners taking over and making a different restaurant.

    O'Reilly

    11 Jan 09 at 11:52 pm

  71. Pasta Fresca
    3405 Forest Drive
    Forest Acres, SC 29204

    (corner of Beltline &
    Forest, across from the
    Mall, beside Kroger)

    I beleive these guys are closed. Very nice husband and wife team own/ran it. I always enjoyed the food and service.

    O'Reilly

    11 Jan 09 at 11:56 pm

  72. The food there was good -- don't know why I didn't go more often. I'll check it out.

    ted

    12 Jan 09 at 2:33 am

  73. That's a shame if Pasta Fresca closed. They had great pasta dishes.

    ChiefDanGeorge

    12 Jan 09 at 5:44 am

  74. FYI the Pasta Fresca husband & wife team you mentioned is retired advertising exec Ralph Gregory & wife. Remember when the biggest ad agency in town was Newman Saylor & Gregory?

    Dennis

    12 Jan 09 at 7:38 am

  75. I ate at Shimmy's a few times back in the '60s. It seemed to be a popular place to take your prom date for a "fancy" meal when you wanted to act all grown up.

    Mike L.

    12 Jan 09 at 10:26 am

  76. Mike L. - Shimmy's sticks out in my mind because it was so different from the usual "family friendly" places my folks took us to eat.

    I remember it was sort of crowded and very dark inside, and they had a juke box(!) and a little corner bar with liquor(!!) and all the other customers looked like gangsters and their molls -- at least to my 5 year old eyes.

    When the waitresses carried steaks across the room they were on very hot metal plates so they sizzled loudly as they went by.

    Dennis

    12 Jan 09 at 12:36 pm

  77. Heart of Columbia Motel, and the attached Sportsman Restaurant, anyone?

    Dennis

    12 Jan 09 at 5:02 pm

  78. The Gregorys sold Pasta Fresca to a young couple, Scott and Lauren. They had run it for about 4 or 5 years.

    O'Reilly

    12 Jan 09 at 10:04 pm

  79. Past Fresca is not closed. They seemed to be doing a good business when I drove by this evening.

    ted

    12 Jan 09 at 11:21 pm

  80. I miss Mauro's. I never ate at the downtown location -- only the one at Intersection Center. That was really good pizza.

    E.J.

    13 Jan 09 at 7:58 pm

  81. You could fill an entire page of closings with Richland Mall on Beltline Blvd. During the late '60s it was an open air mall that housed such great locally owned stores as Meri's Record Shop, Mr. Popper's popcorn store and Jackson Camera. The rocking chair theaters were totally cool, too. There was also a Hickory Farms store, Big Star Grocery and a Woolworths Five & Dime. During summer evenings they would occasionally book local rock bands to play in the courtyard.

    Terry Edwards

    14 Jan 09 at 6:15 am

  82. Dennis, One of the things I liked about Shimmy's was that the waitresses were careful to not let you embarrass yourself in front of your date. I believe that might have been my first experience at "fine dining" with a date.
    As luck would have it I married that young lady 6 mos. later and we would still go there from time to time.
    I do remember the Sportsman restaurant, we would go there too.
    Oh, and over 42 years later we are still going out to eat.

    Mike L.

    14 Jan 09 at 8:21 am

  83. Question for you oldtimers. Does anybody remember the Horseshoe pond in West Cola.? It was at the corner of Meeting and 12th. They filled it in and built a shopping center over it. Can anybody tell me what grocery store anchored the center? It's now Wentworth Printing.

    Mike L.

    14 Jan 09 at 8:27 am

  84. Mike L. - Wentworth Printing was originally a Family Mart.

    Dennis

    14 Jan 09 at 10:03 am

  85. I want to say it was an A&P spin off, but I can't remember its name. Giant Food World maybe?

    Tom

    14 Jan 09 at 6:39 pm

  86. The store you are thinking of was indeed The Family Mart. I remember for a while after it closed it contained an antique mall. Did not last long if I remember correctly. The Family Mart also operated a store at Garner's Ferry Road and Fort Jackson Blvd. That store became a Kroger after Family Mart closed. That Kroger closed last year so the property could be redeveloped a la Woodhill Mall.

    Thomas

    14 Jan 09 at 7:51 pm

  87. There was a Giant Food World in the old A&P building in Midlands Plaza. I always imagined they had a crane which would bring out your carrot.

    ted

    15 Jan 09 at 12:31 am

  88. Dennis and Thomas, thanks I was thinking it was a Family Mart, but was looking for some confirmation.

    Mike L.

    15 Jan 09 at 7:27 am

  89. Heard last night that Birds on a Wire had gone out of business. And of course the whole Circuit City chain is about to be finis.

    Tom

    18 Jan 09 at 7:04 am

  90. I just called Birds and there is no indication they have closed.

    Dennis B

    19 Jan 09 at 12:07 pm

  91. When I was a kid Wilson Motors was on the corner of Harden & Gervias. They were a Lincoln/Mercury dealer. It sticks out in my memory because they had this huge, beautiful neon sign. It was a ball that rotated on top of a tall pole, and the two halves of the ball spun in opposite directions, and there were maybe two dozen 6' long neon spikes sticking out of it, in all different colors, like Star Wars light sabers. It was fabulous.

    They also had some PR stunts from time to time to inroduce new models or whatever. One time they had a live cougar you could come be photographed with. Another time they had a girl in a bikini sit on a giant block of ice all day for you to come ogle.

    Dennis

    19 Jan 09 at 4:52 pm

  92. Recently, Tickle Pink, Tullulah, & Birds On A Wire Closed On Devine Street

    Michael Arket

    20 Jan 09 at 9:08 am

  93. Remember "Dee's Recaps," in "the bright organge buildings." One was where the Applebee's is at Jackson and Devine. At least one other location, too. Don't know when they closed, but the Applebee's at Jackson and Devine was built maybe 1987? I know it was already there in '88.

    badger

    21 Jan 09 at 12:16 pm

  94. I remember that place. I had forgotten about it.

    Mr Bill

    21 Jan 09 at 1:21 pm

  95. Here's one for you to do some research on, Ted...

    There's a little bar on Percival called Darryl's. It seems (from signs inside) that it's been opened for over 25 years, but I had a discussion with someone else that the place was a gas station before. Since I've only been in Columbia for nearly 12 years, I can' know for sure. But the parking lot appears to still have the humps of the island(s) where the pumps would have been.

    Any thoughts?

    J.P.

    21 Jan 09 at 2:21 pm

  96. We were going by Shane's Rib Shack tonight on Beltline and it looked like the lights were out and it was closed.

    MB

    21 Jan 09 at 10:27 pm

  97. Huh! I took a picture of that just a few weeks ago for a Pizza Hut post.

    ted

    22 Jan 09 at 12:43 am

  98. I worked at MLJ Mauros during the 70's and early 80s...only place to get a calzone. kids ate the same kind of pizza slices everyday for 4 years of college. Great slices.
    Mary's Celebrity Supper Club on Two Notch Rd had the best prime rib, homemade biscuts and entertainment. Alot of "movers and shakers" would be there too.

    elizabeth

    27 Jan 09 at 7:55 pm

  99. Another business that disappeared some time back: The Factory Outlet Stores "The brown sign with the sewing machine in the corner." There was one in Pontiac, one in Lexington, and one on Bush River Rd, near the 126 interchange. They all seem to have closed in 2002. I think the company was based in Salley, and it might have even been called "Salley Manufacturing.” The outlet stores, and their radio spots, and been around since the mid 1980s.

    badger

    28 Jan 09 at 1:42 pm

  100. they had a Factory Outlet on 12th street in Cayce/West Columbia too.

    Mr Bill

    28 Jan 09 at 5:29 pm

  101. Carolina Plaza and the Heart of Columbia Motel - oh yea!

    Nick

    29 Jan 09 at 9:20 pm

  102. I noticed yesterday that Genco Pools on Jamil Road has closed. They installed my pool a few years ago. Now I've got to find another local supplier for my pool parts.

    Scott

    3 Feb 09 at 4:56 pm

  103. There has been a pool store in that building for some time, at least 20 years. I believe Griffin was there. Interesting enough, I was over by St. Andrews Seafood over the weekend, and saw there was a pool store there, although they were closed. I don't believe "shuttered," just not open. I can't believe that fireworks stand does enough business from the 4th and New Years to not close down permently. Columbia's not Myrtle Beach!

    Jonathan

    3 Feb 09 at 5:26 pm

  104. There was a restaurant at 1425 Sumter Street across from the YMCA called Cravings that closed recently, in January I think. It was a downtown lunch spot and was only open for six months or so. The menu is still in the window, table and chairs still inside, etc.

    CJD

    5 Feb 09 at 3:47 pm

  105. All this talk of drive-ins makes me wonder if there are memories out there of other ones we haven't mentioned.

    The Alice (on North Main almost to I-20) Always showed horror movies.

    Ray's No. 1 (just beyond Lexington HIgh School).

    What was the name of the one on Two Notch, almost to Rabon Road? There's a big health club there now, hidden away from Two Notch.

    Dennis

    6 Feb 09 at 3:11 pm

  106. Mauro's - the best. And I am so glad someone mentioned the Seaboard and the Pyscho burger (always hilariously spelled wrong on the hand-scrawled sign - something like "Physco Burger". What about going to the Capitol late at night and trying to screw with Paul by ordering something they didn't have, but was still on the menu - one thing that come to mind was fish roe - we always tried to order it just to hear Paul say 'Ain't got no fish roe" all annoyed like. What about Paul at the Big Bird on Sumter?

    Jenny

    6 Feb 09 at 3:44 pm

  107. Haven't done one on The Seaboard, but there are posts on The Capitol and The Big Bird.

    ted

    6 Feb 09 at 5:28 pm

  108. http://www.driveintheater.com/drivlist.htm
    This link has 7 “dead” drive-ins in Cola:
    Alice Drive-In, Columbia, Sc (North Main)
    Beltline Drive-In, Columbia, Sc (Beltline)
    North 1 Drive-In, Columbia, Sc (Two Notch)
    Skyway Drive-In, Columbia, Sc (???)
    Sunset Drive-In, Columbia, Sc (Sunset Drive)
    Terrace Drive-In, Columbia, Sc (?????)
    Twilite Drive-In, Columbia, Sc (Two Notch & Pine Belt)

    Skyway and Terrace are two that I remember the names but am foggy on the locations.
    Also the site doesn’t say others that were nearby such as Ray’s and one on Augusta Rd. in West Cola.

    Mike L.

    7 Feb 09 at 12:35 am

  109. Also I just noticed it left off the Starlight which we determined was at Jackson Blvd and later the Twilight at Two Notch became Starlight

    Mike L.

    7 Feb 09 at 12:40 am

  110. The couple that owned The Starlight retired to Garden City and opened the amusement park with batting cages a block down from Sam's Corner.

    Terry Edwards

    7 Feb 09 at 7:11 am

  111. There was actually another Piggly Wiggly closing. It was the store located on Platt Springs Road in West Columbia. It was located next to a used car lot (Bill's Wholesale, which is still there). It's near the Leisure Center, across the street from Dreher Road.
    About 10 years ago, it was still open, so it probably closed sometime between 1998 and 2008. I believe another business has since taken its place.

    Bill C.

    11 Feb 09 at 12:46 am

  112. Dennis: "Ray’s No. 1 (just beyond Lexington HIgh School)"

    I've lived in Lexington for over 16 years, and I've never even heard this one mentioned before. Where exactly was it located (i.e., about how far past the high school)? I'm really intrigued by this. I'm curious to find out if you can still see relics of the old drive-in.

    Bill C.

    11 Feb 09 at 12:49 am

  113. O'Reilly: "Scarborough Cafe,Daylight Donuts &
    Bessie Mae’s Ice Cream Parlor
    108 Scarborough Drive
    Lexington, SC 29072

    Driving Directions:
    Follow Hwy 378 through Lexington. Where Hwy 378 and US 1 split at Ben Satcher Ford, stay straight onto US 1. Follow until you pass the Corpus Christy church campus, Scarborough Cafe is on the right.

    CLOSED. New owners taking over and making a different restaurant.:

    Nooooo!!!!! I'm sad to see it go. I thought they had a real nice operation going for a while. Great food!

    Bill C.

    11 Feb 09 at 12:52 am

  114. "the Schiano’s Pizza"

    One of my two favorite pizzerias in Columbia, the other being Pop's in 5 Points. The two of them are the closest to a New York pie I've tasted in SC.

    Bill C.

    11 Feb 09 at 12:54 am

  115. Anybody remember a diner that was located on Augusta Road in West Columbia, between I-26 and the Wal-Mart? I'm pretty sure Liberty Tax operates out of the old building, or at least next door.

    Bill C.

    11 Feb 09 at 12:55 am

  116. Schiano's out by Spring Valley?

    Supposedly Bobby's House of Pizza on Clemson Road is authentic NY pizza though I've never made it out there yet. To be frank, I find New York style pizza to be overrated.

    ted

    11 Feb 09 at 1:30 am

  117. Bill C. - Lexington is way across town from my stomping grounds, so we did not go to Ray's very often. I did a little research and it was on the south side of West Main St. (US 1) just before the intersection of Barr Rd.

    There's no trace of it now. There is a manufactured housing sales place there now.

    Dennis

    11 Feb 09 at 9:57 am

  118. Another drive-in: This one's a mystery to me. 1982 map shows a drive-in on Augusta Road, across from where Greenwood Drive ends.

    You can still see it on Gooogle satellite map. It's behind a car repair place.

    Dennis

    11 Feb 09 at 10:12 am

  119. I know the manufactured housing place you're talking about. I also remember batting cages that used to be located in the same spot on Barr Road. I used to go there when I was a kid.

    Bill C.

    11 Feb 09 at 6:16 pm

  120. What about Luigi's in Triangle City? It was run by an ex-army cook. The food was incredible. And we could order one plate of spaghetti with an extra plate for both of us! The marinated salad was great too. You couldn't beat the atmosphere--wine bottle candles and black light posters. It was our favorite for a cheap date.

    Debbie

    11 Feb 09 at 7:59 pm

  121. the bhop in pontiac, who said that? awesome.

    what about Park Lane Seafood?

    and anyone remember the name of the surf shop on parklane in that little strip mall across from columbia mall? i think there was a Sandy's Hotdogs there, too. both gone?

    is sub station II still on Park Lane?

    man, i could go on for days listing places that i would assume columbia couldn't sustain.

    Pic-A-Flic Video on Decker? not only the one beside the old Food Lion (gone as well) but also the "new" one they put in beside the bi-lo in the mcdonald's parking lot.

    what was the restaurant on the corner of Huntclub and Decker? they ended up picking up the entire building and moving it somewhere else but before they moved it, it sat in shambles like 50 yards from the road for what seemed like YEARS!

    Mr. Beeper on Decker?

    the Phar-Mor across from Dent?

    Hooligan's on Trenholm, that CAN'T still be there!

    ok, that's enough, love the site.

    steve

    19 Feb 09 at 2:50 pm

  122. Frantic Atlantic was the surf shop on Parklane. We need a post about that one.

    The place on Huntclub and Decker was Applegate's landing. There's a post on here about that one.

    Mr. Bill

    19 Feb 09 at 3:05 pm

  123. What about Pappy's - used to be on the block of South Main that is now the hideous Adesso apts. - they had the best blue cheeseburgers - long, shaped like a sub. And the guy that ran it (Paul?) would cut up fake IDs and stick them all over the bar area. Ever try to eat in there at night when he was showing a war flick? Not the best for the appetite, but I miss those burgers! Used to see the dude who owned it all over campus with a briefcase in the 90s.

    Jenny

    19 Feb 09 at 4:01 pm

  124. Parklane Seafood has come up in comments from time to time, but there's no post about it.

    The restaurant on Hunt Club & Decker was Applegate's Landing, which I have just updated with some scanned coupons.

    I wrote about the Phar-Mor on Harbison, but not the one on Decker -- that one's a Goodwill now.

    I would have said Sandy's is still on Parklane, but I could be wrong.

    Holligan's is definitely still at Trenholm Plaza!

    ted

    19 Feb 09 at 6:25 pm

  125. Pappy's has come up in the comments several times, but I've never done a post on it. Great raw fries! It was in the same building as Robo's Arcade. That whole building is gone now.

    ted

    19 Feb 09 at 6:27 pm

  126. I would not be surprised if I'm the only one, but does anyone else remember Dub's? It was on the corner of Assembly and Greene, where Wendy's is now.

    Long ago there was a gas station there, and in 1976 a math teacher at USC named Jim Sloan remodeled it into a sub sandwich place. He was very keen on quality ingredients, fresh baked bread, big portions and having the coldest beer in town. He had many more beers than places like that typically had in the 70s, and made a big deal of serving Coors and Pearl long before anyone else around here. The drinking age was 18 then and MADD had not been born, so many students drank beer at lunch or after classes. He also had a lot of deli items that were not common around Columbia, like cappicola, prosciutto and braunschweiger. Not to mention some great pinball machines.

    He hired me as a laborer to work on the remodeling, and when that was done he hired me to make subs. I've always liked restaurant work -- inside in the air conditioning, no heavy lifting, and surrounded by food.

    Dub's only lasted about two years. He quickly developed a small band of hard core regulars (most were old guys from Up North) but there were not enough of them. Jim often said "What do I have to do to get the students to walk past The Winners Circle?" I think Stuffy's opening around the corner really hurt business too.

    Dennis

    20 Feb 09 at 8:15 am

  127. Does anyone remember the wooden floores in the J.B. Whites on Main St.? Also my grandmother worked the cash register at Cogburn's on Sumter St. for many years. My grandfather own Bryan's shoe shop on N. Main st., does anyone remember it?

    Debbie

    20 Feb 09 at 4:09 pm

  128. Just thought I'd mention a few people "fixtures" that disappeared sometime over the years:

    "The Pope," an African-American chap who walked around with a mitre and staff (1980s-1990s).

    "David:" Another African-American fellow. Big fan of the Bombers and Gamecocks. Believe he wore jersey #00 at Bombers games.

    "The Five Points Shoe Shine Guy:" "Shoe Shine!" "Peanuts!" Actually, he looked a lot like David above, but was a different guy, I think.

    "Harvey 'The Peanut Man' Watkins," sold peanuts and Vitamin E at Beltline and Two Notch. I do remember reading about his dying.

    "An unnamed homeless guy:" 1970s-1980s. You'd see him around the Capitol mostly. He had a resemblance somewhat to Strom Thurmond. Wore a dirty trenchcoat. I'd seen people try to talk to him, and he would get very defensive and start spouting gibberish. Rumors were that he was actually really rich, but I think that's a common cliche.

    badger

    25 Feb 09 at 11:07 am

  129. Anybody else remember the Riverbanks Zoo commercials about 15 years ago?---"Take a walk on the wild side."

    Bill C.

    25 Feb 09 at 12:21 pm

  130. badger - I do remember most of those guys.

    The man you called The Pope must live near me in Rosewood, I see him pretty often walking on South Kilbourne (in normal clothes).

    The Shoeshine! Peanuts! guy went to jail for a few years for manslaughter after (unintentionally?) killing someone in a fight. He is out now and back to his same old sales tactic, complete with the blue overalls.

    The tall old man in the grimy overcoat was a fixture at the USC Hardee's (now Sandy's). So was I, and I'd buy him a cup of coffee every once in a while. He'd sit there and hold it all day so he'd be a "customer" and could stay inside out of the cold. Very sad. He had a permanent case of the shakes.

    I also see Barefoot Harry every once in a while. He has not changed much since the 70s when he lived upstairs over Pap Jazz but he does wear shoes now. He named his oldest son John Paul George Ringo but his friends just call him John Paul.

    So what about the black guy with the tall haircut, highwater pants, and horn-rimmed glasses who was always wearing this huge metal African medallion and carrying a ton of books? And the 50ish lady with stringy hair and an old fashioned calico dress who walks everywhere and is always lugging around a giant pile of books? Or the younger woman with straight dark hair who is always wearing this big weird sort of derby?

    Dennis

    25 Feb 09 at 1:10 pm

  131. It wouldn't surprise me if the Derby Girl googled this someday -- I've seen her recently, and she gives me the impression of having an eccentric sense of style, but still "with it", so "Hi!".

    What about the "walking guy", a very sunburned fellow who used to walk up and down Trenholm Road all day?

    ted

    25 Feb 09 at 1:27 pm

  132. The last time I saw the Derby Girl was at Nickelodeon a couple of years ago when they were showing "Lipstick and Dynamite." Moolah, Mae Young, and Diamond Li'l were there signing autographed copies of Moolah's book. I have actually seen her once sans derby. Once.

    By the "walking guy," do you mean "Tony," the guy from Vietnam? He does get around a lot.

    The 50ish woman, whom I've always called "The Walking Girl," was in a supplement to the newspaper some years ago. They even mentioned her name, which I have forgotten. I saw her on the news one night. It was a story about a graduation for a "citizen cops" kind of program that the City of Columbia was promoting. She was one of the people they showed accepting her diploma or whatever it was.

    badger

    25 Feb 09 at 7:03 pm

  133. have you considered doing anything on Rockafella's? it was such a staple of a thriving Columbia music scene for so long. perhaps the Elbow Room too. so many great acts came through these 2 places.

    Keith

    25 Feb 09 at 10:07 pm

  134. You mean like this?

    ted

    26 Feb 09 at 12:02 am

  135. exactly :)
    i couldn't get it to come in the search and had not stumbled across it yet.
    any idea why the search didn't bring it up?

    Keith

    26 Feb 09 at 12:39 am

  136. Don't know, but if you go to the "Alphabetical Closings" listed across the top, you should get all of them (unless I forgot something).

    ted

    26 Feb 09 at 1:10 am

  137. Village Furniture (http://www.villagefurnituresc.com/) on Two Notch Rd is closing their doors and selling all products - wall-to-wall. If you drive by you will see huge yellow banners saying they're closing their doors.

    Veign

    27 Feb 09 at 11:47 am

  138. A closing that seems to be missing.

    Miracle Theater (same chain as The Atlantic Twin) - Main Street closed Dec. 1978

    Larry Jackson

    1 Mar 09 at 12:06 am

  139. Was that on the west side of the street near Penny's?

    ted

    1 Mar 09 at 4:36 am

  140. The Miracle was located next to Captial Cafe. It was torn down for the new First Citizen's bank building.

    Tom

    1 Mar 09 at 7:16 am

  141. For a while after the Miracle Theater closed it had a second life as a Taco Cid.

    Mike

    1 Mar 09 at 4:40 pm

  142. http://www.thestate.com/local/story/703012.html

    Here's a very interesting story about a place still in business, Moe Levy's

    Tom

    4 Mar 09 at 10:00 am

  143. You post your most recent closings at the top of the page. Why not post your "Have Your Say" comments in the same order?

    dt

    6 Mar 09 at 12:46 pm

  144. Basically, that's the way WordPress works: New blog postings go in at the top, new comments go in at the bottom.

    However, if you click on a comment in the "recent comments" sidebar, you will be sent directly to that comment, not the top of the page or post.

    ted

    6 Mar 09 at 12:55 pm

  145. Marys Celebrity Social Club, two notch rd....best prime rib ever in Columbia, great homemade biscuts. Local music couple of nights a week.
    Frog and Brassiere, corner of main and gervais,
    Scrooges,Main Street.
    Holiday Inn..full resturant Knox Abbott Blvd.

    Elizabeth

    12 Mar 09 at 9:10 am

  146. The Holiday Inn has been mentioned in passing in the comments here, with someone linking a neat picture of it.

    ted

    12 Mar 09 at 9:28 am

  147. Cloth World on Garner's Ferry, same shopping center Big Lots and Goodwill are at... I think it is a fabric store still just a different name/company. I just remember these big white cursive letters CLOTH WORLD and my mother bringing us there. There were weird fabrics on the walls and feathers and the place always used to creep me and my brother out for some reason. ??? ANyone know what I am talking about?

    Melanie Gallant

    16 Mar 09 at 2:27 am

  148. Also Rhonda's Dance studio that used to be in Cedar Terrace shopping center. If you turn in, it would have been far back on the left. Many people took tap, jazz and ballet from her for a long time. She had the best recitals too. The last time I saw Rhonda her last name became Farrow because she married then.

    Melanie Gallant

    16 Mar 09 at 2:29 am

  149. Don't know about creeping out, but old-time cloth stores used to have so much dye in the air from the new cloth that it could make it very uncomfortable to be in there. Maybe they still do -- haven't been in one in years.

    ted

    16 Mar 09 at 2:41 am

  150. Also, one I think definitely needs to be mentioned here.... The Shrimper. It was here at least since the 80's that I can remember going to when I was 8 years old... now I am 34. It wasn't until after 2000 I think that it closed down. It used to be located across from Love Chevrolet on Knox Abbott. Did they move or just close down? I remember a big reddish shrimp and wood drawings on the sign.

    Melanie Gallant

    16 Mar 09 at 2:50 am

  151. Re: getting creeped out at Cloth World...

    YES! I am the same age as you and I remember it being creepy. I vaguely recall mannequins, absolute silence (which is nice in a library, but not in a store), and some awful lighting that, paired with the cloth fumes, made my eyes burn.

    nicole

    16 Mar 09 at 6:09 pm

  152. Anybody remember a place called Joyners(sp?) that was on Shakespeare Rd back in the late 60s or early 70s? It was an an independent close out store as best I can remember.

    Also, Uncle Sam's shoes? I think that was at Pine Belt and Two Notch.

    E.J.

    16 Mar 09 at 8:21 pm

  153. I recall Joyner's. I bought some Rodenbery "Canepatch" syrup there once. (That's what my grandmother always put on buscuits for desert).

    I think Uncle Sam's was at Two Notch & Carter, a block down (or up) from Pine Belt.

    ted

    16 Mar 09 at 11:07 pm

  154. I went to Joyner's a few times. We called it the trainwreck store because they had merchandise that was so beat up. They had cans of food with no labels. So you paid about 7¢ and had to wait till you opened it to find out if it was peas or corn or whatever. They also had cans of paint with no way to know what color it was except to open the can.

    Dennis

    17 Mar 09 at 6:55 am

  155. I really wish someone had interior/exterior photos of TAPPS, Dutch Square or the one that used to be part of a mini mall on Garners Ferry where Target and all that is now. I would just be so happy to see that. I've looked on the internet and so far have only turned up a few exterior shots of TAPPS from other cities, not ours.

    Melanie Gallant

    17 Mar 09 at 9:53 pm

  156. I just wanted to say thanks for this page!! I love it!! I love knowing all the history and stories behind the buildings!! Thanks so much and keep up the wonderful job you are doing!!

    Mrs. SK

    17 Mar 09 at 11:03 pm

  157. Wish I had some photos of Tapps, but no such luck. The mall on Garners Ferry was Woodhill Mall.

    ted

    17 Mar 09 at 11:23 pm

  158. Thanks!

    ted

    17 Mar 09 at 11:25 pm

  159. Hi Ted
    Came across your site by accident and spent hours reading. It has brought back plenty of memories all great of growing up in this area. Just wanted to say thanks for putting this site together.
    George

    George

    19 Mar 09 at 8:08 pm

  160. Glad you enjoyed it!

    ted

    19 Mar 09 at 8:37 pm

  161. What hapened to "The Joyful Alternative, Five Points" link?

    Terry

    22 Mar 09 at 5:08 am

  162. Typo in the HTML. Fixed now.

    ted

    22 Mar 09 at 5:25 am

  163. I noticed over the weekend that the old Hooters on Broad River Road, then chicken wing place, then razed will be a new Taco Bell. Very interesting, since there is almost literally another Taco Bell directly across the street. I cannot see the cost justification to do this, as to building an entirely new store to to have a place for twice as many people to sit and eat a taco at the same time. I know they do a huge 2:00am drive through business, as that would be the only time a sane person would have a craving for their food, drunk or not, but I guess they will close the old location. Seems to be a waste. Most of the time, Taco Bells are content to share a gas station. Maybe this'll be a small time Pepsi Pavillion, with a KFC and Pizza Hut in tbere as well.

    Jonathan

    23 Mar 09 at 2:08 pm

  164. Hey Ted,

    I noticed that the La-Z-Boy Showroom at the corner of Forest Drive and Lakeshore has closed. In the '70s & early '80s it was an Ethan Allen Furniture store. I remember it caused a bit of a stir with local law enforcement in the early 70's when it started advertising that it was "open on Sunday". On the surface this was a violation of the State Blue Laws, but the store always stated "for browsing only". Customers were allowed to enter the store to view (sit on, etc) the furniture and I believe even discuss prices, but they would not process the transaction until the next day; so techically since no money changed hands on Sunday, they were safe. There were people working in the building the other night and I have heard that it is to become the new Tuesday Morning, which was displaced out of Trenholm Plaza after Christmas. Since I live on a road off of Lakeshore I will need to get used to giving people a different landmark when coming to my house. Or I can just tell them "Turn left where the La-Z-Boy Showroom used to be".

    Jerry in FA

    27 Mar 09 at 2:02 pm

  165. Yep, I noticed that.

    The way I recall it doing away with the Blue Laws was a gradual process, helped along by the Richland County Sheriff at one point deciding to strictly enforce them to make a point of how illogical they were.

    ted

    27 Mar 09 at 2:33 pm

  166. Our kids will never know what blue laws were like, or needing to get something on a Sunday but being unable to, or checking the beer supply on Saturday so you aren't SOL on Sunday. (Although, thankfully, I had at least two nearby places that would sell me a cold six pack on Sundays)

    Huge supermarkets that sold a lot of non-food helped do away with blue laws, because it was just senseless to sell some things and not others in the same open store. I remember about 1980 pleading at the checkout in the Kroger that was on Bush River Road, trying to buy a paint brush on Sunday. I kept telling her I was going to baste a turkey with it, so that made it legal. Didn't work. On Sundays they would actually rope off portions of the store and hang posters with the SC Blue Laws lists on them.

    At the same store once I bought a bottle of wine on a Sunday, purely because I and the checkout person were just not paying any attention. (Obviously this was before every toothpick in the supermarket got it's own computer code and digital profile.) I only realized what we had done when I got home, and I half expected the police to show up at my house.

    Now that we can buy beer on Sunday I keep waiting and watching for civilization to collapse and the world to end. Doesn't seem to be happening any faster than it was, though.

    Dennis

    27 Mar 09 at 3:30 pm

  167. One of the things that was happening that I believe helped speed along the end to the Blue Laws was one merchant in particular: Tom Moseley (sp?), who owned a clothing store called "The Reflex" on Assembly St (somewhere near the current military recruiters, possibly). He very vocally started opening on Sundays, including that info in his radio spots, and, of course, causing the cops to come over and shut him down. That was pretty high-profile, and I have to think it brought some people around. Or maybe it was just coincidental.

    badger

    27 Mar 09 at 7:49 pm

  168. Still can't buy liquor on Sunday, so we're still not in the 20th century yet. Maybe by the 22nd we will be.

    ChiefDanGeorge

    28 Mar 09 at 6:29 am

  169. Hi Ted,
    There used to be a pool hall on Rosewood Dr called charlie's Cue and Cushion it was across the street from where Rockaways used to be. There is an Ace Hardware there now. Given your nostalgic knowledge of the area I'm positive you have probably been there. I appreciate this site it has brought back many fond memories. Another suggestion is The Foxcroft skating rink it was located roughly across the street from Richland NorthEast HS. The original building is there.
    Again Thanks,
    George

    George

    28 Mar 09 at 11:39 am

  170. People seem really fond of the old skating rinks -- I'll try to get over there and get some pictures.

    ted

    28 Mar 09 at 1:03 pm

  171. I'm not sure where it was exactly but I remember seeing this sign on the way to downtown from Garners Ferry area... It was just a white carton of milk (large) and spinning on a pole... Coburg I think was the brand...where was this and is it still there?

    Melanie Gallant

    29 Mar 09 at 2:03 am

  172. There used to be a Bi-Lo on Garners Ferry (across from the Walmart that is there now but wasn't then) and it had these big cow busts on the front of the awnings... does anyone know what I'm talking about and/or have pictures??

    Melanie Gallant

    29 Mar 09 at 2:09 am

  173. The milk carton was "Edisto Dairies" -- see here for some details (be sure to read the comments).

    ted

    29 Mar 09 at 2:25 am

  174. Melanie - all Bi-Los used to have life-sized fiberglass cows on the roof, to promote their beef. Some bigger stores had more of them since they had more space to fill. The old joke was "my hometown is so small we only had a one-cow Bi-Lo," or "that city is so big they have an eight-cow Bi-Lo."

    Dennis

    29 Mar 09 at 5:56 am

  175. Does anyone recall what became of the Shelock Holme's Pub in downtown Columbia? Would really like to hear what tothat place.

    George

    29 Mar 09 at 4:03 pm

  176. You mean other than the fact that the roof started crumbling in on it, which got the place condemned, and the city said, "Too bad!" Basically the Sherlock's people thought that the City should be responsible for the damages, and the City's contention was "No, we're not." Remember is was the City's downtown "upgrading" that caused the damage to begin with. Something about the lease agreement saying that the City wasn't liable for any damages incurred by City actions. (A little fuzzy on that part.)

    Anyway, it reopened late last year as a restaurant (not called "Sherlock Holmes") that's a part of the Sheraton which now occupies the building above it. I suspect that since the person redeveloping the former office space into the Sheraton was already spending a lot of money converting it into a hotel, that he ponied up the money and fixed up the restaurant, too. But I don't know that.

    badger

    29 Mar 09 at 7:16 pm

  177. Sherlocks was a great pub. No desire to go into a hotel bar/restaurant though.

    ChiefDanGeorge

    30 Mar 09 at 5:11 am

  178. Was wondering if you remember "Stuffy's" over on South Main in the little mini-strip next to where Moe's is now. The closed sometime about 5 years ago.

    They had really good sandwiches and typical deli stuff, but I mainly remember their "chinese" wings which were phenomenal.

    Brian

    30 Mar 09 at 9:03 am

  179. Wow I didn't realize that about the Reflex. I remember that place. It was pretty cool.

    Mr. Bill

    30 Mar 09 at 2:44 pm

  180. This BiLo had two cows :) (at least) I was like 3 and 4 years old, and I had "feelings" for them :)

    Melanie Gallant

    31 Mar 09 at 4:48 am

  181. Does anyone remember Chalie's Cue and Cushion the pool hall off Rosewood where the Ace Hardware is now. Would like to hear how it's demise came about.

    George

    4 Apr 09 at 9:08 pm

  182. I was wondering the same thing George. I think it's where the first citizens is now.

    Mr. Bill

    6 Apr 09 at 2:31 pm

  183. I am really enjoying this site. I am 40 and did move from Columbia to Boston back in the mid 80's till 99...now I am back and will never leave again. As I get older I think back and remember some of the old places out off Sumter Hwy and the Leasburg area where I grew up...does anyone remember a "Ship" restaurant that was on a lake off Sumter Hwy? What happened to it? I remember skipping school and riding our bikes around there...also a skateboard park somewhere by the Ship...it must have closed in the late 70s cause we were riding our bikes there in the 80's too.....oh the memories!......the coolest thing ever is the Underground Columbia...I have seen the story that is on the WOLO 25 web site about it, and I would love to hear more about it....does anyone remember it....tell me me more please...I would love to see some old pictures...and hear old stories about the wild times...judjing by the video, it seems really preserved down there...it would be so cool if someone was to reopen it...with the "New Columbia" concept, it would work.

    tony

    6 Apr 09 at 9:52 pm

  184. Thanks! The restaurant was "The Bounty". That comes up so often that eventually I'm going to go out there, take some pictures of where it was and do a post even though I never ate there.

    ted

    7 Apr 09 at 12:49 am

  185. Hi Tony,
    It's surprising how many people move away from Columbia and then return. (Like Ted)
    The Bounty was the restaurant/bar and there was the Baby Bounty that would set sail every so often and cruise around the lake. Very cool. We used to sneak in there (early '70s) late at night and party and swim during the summers. Later on I played on The Bounty softball team at Caughman Park.
    The Bounty was owned by the same guy that started Defender Industries on Garners Ferry Road. I believe his last name was Inabinet.
    Welcome back to town.

    Terry Edwards

    7 Apr 09 at 5:23 am

  186. Yo, ted -- is there a way to index or cross reference users' comments? Pretty often someone will write "Does anyone remember ____?" and it's a place that's been commented on pretty thoroughly elsewhere on cc.com

    Thanks for all the work you put into the site.

    Dennis

    7 Apr 09 at 3:17 pm

  187. I don't think so as such.

    However, google indexes the site so if you go to google.com and use (for example) the search:

    site:columbiaclosings.com "the bounty"

    that should bring up some hits.

    ted

    7 Apr 09 at 3:34 pm

  188. You missed two important closings:
    1. Cat & Cleaver Catering Company at 1202 Main Street in Columbia (now a Dunkin Donuts, I think).
    2. Rupert's Blue Dog, downstairs at 1201 Main Street. (now the Whig)

    E.C.

    9 Apr 09 at 12:29 pm

  189. I believe the Dunkin went into Capitol Cafe slot.

    Yeah, I miss a lot of stuff, I'm just one guy with a car and a camera. Though I prefer to think I missed The Frog & brassiere rather than Rupert's since, honestly, that's a much cooler name!

    ted

    9 Apr 09 at 12:56 pm

  190. The Cat & Cleaver has had a number of tenants, too. In '79 or so, it was a BBQ place called "Porky's," maybe? Run by local BBQ-meister Champ McGee, if I'm not mistaken. Later it was a soup/salad/sandwich type place called "Takin' 5," 'til around '85 or so. Also, the Dairy Bar, and probably a bunch of others that I can't recall.

    badger

    9 Apr 09 at 2:28 pm

  191. I think Chef Cathy that used to work at the old Hannah Jane's in Five Points started Cat & Cleaver. I heard she left and went to the Pine Cone Inn near Tryon or Saluda, NC (a really nice Inn w/ a great restaurant), but I'm not 100% sure of that. My husband & I used to hang out at Hannah Jane's all of the time. We'd ride our motorcycle & sit at the hightop tables out on the sidewalk. Great for people watching. Their gumbo was to die for!

    jeanne

    9 Apr 09 at 3:32 pm

  192. Ahh, the Frog & Bra was a wonderfully seedy dump run by a exactly the sort of woman who should run a British pub. You could hide in there for days and do some serious drinking, all the while rubbing shoulders with many of Columbia's movers and shakers.

    Dennis

    9 Apr 09 at 4:55 pm

  193. Ahhh, Rupert's Blue Dog cafe! (Now occupied by the Whig.) Tons of fond memories of that place... run by some big dude with a braided beard (Rupert himself?!) and "Jerry", the stubble-ridden, perpetually slurry, crusty eyed white guy who looked like he just stumbled off a merchant marine vessel last Tuesday and had been on a bender since.

    Fun story: One time I was there with my youth pastor at the time from church, chowing on some wings. Jerry staggers over (this was around 1pm) with two plastic cups of ice water. He plunks one down and simply drops the other onto the floor. Ice and 16oz of water go everywhere. He swears, loudly, wipes the water off our table with his hand, picks up the cup and stalks off. I nudge my buddy "Hey, I bet you he doesn't even clean up the floor." And sho'nuff, he didn't. Just let the ice melt right down into the carpet.

    That was the Blue Dog. Lots went down there... have some excellent memories and miss the place dearly. Best wings I've had in town.

    Fun site, enjoy reading it.

    Dan G.

    10 Apr 09 at 3:54 pm

  194. Congratulations Ted. columbiaclosings.com was mentioned in an article of the Free Times this week. Page 32.

    Terry

    11 Apr 09 at 4:44 pm

  195. About the Eggroll Station? I noticed that -- it was nice of Eva.

    ted

    12 Apr 09 at 12:29 am

  196. Lanier Pools has moved into the building on Jamil Rd.that housed Genco Pools.

    Mike L.

    12 Apr 09 at 10:30 pm

  197. What old buildings are still downtown? Are they all gone or just remodled? Does anyone remember the "Down Towner Motel" on Main St.? the building is still there, but it doesnt look the same at all. Does anyone have a pic. of it in it's heyday from the 60's? Better take pics.of what's left here in town before they are all torn down in the name of "Progress".

    Del

    13 Apr 09 at 2:04 pm

  198. The water slide (what was left of it) was still visible on top of the Hill on Two Notch through the 90's and maybe a little later. But it was closed after a girl who was told not to go down head first by the guards or people that worked there..but she did anyhow and she slammed into one of the concrete turns and was killed. They closed the place after that I think and was sued by the family of the girl from what I remember, but it could be wrong. Does anyone else remember?

    Del

    13 Apr 09 at 2:08 pm

  199. Can you check on Boozer Lumber on Atlas Road? Just rode by there and the whole property looks empty.

    Ed

    13 Apr 09 at 2:22 pm

  200. Just checked their website. They gone outta business. http://boozer.net/

    Ed

    13 Apr 09 at 2:23 pm

  201. Ed - Dale Boozer closed down Boozer Lumber at the end of July last summer.

    Dennis

    13 Apr 09 at 3:24 pm

  202. Mike- One of the postcard history books about Columbia has a pic of the Downtowner and several other motels that are gone or have seen better days.

    Tom

    13 Apr 09 at 7:46 pm

  203. Thank you for your recent blog regarding Cromer's, P-Nuts. We were impressed with your knowledge of Cromer's history, and were pleased with your comments and stories.

    I am the granddaughter of the founder, and now the owner. Please stop by or contact me through my email address. I would like to give you some of our delicious products, still "guaranteed the worst in town."

    Warmest Regards,

    Carolette Cromer Turner

    Carolette Cromer Turner

    15 Apr 09 at 10:58 am

  204. Thanks, I may do that -- that's very nice of you!

    ted

    15 Apr 09 at 11:17 am

  205. I am looking for any old photos of the Tally Ho - the bar located across from the fairgrounds?

    Michele

    15 Apr 09 at 12:07 pm

  206. I'm afraid I don't have any -- perhaps someone reading will.

    ted

    15 Apr 09 at 12:20 pm

  207. Does anyone have any pics. of the drive-ins that used to be here in Columbia? I would really like to get copies of them, or where I could find pics. of them. Any info. would be appreciated.

    Del

    15 Apr 09 at 11:54 pm

  208. Speaking of things that are no longer in Columbia.. How many remember "The Carolina Queen"? where you could catch it near or at the Jefferson Hotel area and ride all the way up main st. and get out where you needed too to shop at the stores, then when all done, catch it again and ride back to where you parked your car. I think that was back in 1966 or 1967. It was short lived, but to us kids back then, it was fun stuff.

    Del

    15 Apr 09 at 11:59 pm

  209. Del- That shuttle you refer to was bought from the 1964 NY World's Fair. I think the city eventually sold them to some other place. Why, I don't know.

    Tom

    16 Apr 09 at 5:54 am

  210. Thanks Tom! So was it back in 1965 or 1966 Columbia had it?

    Del

    17 Apr 09 at 12:38 am

  211. Does anyone remember Gene's Hamburgers on Augusta Road going towards Tri-City? What year did it close? It's now a "used" car lot run by Hispanics..they have a guard dog there at night now. It's really run down, but it still looks pretty much as it always did.

    Del

    17 Apr 09 at 12:43 am

  212. Del- You are correct.

    Tom

    17 Apr 09 at 5:40 am

  213. Speaking of Dairy Queen, the ones I remember are the one on Beltline(building is still there), the one near USC (looks the same), St. Andrews Rd. (building is gone and McDonalds sits about where it did), the one on State St. in West Columbia(looks the same) and the one on Fairfield Rd past Cola. College. But I dont remember the one on Forrest Dr. for some reason. As of a few years ago, there was a Dairy Queen in Augusta Georgia..but run by people from India..but the food was still good for DQ. Do you remember the DQ jingle? "Eat drink and be merry, eat drink and be merry, eat drink and be merry at the great new Dairy Queen".. Too bad we cant do that anymore huh?

    Del

    17 Apr 09 at 10:36 am

  214. With the comments on Mall's earlier and things that arent around anymore. How about Columbia Mall when it opened back in 1978. Does anyone remember the Pet store that was upstair? what was the name of it? And Leisure Time Toys? it had that BIG clock in the front window..how long did it stay around anyhow? And the one at Dutch Square that was in the same direction as Woolco? it was a hobby/toy store that was next the tobacco store..anyone remember the name of that one?

    Del

    17 Apr 09 at 5:05 pm

  215. Yet more I wonder if the buildings are still around or not. But how about Burger Chef Beltline..is the building still there? or was it torn down? I know the one at Boozer was where PO Folks was? or was it closer to the road about where Chick-Fil-A was/is? I know it was torn down to build the newer buildings. Anyone have pics. of Burger Chef?

    Del

    17 Apr 09 at 5:09 pm

  216. There's a link to a flikr pix set of the old Two Notch Burger Chef here.

    ted

    17 Apr 09 at 5:31 pm

  217. Del-Leisure Time was a division of Woolworth's. They became history back in the 80s.

    Tom

    17 Apr 09 at 7:25 pm

  218. Does anyone remember the name of the Fudge shop that was next door to the Spencer Gifts at Columbia Mall. It was downstairs across from where WaldenBooks is now. I remember they would give out free samples out front and had that big pot right in the window with the fudge cooking.

    jjt

    17 Apr 09 at 8:18 pm

  219. Is the Heart Of Columbia Hotel still on Assembly? or was it torn down? And what was the name of the Bowling Alley on Assembly where the Koger Center is now? I dont remember the name of it off hand, but that's where I learned to bowl in the late 60's. I remember that it was sort of a smokey typical 60's place.

    Del

    17 Apr 09 at 9:51 pm

  220. The HOC is long gone I'm afraid.

    One of my cousins stayed there in the 1980s (towards the end) for a conference at USC and found it rather seedy. My father said he could have told her that in advance if she had asked, so I guess it was known to be in decline.

    ted

    18 Apr 09 at 12:58 am

  221. I want to say the fudge shop was something like "Murdicks".

    ted

    18 Apr 09 at 12:59 am

  222. I believe the bowling alley on Assembly was Star Lanes

    Mike L.

    18 Apr 09 at 7:04 pm

  223. Does anyone remember the name of the Theatre in 5 Points? I didnt go there all that much when it was still showing movies, but that was back in the late 60's.

    Del

    19 Apr 09 at 1:24 pm

  224. Del, the toy store in Dutch Square was indeed Leisure Time. I couldn't tell by your post whether that was what you were asking or not. The tobacco store was Jerry Webber's.

    Jonathan

    20 Apr 09 at 8:15 am

  225. Del - I'm pretty sure the pet-store you asked about in Columbia mall was "Pet Go Round." I was thinking of that store recently, so I googled the name and it's a chain that seems to still be most active in the VA Beach area.

    FWIW - My mom worked in the Cola Mall Sears when it first opened and she brought me and my brother some gerbils home from Pet Go Round one day. Well, those gerbils must have been male/female because we had baby gerbils in short-order. We sold them back to pet-go-round for about a quarter each, IIRC. :)

    Brian

    20 Apr 09 at 12:23 pm

  226. Just wondering if anyone knows why the Ryan's on Garners Ferry closed? We were going to eat there a while back but it was closed no sign or anything there!! I loved it being a Fire Mountain in the begining!! I just wonder what happened there? I am sure it was a sudden thing as we saw several people there looking in at lunch time and getting mad!! I am sure these were the regulars!! Thanks for letting me ask!! I tell ya this site is awesome and addictive too!! Thanks!!

    Mrs. SK

    20 Apr 09 at 12:34 pm

  227. I know the company is in financial trouble, so I'm sure that's the reason behind the closing. I've seen a lot of them that have closed lately.

    Dave

    20 Apr 09 at 12:46 pm

  228. The theater in Five Points was the "Five Points"--

    here's a link to a page with info on it:

    http://www.scmovietheatres.com/col_fiv.html

    Mike

    24 Apr 09 at 9:01 pm

  229. I bowled at Star Lanes many times. Do you remember the bowling alley back in the 50's at the corner of Gervais and Marion St. And also Laniers bowling on Sumter St. It had bowling on two floors. In these alleys you could bowl ten pins and duck pins.

    Pinckney

    30 Apr 09 at 11:10 am

  230. Pinckney -- you have GOT to tell us more about these downtown bowling alleys. A block from the State House? I remember a little restaurant called Laniers.

    Dennis

    30 Apr 09 at 5:47 pm

  231. Dennis, the bowling alley was next to Laniers. My family ate there when I was growing up. I think the alley was owned by the Lanier family also. The bowling alley on Marion st was behind a tire store, not the Goodyear store across the street. When I was in high school, our PE class would go to the alley on Marion st to bowl.

    Pinckney

    30 Apr 09 at 7:58 pm

  232. Great site!

    Zayne

    30 Apr 09 at 8:36 pm

  233. I have two questions. First, what used to be where the Village Idiot is now, because while enjoying a beer and pizza I realized there were some murals on the upper walls that seemed out of place for a college bar? Also, what used to be in the building tucked to the right of the Food Lion in 5 Points? (The newest sign says The Spur but I was looking for older) and it's really tucked down tight.

    Hall

    4 May 09 at 9:45 pm

  234. Idon't know about The Village Idiot, but the place by Food Lion was Gilligan's.

    ted

    4 May 09 at 10:00 pm

  235. Hall - a loong time ago the Village Idiot was The Loft. There are stairs to the roof and they had an open-air bar up there. It was really nice -- you could drink and sort of survey Five Points up there. When The Loft closed the roof was sealed up and I believe the place was empty for years. Tom Coletta (Coletti?) who ran Village Idiot for few years told me that between uncooperative building owners and the fire marshal and insurance costs he decided to just leave the roof closed up.

    Dennis

    5 May 09 at 4:21 am

  236. The building next to Food Lion at the old Sears Store used to be Colonial Grocery store back in the 60's through the early 70's I think. It was a super small place..Food Lion could have been a part of Sears, but I dont remember...anyone?

    Del

    6 May 09 at 7:13 am

  237. I think when Sear's moved to Columbia Mall, the old store was turned into office space and the Food Lion was added.

    Pinckney

    7 May 09 at 4:28 pm

  238. Cool site! Does anybody remember the "healthy" fast food place that was located where Harper's is now in Five Points?

    Jack

    7 May 09 at 5:49 pm

  239. It's funny, I still think of Harpers as a "new" place, yet I have no memory of what it replaced..

    ted

    7 May 09 at 6:05 pm

  240. How about a restaurant on Main called Wendy Ethel's? When I first moved to Columbia (1984), I wandered into this place looking for lunch. What I found was a staff of highly attractive young women who modeled lingerie. I seem to recall they also sold posters. It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. If I'm not mistaken, the owner later opened another business at or near where the Hunter-Gatherer is now. And I think she ended up in the real estate business.

    JK

    7 May 09 at 6:10 pm

  241. Jack, I think the restaurant was called Delites before Harper's. Not sure of it.

    Pinckney

    7 May 09 at 6:31 pm

  242. Harper's was indeed Delites. Delites used to be a fast food establishment. I also used to frequent Wendy Ethel's great looking wait staff.

    George

    7 May 09 at 6:55 pm

  243. Wendy was involved with a number of restaurants in come capacity or another. One was on Bush River Rd (Fannigans or Flanagans was the name). She also had a hand in Monterrey Jack's in Five Points. Her then-husband Richard would later open Dickey Birds (an attempt at a topless bar) in the St. James/Capital Cabana hotel on Assembly Street, then later a similar joint in the shopping center on Two Notch whose name escapes me, but it's the one where Very's restaurant is and Catherine's is/was located. I think he actually ran Wendy Ethel's, and he didn't seem to care much for less-than-hot waitstaff.

    badger

    7 May 09 at 8:42 pm

  244. Hot Diggity Dogs was the place next to Very's. It only lasted about a year. The concept was basically a Hooters that focused on hot dogs rather than wings. Kinda weird.

    Deniis

    8 May 09 at 4:48 am

  245. Pickney the place was called D'lights and it was part of a national chain that did well at first but then overexpanded and lost its shirt.

    Tom

    8 May 09 at 8:21 am

  246. update on Birds On a Wire...Zoes Kitchen is going to move into there main street space in the Meridian building and a Miyo's type restaurant is looking at the devine street location.

    Steve

    8 May 09 at 9:38 am

  247. Miyo again???? Does she have a life outside of her 5+ restaurants??? Jesus.
    .....and if you have an idea as to how she operates so many place please let me know b/c i want to do the same thing.

    Michael

    9 May 09 at 11:35 pm

  248. This is too cool! My 12-year-old son wants me to take him to Forest Lake Park to see the real merry-go-round and monkey bars. Finally, equipment you can actually get hurt on!

    Also, does anybody remember the actual name (if their is one) for the monkey bars we had as kids that were shaped like a geodome cut it half. Those we awesome!

    Lisa

    11 May 09 at 1:02 pm

  249. Sarullo's Italiano - formerly Sarullo's Pizza Boat (Devine, originally replaced by Birds on a Wire). Frank Sarullo owned and operated this quaint but wonderful gas station-turned-restaurant. I worked there off and on in college and grad school. Actually, it had quite the cult following. Everyone loved his homemade sauce, but no one - not even those who worked there and searched for clues - could determine the secret. He opened a more upscaled version on Queen
    Street mid-90s.

    Notably, the parking lot was the home of a Park and Talk or Park and Call phone booth that was car window heighth. It was quite popular pre-cell days!

    Lisa

    11 May 09 at 1:13 pm

  250. I remember a few other local pizza places, mainly pizza delivery, in the late 70s. There was a place called "Chanelo's," maybe on Devine? There was Pizza Express in Five Points. And a Gino's (Geno's?) pizza delivery on Rosewood? I just remember that Gino delivered a lot of pizzas himself, and he was very proud of how much meat he put on his pizzas, compared to the big chains.

    badger

    11 May 09 at 1:53 pm

  251. Labrasca's on Jackson Blvd.still has the best pizza. The building they are in was a drive-inn back the 50's and had a DJ in a booth on top to play your requests, kinda like Doug Broome's.

    Pinckney

    11 May 09 at 3:37 pm

  252. Anyone else remember Sonni's Pizza? I have no idea where they were, but they delivered later than anyone else so they they were the one you called when you had the munchies at 1:00 a.m. Kinda thin and crispy with a sweetish sauce. Good!

    I'm going to go way out on my own here and just say it out loud --- I do not think much of Labrasca's. I have eaten there on and off for 35 years only because it was where my friends wanted to go. The pizza is not terrible, just not wonderful. Limp. Overly cheesy in a bad way. And what really puts me off is the building. It's a dump! A dark, damp moldy cave. Really, look around, it's awful.

    Okay, there, I said it. I know I am a blasphemer and am prepared for my punishment.

    Dennis

    11 May 09 at 4:30 pm

  253. I'm thinking Sonni's (it might have been Soni's) was in Five Points, possibly near the Salty Nut. Not sure 'bout dat, though.

    badger

    11 May 09 at 6:17 pm

  254. Dennis, 10 lashes with a wet noodle, LOL

    Pinckney

    11 May 09 at 7:42 pm

  255. I don't recall having any problem with the pizza, but the last time I was there (10+ years ago), I think I had a plastic knife and fork and a paper plate -- I didn't like that at all. I ended up cutting through the plate at some point.

    ted

    12 May 09 at 1:46 am

  256. Pizza Castle - or what was it? Rosewood Drive in the 70s. I was just a kid, so it was good at the time, but I really don't know. Any pizza is good pizza when you're in middle school.

    Lisa

    12 May 09 at 8:39 am

  257. I kept offering to buy the jukebox Labrascas had, but the guy thought he had some sort of gold mine. The damn thing hadn't worked in 10 years. I went in a couple of weeks back and it was finally gone.

    ChiefDanGeorge

    12 May 09 at 7:17 pm

  258. You probably already know this but in the past couple of months the ownership has changed. That might have had something to do with its removal.

    badger

    12 May 09 at 7:25 pm

  259. Does anybody remember a diner/grill on Two Notch right up the street from Philip's Motor's towards Beltline? It was right next to an old motel. I used to eat there while working a summer job nearby and remember how absolutely great their cheeseburgers were. They also had ribeye steak sandwiches there good too. Seems like it was called "Frank's" but I might be getting that name confused with the well-known "Frank's" from 5 points.

    I believe there was an Autozone-type store if not right across the street, then right nearby.

    Brian

    18 May 09 at 8:28 am

  260. My boyfriend-now-husband and I used to go to the Pizza Castle on Rosewood. It was an old gas station painted black, outside and in. For some reason, the booths were raised - you had to step up to get to the seats. Kind of a creepy place, actually, but they did have a really cool vintage pinball machine in the lobby.

    Cary

    18 May 09 at 6:59 pm

  261. The Village Idiot used to have a location in Irmo, SC.....was wondering if anyone else remembers or worked there.

    Also, Dennis - I think it was Tim Coletta (was never sure on last name spelling) that owned the 5pts location.

    Cheers.

    Delon

    19 May 09 at 4:00 pm

  262. There used to be a delivery/pickup location for Village Idiot in the early 90's on Decker Blvd as well.

    Dave

    19 May 09 at 5:28 pm

  263. Delon - yeah, Tim Coletta sounds right. Haven't seen him in a long time, His ex says he's left town.

    A cool idea he had, though, was putting an actual Italian HTG gas-fired pizza oven in this old delivery truck he bought so he could drive to festivals etc and make fresh pizzas on the spot. I thought that was an awesome idea! He said it never really paid off though.

    Dennis

    19 May 09 at 5:42 pm

  264. The Blue Laws are in force in Lexington County. I was astounded to go into the Walmart in Harbison after midnight on a Sunday to find the whole store practically roped off. At least they could open at 1:00 pm. In the bad 'ole days, deputies would arrest unsuspecting teenage checkout clerks for selling them contraband items on Sunday. Perhaps the law enforcement agencies were trying to make a point of how utterly stupid these laws were but the arrests certainly tramautized more than a few young people.

    joel

    19 May 09 at 9:46 pm

  265. "The Village Idiot used to have a location in Irmo, SC…..was wondering if anyone else remembers or worked there."

    I remember. It was in the new section of Carolina Wings (the right side that they expanded into) We ate there once i think, on a night when CW was super busy and VI was not. I think that the VI works as a college hang out, not so much as a suburban family eatery.

    IrmoJeff

    20 May 09 at 5:41 am

  266. Wow, I had completely forgotten about that Village Idiot location even though I ate there several times. Seems like the last time would've been sometime around spring of 1999...my date and I joined some friends there after spending the day at the Carolina Cup.

    Brian

    20 May 09 at 8:11 am

  267. Anyone remember the lunch buffet at VI in five pts. Man I miss that.

    Mr. Bill

    20 May 09 at 10:35 am

  268. Hi, visit my link please, [url=" http://priestly.zehetolpeyt.ru/page172.html "]

    Mrqcdgdn

    20 May 09 at 7:00 pm

  269. Steak Out on St Andrews Rd just bit the dirt

    Kc

    21 May 09 at 5:52 am

  270. Mr. Bill,
    Village Idiot used to be open for lunch, a couple years or so ago, and I would go in there for a calzone. I ordered sweet tea one time, and when the server brought it to me, it did not taste good, but I could not figure out why. Turns out, they'd "sweetened" the entire batch with salt. I guess not too many people drink tea (even at lunch) at the Idiot. Idiot.

    Jonathan

    21 May 09 at 8:26 am

  271. Brian....
    Yeah, I keep trying to find records of that location to show my friend's mom, who doesn't believe me!
    My other friend is checking old phone books at library - my guess was 1998 - 1999 too. I think it was only open for a year or so.

    Thanks for the response!

    Delon

    21 May 09 at 9:02 am

  272. He found it....

    First time in phone book - 1998/1999...last time in book - 1999/2000

    Village Idiot Pizza & Pub of Irmo
    7598 St. Andrews Road

    (he didn't write down the phone number)

    Delon

    21 May 09 at 9:14 am

  273. There you go...

    I'm certain the year was 1999 just going by who was my date that night...what I don't know is how much longer it held on after that.

    Wish it was still there, as there isn't any pizza place in the Irmo area that I really like at the moment. Zorbas is not that great to me (and expensive!) and I can't think of any others. Sure wish a Mellow Mushroom would open up out here.

    Brian

    21 May 09 at 12:53 pm

  274. Just saw that S&K is shutting down in SC. Another one we can to the list.

    Tom

    21 May 09 at 1:05 pm

  275. Brian,
    There is a great place (for pickup) called Gina's, which is in the Friarsgate subdivision. Make a left on Royal Tower from Irmo. In the same strip that Hollywood Video was in. Very good pizza.

    I agree. A Mellow Mushroom would do great, but I don't know where they would put it. Harbison is not "Irmo" to me. I vaguely remember the Idiot in Irmo. It seems as though it was closed more than open, even when it was open.

    Word had it that Pizza Joint (out of Augusta) was coming to Columbia in the Vista. They have a corporate office on Lady, very close to where Alley Cafe is/was, but no actual restaurant. They are very hit/miss w/ their tap selection, but pretty good pizza.

    Supposedly, they were going to put an "Italian" place in the Food Lion shopping center on the Peak exit, but that has not materialzed. What we have is the basic "Food Lion" shopping center: Nails, ABC, Subway, Chinese, mail box place, Dry cleaner, etc. Talk about copy and paste... I hope to all that is Holy the Wal Mart in the Ballentine area does not end up like the one on Bush River. I counted THREE!!!! stores in that strip mall that have the word "FASHIONS" in their name. THREE!!!!! I'm now going to step off my soapbox.

    Jonathan

    21 May 09 at 1:08 pm

  276. Johnathan - Thanks for the tip, I'll try to remember "Gina's" the next time I'm jonesin' for some good pizza. I was hoping that the opening of the "Zorba's Express" in the Kinnerly Publix strip was going to solve my dilemma as that's pretty close to me, but that was ruined the time I went in to pick up a small greek salad and a small pizza and came out with a tab of almost $25. The pizza was truly "small" too, and the greek salad was basically a head of iceberg lettuce, some feta cheese, oil, and a couple of black olives thrown in the corner. Mellow Mushroom has really spoiled me on salads, I guess.

    Wouldn't it be great if MM opened out to at the Atlanta Bread Company location on Lake Murray Blvd? Would certainly spell trouble for Bellacino's though.

    Strangely, I may have to nominate Copper River Grill as some of the best pizza in the area, even if they are on Harbison/Bower Parkway. Reasonably priced if I can remember correctly too.

    Brian

    21 May 09 at 3:05 pm

  277. I have not been in Copper River since they've opened. I will give them a shot. Thanks. Two things: 1. When you go to Zorba's or the Express, pay the difference to get the "special" salad, if you're a fan of deli meat. It is certainly worth the difference. 2. If you decide to go to Gina's, swing through first and pick up a togo menu prior to the initial visit, because there is always a 45 minute prep time, and that's a long time to spend in the Friarsgate area!! I agree MM would do well on Lake Murray Blvd.

    Jonathan

    21 May 09 at 4:39 pm

  278. Does anyone know when the Schiano's on Bower Parkway/Harbison Blvd. closed? I just drove by there for the first time in years, and it looks like it's a different restaurant now.

    Matthew

    22 May 09 at 7:40 am

  279. Early last year. It had actually been there a long time, too.

    badger

    22 May 09 at 7:56 am

  280. Johnathan - Thanks for the tips...I didn't realize that Zorba's had a "special" salad but it makes me wonder how much that must cost considering the bare-bones one was so much.

    You've got me curious enough about Gina's now that I'll probably swing by there on the way home and pick up a menu.

    Matthew - That Schiano's is now a Firehouse Subs IIRC.

    Brian

    22 May 09 at 8:03 am

  281. Wow....ive never ever heard anyone say anything bad about Zorba's before :D I love their pizza, and their Special Greek salads have always been a family favorite.

    The funny thing is the only two times anyone in my family ordered pizza from Gina's, it was burnt to a crisp.

    :shrug:

    Bellicino's pizza is pretty decent too, IMO. Try the Carnivore.....so much meat it clogs arteries from 20 feet away.

    IrmoJeff

    22 May 09 at 9:27 pm

  282. Heard today that Sticky Fingers on Columbiana Dr. is shutting its door for good tonight.

    Tom

    27 May 09 at 7:27 pm

  283. Wow, that's a surprise.

    Brian

    28 May 09 at 6:46 am

  284. I'm not a big fan of Zorba's either. I like a few of their sandwichs and the sald is alright.

    Mr. Bill

    28 May 09 at 11:36 am

  285. IrmoJeff - Are you referring to the St Andrew's Rd Zorba's or the Zorba's "Express" at Kennerly? My post(s) above were in reference to the "Express" location.

    Brian

    29 May 09 at 7:12 am

  286. I know this isn't a closing but something I saw while driving on South Main the other day...are they opening another Al-Amir's downtown? It's over there in the strip between Moe's and Firehouse by USC. If so, I'm really excited since St Andrews is quite a drive but I love their food. Anyone else hear about that?

    SCFoodie

    3 Jun 09 at 8:37 am

  287. I definitely saw it a few weeks ago. It wasn't open yet, and seemed to be in a pretty small space -- I hope they have room for a brick oven!

    ted

    3 Jun 09 at 1:16 pm

  288. Ted,

    Just want to thank for your site. It has brought back a lot of memories from my days in Columbia.

    Swampy Bob

    6 Jun 09 at 1:40 am

  289. Brian...i have eaten at both and have found the pizza to be very good at both locations.

    To each his own i suppose :)

    IrmoJeff

    8 Jun 09 at 8:15 am

  290. Ted - Is it possible to make the "recent comments" frame into a link? I like to check the most recent comments, but there are so many spammers sometimes that they push the comments off the bottom of the list and it's hard to tell if anything has been added recently worth reading.

    Brian

    8 Jun 09 at 8:20 am

  291. I agree Brian I hate missing out on the comments.

    Mr. Bill

    8 Jun 09 at 8:59 am

  292. anyone remember "the bounty" seafood restaurant off of hwy 378 on the way to sumter?

    ah

    8 Jun 09 at 11:41 am

  293. Man I hate those spam guys!

    That's an interesting question. Obviously the "recent comments" plugin has the information -- maybe there's some way to get at it and use it. I'll take a look.

    ted

    8 Jun 09 at 12:00 pm

  294. Thanks, Ted!

    If anything, the entire frame could be extended down so it would show more of the past comments. A link to a seperate page (like your 'Have your say' link) would be ideal though.

    Brian

    9 Jun 09 at 7:03 am

  295. Hey Ted - I just noticed where you extended the frame down to show more recent comments. Thanks!

    Brian

    10 Jun 09 at 7:11 am

  296. Love the new look on the comments column Ted

    Mr. Bill

    11 Jun 09 at 11:42 am

  297. It actually turned out to be easy to do: The PHP code for the sidebar simply had a constant "10", which I changed to "30" and that did the trick. It shoves everything else down some, but not to a displeasing degree.

    ted

    11 Jun 09 at 11:50 am

  298. Now watch the spammers up the ante now by posting even more! :D

    Brian

    11 Jun 09 at 12:32 pm

  299. Damn Dirty Spammers.

    Mr. Bill

    11 Jun 09 at 2:08 pm

  300. Hi Ted. I wondered if you could add a post about the Shakeys pizza place that used to be where Auto Zone on Airport Blvd. is now. Back in 1975 our senior class had an excellent time there. I don't remember the name of the owner but he was straight out of central casting. Short, bald & eager to please his customers. There was a fire in the early 80s that closed them for over a year. When it came back, he was gone along with the excellent service. What a pity.

    John R

    12 Jun 09 at 9:34 am

  301. Glad to see the post on The Bounty. I only went there once. Don't remember the food but the place was one of a kind for sure. Another place you may want to look for in your old phone books is The Market Restaurant. It was on Assembly roughly where the parking lot on the corner of Gervais is now. If you really wanted to impress your date this was the place to go. By that I mean they had a top shelf menu & service. For a Lexington hillbilly like me this was "the fancy eatin' room". The waiter had the proverbial cloth over his arm & conducted you to your table in high fashion. Of course proper dress was required but for $30 back in 1973 it couldn't be beat. It was my first introduction to a' la carte & lobster tail on a "deluxe seafood plate" not platter. I'm not sure when it closed but I don't think it made it past 1980.

    John R

    16 Jun 09 at 9:27 am

  302. I liked everything about The Market except its size. It always felt crowded and claustrophobic to me. I miss the giant lobster mosaic that was on the outside wall.

    Now that I am well on my way to being an older adult, I really miss all these old school restaurants that were quiet and had a little class. Cloth tablecloths. Heavy silverware. Waiters in nice clothes who did not tell you their names and looked old enough to be your uncle. Remember the Elite Epicurean? Henry's in Charleston? Even Swain's Steakhouse.

    Is the Lexington Arms still nice?

    Dennis

    16 Jun 09 at 9:41 am

  303. Dennis,
    Thanks for reminding me of Swain's Steak House. A touch of class indeed. They even had the piano bar. If you wanted to impress a young lady......it always worked.

    Terry

    16 Jun 09 at 4:00 pm

  304. Swain's was great. I think The Stadium Steak house when it was by the Carolina football stadium had the best steaks.

    Pinckney

    16 Jun 09 at 9:45 pm

  305. The Markett burned down in 1988-1989 thereabouts. Never had a chance to go there. Was a on a poor college student budget.

    Steve

    17 Jun 09 at 8:52 am

  306. There was also a "Market" restaurant that opened on Sunset in the building that now houses Nick's. As I recall, it opened about the same time as the Assembly St. Market closed. Don't know if they had any connection or not, though.

    badger

    17 Jun 09 at 9:23 am

  307. Anyone else remember The Beat?

    It was in the 1300 block of Assembly St. on the east side, now a parking lot between Star Music and the long defunct Howard's Department Store.

    For a couple of years in the late 80s The Beat tried hard to be the downtown Rockafellas, with a little more punk influence and a slightly younger crowd. It was upstairs in a beat up old building over what used to be Army Navy Surplus when I was a kid. Very much a no frills kind of place where 20-year-olds went to show off the safety pin stick through their lip. I heard some very interesting music there. An all girl band called Oh Boy used to play a lot and I loved them.

    Dennis

    19 Jun 09 at 3:54 am

  308. FYI the last location of Hiller Hardware (Five Points) is closing for good very soon. Everything's 20% off but most of the interesting things are gone. Taking 20% off what's left gets it to the same price you'd pay at Lowes, which I'm sure is a big factor in why they're closing.

    Dennis

    29 Jun 09 at 9:11 am

  309. A friend was told last week when he was in the store December 31 will be the end. I hate to see the store close. You could always get someone to help you and they had items you could not find at the big stores. I think Cedar Terrace Hardware is about the last locally owned store.

    Pinckney

    29 Jun 09 at 12:05 pm

  310. RE Pizza in Irmo: go to Bellacino's. Mellow Mushroom would only get you the same slow, apathetic service you get downtown (and, from what I hear, Greenville as well).

    Now, does anybody remember the German restaurant that was in the Columbia Mall in the '80s? As a child, I loved this hot dog they served that was cut to look like a "man." I think it relocated to Richland Mall before taking the gas pipe like most everything else over there.

    Jason

    29 Jun 09 at 3:20 pm

  311. The one Brian mentions near the end of his comment here?

    ted

    29 Jun 09 at 4:00 pm

  312. Hofbrauhaus was its second name when it changed owners I believe. Originally it was Mr. Dunderbak's, complete with lederhosen-costumed servers and cuckoo clocks (for sale) all around the walls. It was narrow and deep and smelled like hot kraut -- all in all a terrific place to hide and drink good German beer while your wife was shopping.

    Dennis

    29 Jun 09 at 4:37 pm

  313. Jason - We discussed Bellacino's a little earlier but in my opinion it doesn't come close to Mellow Mushroom, either in quality or value. I've never had a problem with MM's service either.

    Speaking of, has anyone tried the new pizza place that's situated EXACTLY across the street from Mellow Mushroom on Gervais? I think it's called "z's pizza." That's a pretty ballsy move to open a pizza place right across from an established competitor.

    Brian

    30 Jun 09 at 7:23 am

  314. Dennis, that was it and that atmosphere is exactly what I remember. Thanks.

    Brian, thanks man ... must've missed that comment. I work in the Vista, and word is that Z's is a "healthy" pizza place. I've not been there ... would prefer MM :-)

    Jason

    30 Jun 09 at 11:53 am

  315. Mr. Dunderbak’s was awesome. Black Forest ham on Pumpernickle bread with a brew! Can't do that kinda stuff any more.

    Terry

    30 Jun 09 at 2:30 pm

  316. Ted,

    I am not from Columbia or South Carolina. I am actually from Alabama. However, I like reading about national chains going defunct. Were there any Media Play store's in Columbia? And If so, are you planning on putting up an entry about Media Play? Also, were there any National/Premiere Videos in Columbia?

    James Greek

    30 Jun 09 at 5:30 pm

  317. Hmm.

    None of those names ring a bell for me. I can't swear they weren't here, but I can't remember ever seeing one.

    ted

    30 Jun 09 at 5:43 pm

  318. No, Media Play never made it to Columbia.

    E.J.

    30 Jun 09 at 6:59 pm

  319. Jason - Thanks for the info on z's. Hmmm, "healthy pizza" isn't something that I expect to do very well...at least not here on Cola-town.

    Brian

    1 Jul 09 at 7:12 am

  320. Mr. Dunderbak’s, was a quite a place to go to. I remember it well from the late'70s . Always a good sandwich and cold beer. Sorry to hear it closed, but if anyone is in the area there still is a Mr. Dunderbak’s in the Volusia Mall in Daytona Beach.

    Swampy Bob

    1 Jul 09 at 8:28 pm

  321. How about these?

    In Landmark Plaza:
    HQ
    Cloth World
    Winn Dixie
    The Book Dispensary

    In Leesburg Plaza:
    El Toro barber shop
    The Book Nook

    In general:
    Citgo at Old garners Ferry and garner's ferry
    Par Three Golf course on garner's ferry
    A&W on Devine
    Putt Putt Golf and Games on Divine
    That pizza place on divine that was a converted gas station and had one booth on a lift
    Jesudi's (LeBrasca's twin)
    PuttPutt on Knox Abbott
    Used to be a TON of motels on Two Notch

    jamie

    2 Jul 09 at 9:19 am

  322. Jamie,

    How about this?

    I've done some of the Two Notch motels too.

    ted

    2 Jul 09 at 11:22 am

  323. How about Columbia's Restaurant & Just Fresh in the AT&T tower & LeVecchia's on Main?

    jeanne

    2 Jul 09 at 1:03 pm

  324. I really miss Columbia's in the At&T building. We used to eat there a lot and never had a bad meal. I have always wondered what happened to them.

    Jamie, it's funny you should mention the golf place on Garner’s Ferry Rd. I was thinking about it just the other day. IIRC there was a huge, wooden cut-out sign of a man swinging a golf club. It might not be the same one you were thinking about, though. Maybe it was just a driving range.

    Cary

    3 Jul 09 at 7:31 pm

  325. That was it. had the wooden fence out front, kinda Ponderosa style.

    jamie

    6 Jul 09 at 11:42 am

  326. @Dennis: "Anyone else remember The Beat?"

    I spent a hazy spring semester at USC in 1985 and although for particular reasons my recollections are somewhat blurry, I do indeed recall The Beat quite well. You had to know which door it was on Assembly St. as it wasn't very well marked. It was on the second floor of that building. One of the bouncers, Josh, got a part-time job for me helping him clean up the third floor for the owner. During WW2 that building was a private club for non-white GI's, back when segregation was in full swing.

    I saw a lot of great bands at The Beat... Guadalcanal Diary, Love Tractor, The Swimming Pool Qs, Black Flag and Minutemen on tour, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, just to name a few. The only beer they had that I could afford to drink was Tuborg. I nearly broke my back doing the construction work upstairs so I'm really sad to hear that building is gone now. I also ran projectors at Jefferson Sq. theater, the only 35mm single-screen in Columbia (there was another, Nickleodeon, but it was 16mm).

    I left Cola in August of '86 and went to Texas, haven't been back since then, sorry to hear that so much of the city that I knew is gone now. Thanks for mentioning The Beat, I've never forgotten about it.

    Chris

    6 Jul 09 at 1:35 pm

  327. Two more posts I'd like to see. First, Cogburn's steak restaurant. It was originally located on Sumter St about 3 blocks down from Gervais. It was replaced with a parking lot & they moved to West Cola. around the early 80s. There was a gap of about a year before they settled in but loyal customers followed & it survived for about another 10 or 12 years. Although they had a good new location & more space, it just wasn't the same as when I discovered it in the mid-70s in the cramped little digs on Sumter St. Their steak was the best bang for the buck back then. It was usually so crowded that I never got to dine in & ordered a t-bone to go. No frilly salads or sides, just steak & fries and they put bread under the steak! I had never seen that before but it absorbed the juices & made it unforgettable. Even the small t-bone was enough to share. Second, Charlie's Cue & Cushion was probably the biggest pool hall in Columbia. Originally it was on Main St. just before River Dr. and then moved to Rosewood Dr. What made it different was the owner ran a tight ship. No gambling that I was aware of, well lighted (not just over the table, the whole interior) and sales & service for pool cues, etc. While there was a grill it was just your basic burgers, hot dogs & fries. Nothing to write home about in that dept. but it made for a cheap afternoon's fun. The rates were fair, cheap beer by the pitcher and the tables were regulation size. A drug store now occupies the space on Rosewood and I saw the owner's obit in the paper a few months ago. Jillian's is okay but the tables aren't maintained the way that guy kept his in shape.

    John R

    9 Jul 09 at 8:25 am

  328. Well, I don't have any personal experience with either of those, but I'll keep them in mind..

    ted

    9 Jul 09 at 11:29 am

  329. I ate at Cogburns in WC once. It was good. I think Charlie's was where the first citizens is now on Rosewood.

    MR BILL

    9 Jul 09 at 1:26 pm

  330. I was out at Columbia Mall today and based on what I saw I would dispute what the article in The State said. From center court to where Penny's was, the mall was a virtual ghost town. (I don't know if anyone has pointed it out yet, but the two level Old Navy Store is gone.) Most of the remaining stores were not chains but cheap, tacky and often tawdy boutiques. Unless they can bring in some major players to fill in the two anchors, I believe Columbia Mall, or whatever they want to call, it is on an irreversable downhill slope.

    Tom

    10 Jul 09 at 3:20 pm

  331. Guido's Pizza in Ballentine (where Pizza Factory used to be) is closed. Ate there once. Pizza was thin crust (strike one) low on cheese (strike two) and tasted no better than frozen (strike three). As ive said before we never even considered going back, espsecially since Pizza Factory was one of my personal favorites.

    IrmoJeff

    10 Jul 09 at 9:26 pm

  332. While out and about in the Vista last night I noticed that John Paul's Armadillo Oil Company on Assembly was closed. So too was the restaurant on the corner of Park and Gervais near Flying Saucer.

    In the case of the former, you can see an old painted sign on the building stating that it is an Royal Crown Cola bottling plant.

    Tom

    11 Jul 09 at 8:51 am

  333. Just noticed that River Cats on Old Two Notch Rd, has closed. Guess they were worried about the new Lizard's Thicket opneing soon on Hwy 1?

    Theo

    12 Jul 09 at 9:52 pm

  334. Tom - John Paul's has been closed for at least 3 years now.

    Not sure which restaurant you're referring to on the corner of Park & Gervais. On one side of Gervais is a Marble Slab ice cream place and a tshirt store, and the other side has/had a bar. Maybe it's the bar?

    Brian

    13 Jul 09 at 7:39 am

  335. I thihk he is referring to the place that was most recently "The Clubhouse". It was terrible. Prior to that, it was Vista Brewing Company, which was pretty good.

    Dave

    13 Jul 09 at 8:11 am

  336. Ah, Vista Brewing Company!! We did not go often, but their She Crab Soup was incredible. A little bit of trivia, Jamie, don't know his last name, used to be the brewmaster there and went on to found Foothills Brewing Company out of Winston Salem, NC. Excellent brewery!! Prior to that, I believe it was Richards(?) or was that in a different block?

    Jonathan

    13 Jul 09 at 8:22 am

  337. Yep, Vista Brewing Company was the last known occupant for me...I could never remember what replaced it.

    That reminds me: Anybody remember Columbia Brewing Company? It was in the building that now houses Flying Saucer & Monterrey's and was excellent. Unfortunately, it closed sometime around 97 or 98 I'd guess. I know the dance club slash meat-market "manhattans" was there afterwards, in 98 or 99.

    Brian

    13 Jul 09 at 10:08 am

  338. I think CBC was there later than 99. I believe Manhattans was on one side and CBC on the other.

    MR BILL

    13 Jul 09 at 10:18 am

  339. CBC was there from '96 to '99. Steamers then moved in in '01. Don't recall Manhattans, but it must have been between those two.

    There was some kind of affiliation between CBC and St. Simons (GA) Brewing, also, but I don't know exactly how. St. Simons Brewing closed about the same time as CBC, and Steamers moved into both locations, but eventually folded in both locations, too. I don't. There was also a Steamers at Lake Murray around the same time frame (since closed). Today, the only surviving Steamers (of that same family) is the Hilton Head location, which I believe is the original. There is an unrelated Steamers in Beaufort, that I think had a common origin, but the ownership diverged some time ago.

    badger

    13 Jul 09 at 10:41 am

  340. I remember CBC had a pizza buffet at lunch. I was particularily fond of "The Gobbler," which was turkey and broccoli on a ranch dressing sauce. It was better than it sounded. As far as beer quality, they had a rasberry porter for a bit on a rotating tap, and I ordered a pale ale or something. When they brought it to me, I commented to the server that it had a rasberry flavor to it, and she told me that apparently, they did not clean the barrel too well, and that was what was causing the overtone. Not too good. Also, it became Senate Park. I saw some very good shows there. That would have been in the 2002 era.

    Jonathan

    13 Jul 09 at 11:16 am

  341. Followup post disappeared. Just a correction to my earlier post: Steamers actually opened in '99 and closed in '01 (along with the other Steamers locations). Manhattans was in the location currently occupied by Monterrey's.

    badger

    13 Jul 09 at 11:47 am

  342. Yep, I remember Steamer's and Senate Park now that y'all mention it.

    At one time I think Manhattan's and CBC were on opposite sides of the building but for some reason it seems like Manhattan's took the whole thing over at some point later.

    Have some pretty cool memories from Manhattan's as y'all might suspect considering the nature of the place, but one of the most memorable was when a buddy found a crisp $100 bill out on the street in front. He picked up my tab that night.

    Brian

    13 Jul 09 at 11:49 am

  343. badger - You actually entered manhattan's through a different entrance from Monterrey's though...the entrance was on the other corner down the street, near where 5 guys is now. I guess you could say manhattan's occupied both the 5 guys and monterrey's square footage.

    Brian

    13 Jul 09 at 11:53 am

  344. OK. Thanks. I took a quick look to find out something about the St. Simons Brewing, and it turns out that it, CBC, and Hilton Head Brewing (which is still in business) were all founded by the same people (a former SC legislator and his brother). I'm going to guess they also had some connection to the Steamers restaurants, possibly also having an ownership in them, too.

    badger

    13 Jul 09 at 12:19 pm

  345. Columbia Brewing Company always had great food, I thought. I got fat off of their pizza and pasta buffet after I quit smoking.

    Dennis

    14 Jul 09 at 9:11 am

  346. Looks like that bathroom fixtures store at Elmwood and Gadsden just closed. Either that or they did a huge inventory reduction.

    Could be wrong, as I really just fly by it in the morning. I love seeing all that glass.

    Y'all remember when Kmart front fascades were all glass?

    jamie

    14 Jul 09 at 12:27 pm

  347. Noland Bath and Idea Center was the business I talked about above.

    Also, you might want to hit the corner of Elmwood and Main. Hampton Pontiac and Ken Hyatt Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge used to be kitty-corner across from one another. The Pontiac place is vacant, but Ken Hyatt's place is now a strip mall.

    jamie

    15 Jul 09 at 8:16 am

  348. Also, back in the day, Ken Hyatt's place was previously the "Oliver Motor Company." Don't know who Oliver was or what happened to him.

    badger

    15 Jul 09 at 8:43 am

  349. If I remember right, Oliver sold Studebakers and Packards back in the 50's.

    Pinckney

    15 Jul 09 at 9:17 am

  350. Ted,

    Can you think of any local video stores in Columbia that went out of business? Say, like local chains or mom-and-pop video stores maybe? If so, are you planning on doing any entries on them?

    James Greek

    16 Jul 09 at 11:38 am

  351. I know two right away, and I'm sure there are bookoos more. 1. 2001 Video, which was in Seven Oaks. I remember them more because they carried Beta when NOBODY else did. 2. M&M Videos on Broad River, near the corner of Atlantic & Broad River. They had a very good selection of rare movies and vinyl as well as concert VHS movies. Movies you could not find at Blockbuster, Phar-Mor, etc. I attempted to get a job there one time, and they did not hire anybody outside of "the family." I always thought of Pic-A-Flic as an independent, even though there were several stores thoughout Columbia.

    Jonathan

    16 Jul 09 at 12:54 pm

  352. There was "Video Library" at 2005 Beltline. It was in the side facing Beltline, maybe in the middle/left. There was also Video Movie Center sorta beside Vella's in Cayce. The Handy Hut on Garners Ferry (intersection of Old Hopkins Rd) also had a sizable selection.

    badger

    16 Jul 09 at 1:08 pm

  353. I did some posts on various Hollywood Videos going under, but that's about it. I don't rent videos, so I don't have much experience or emotional attachment to video stores.

    ted

    16 Jul 09 at 1:09 pm

  354. Jonathan - I remember M&M video and I was a regular there when I worked nearby. I didn't rent movies, but NES games instead. They had a great supply of them and I always talked games with the clerk behind the counter too. I guess he was "family."

    Brian

    16 Jul 09 at 1:18 pm

  355. Whoa! Drove by McDonalds at the corner of Two-Notch and Beltline. What's going on there?

    Nick

    16 Jul 09 at 10:10 pm

  356. Yeah, I saw that! I'm pretty sure the building was entirely up yesterday, and it's all down but the sign tonight..

    ted

    16 Jul 09 at 10:21 pm

  357. Woodhill mall on Garner's Ferry... if you are facing the strip mall... to the left before you enter there is a Mexican restaurant... this was WESTERN STEER... it was built in the early 80's I think, and that is where I had my first yeast roll ever. :)

    PS- I can't wait to get a new scanner so I can scan in some photos... especially one of my 7th birthday party I had at Putt Putt Golf and Games!! :)

    Melanie Gallant

    17 Jul 09 at 5:23 am

  358. It was at least one different restaurant before it was a Steer. I remember one of the employees saying that, but I didn't recall the earlier name. Someone in another post said that it had been a Hungry Bull in the 1970s. The Steer closed in 1987. Unlike a lot of other businesses, the employees knew it was going to close, and even knew the date, so they had time to make other plans. The owner was in the real estate business, and has been in it full time ever since--for a long time (and possibly still) he had a billboard showing him and his wife on 277 close to where it turns into Bull. Guess he couldn't get away from his steakhouse roots.

    badger

    17 Jul 09 at 8:13 am

  359. yeah, it was built as a Hungry Bull in the 70s.

    Front Row Video next to Tony's in Parkland Plaza closed a few years back.

    jamie

    17 Jul 09 at 8:54 am

  360. Thanks for clarifying the Hungry Bull for me, I guess it was NEW to me then because I was so young. I was reading over the entry about The Bounty, and I do have vague memories of going there and to the Shrimper a lot. You know, I just realized that I am really passionate about finding photos or items from retail places or restaurants I went to as a kid, almost to the point of obsession. I'm still searching for photos of the TAPPS at Woodhill, and old Columbia Mall photos back when there were fountains and dark marble tiles. Wasn't there a weird ice cream parlor-esque Burger King in that mall at some point? I don't beleive that there are NO PHOTOS ANYWHERE of these places. I consider myself lucky to find an exterior shot of somewhere. It would be a mini-jackpot to happen upon interior shots as well. The time period I focus mostly on is the time period I was born and lived here... 1975-84. Apparently I'm obsessed. But it's a fun obsession. I'm rambling :) Still love this site!!!

    PS-after no luck on the internet, I wrote BiLo headquarters in Mauldin SC to see if it is possible to dig up some nice clear photos of those scultured cows they used to have on all their signs. Mailed it out today, wish me luck :)

    Melanie Gallant

    17 Jul 09 at 10:28 am

  361. Burger King was in Columbia Mall at one time. I know I went there in 1984 for lunch during my last City Swim Meet.

    How many Red Wing Shoes buildings are still around? there's one on Knox Abbott, and their used to be one down Airport BLVD that a car rental place used. Those buildings always looked freakish to me. I guess getting attention was their purpose.

    jamie

    17 Jul 09 at 11:56 am

  362. I remember the old Columbia Mall BK, and one of the "impressive" notes mentioned in the papers when the mall opened was how large the BK was--140 seats, IIRC. I don't remember it having an ice cream parlor, but memory's a funny thing. I do remember the Bresler's 33 ice cream parlor, but I don't recall which wing it was in. I keep thinking the one with the Carousel Snack Bar and Chick-Fil-A, but not sure on that one.

    badger

    17 Jul 09 at 12:10 pm

  363. The Columbia Mall BK was at one end of the mall opposite of where Chik Fil A was. I remember it was all by itself down at one end of the corridors, seems like the arcade "Alladin's Castle" was directly across from it.

    I *want* to say that the Chik Fil A was at the end of the mall where the food court currently resides. Well I say "currently" but I haven't set foot in this mall in at least 2 years.

    Brian

    17 Jul 09 at 12:42 pm

  364. The BK as at the outside end of the corridor that had Annabelle's. (It was on the other side of the corridor than Annabelle's was). It was one of the few restaurants in our area open after the Great Ice Storm.

    ted

    17 Jul 09 at 12:59 pm

  365. There were two ice cream parlors in Columbia mall in 1977. One on the upper level towards Sears the other I am not sure of except that it was on the lower level. Chickfilla was originally near Morrisson's Cafeteria.

    Tom

    17 Jul 09 at 4:04 pm

  366. Just a little bit of Columbia Mall geography - too much of a misspent youth...
    BK was the first store on the right going into the entrance between Sears and Belk. Across the hall was at one time an airbrushing place (late 80s) (ice cream later). Alladin's castle was second floor by entrance between Rich's & JCP.
    Anyone remember the Tinder Box, Mr. Dunderbaks, Cutlery World, Spencer Gifts (when it was on the first floor just round the corner from BK). The Bald Eagle Sculpture in Center Court. What about Tape World.

    Larry

    17 Jul 09 at 7:26 pm

  367. Spencer's was on the first floor originally? I only remember it on the second floor by Eckerds, near Sears.

    ted

    17 Jul 09 at 10:24 pm

  368. Badger, that BK was huge.I remember it had like a light green painted lattice divider between the rolls of booths. Real country design. Do you remember those rental lockers down the hallways of the mall? Spencer's was always on the first floor til the day it closed. I bought alot of stuff in their last days before they shut down. Kinda sad day for me. I always liked going there.

    jjt

    18 Jul 09 at 5:57 pm

  369. man I remember the lockers and yeah Spencer's was always on the first floor. That was a crazy looking BK.

    MR BILL

    20 Jul 09 at 7:26 am

  370. Larry - Thanks for the post. I remember the airbrush place, but they also did screenprint tees too. I got several t-shirts in there with my name on the back and/or some other iron-on design. I specifically remember a star wars iron-on that they did for me on a "baseball style" t-shirt.

    As a teenager, I used to go into Tinder Box's humidor just to smell all the cigars and breathe in all the cool/moist air.

    Brian

    20 Jul 09 at 7:33 am

  371. Someone asked about the Downstairs Plaza in another post. It between Main and Assembly off Devine in an alley between the Domino's Pizza and the backside of one of the 600 block Main St. buildings (now the Moe's and Al-Amir area).

    If the building still exists, I think it can only be the bottom part of the Moe's building. However, it might have been razed with the new construction next door, where I think the Pizza Hut and convenience store were previously located. Anyone with a better idea of where it was. I haven't been inside it in over 20 years.

    badger

    22 Jul 09 at 11:12 pm

  372. Would that be the Varsity Billiards area as in here?

    And of course, Moe's was originally The Big Bird

    ted

    22 Jul 09 at 11:16 pm

  373. Yep. It was somewhere behind and below those buildings.

    badger

    22 Jul 09 at 11:42 pm

  374. I was trying to find my comment about where I though Tez's was located on Bush River, but could not. I went to the library today and looked through 1978-1980 Columbia phone books. Tez's was indeed at 1206 Bush River Road, which would have put it immediately in front of the Bush River exit off of 26. Jaws was at 800 Bush River, where the strip place/sports bar is. They may have moved there later, but I did not look through any other phone books. I recommend anyone to check out those phone books and ads. Very cool. Thanks, Ted! I had no idea they were archived! An example of a Bell South ad from '79, I think: "New baby? Send your congratulations by long distance."

    Jonathan

    23 Jul 09 at 1:05 pm

  375. Yeah, it's a great resource! It's just a pain to get down there sometimes though -- I've xeroxed the "restaurant" YPs from 1970 and 1976, but that doesn't help if I think of something else I want to know.

    The YPs were real big on Bell System house ads whereever there was a blank space. I can actually remember when it was a big deal to call our grandmother long distance, 70 miles away..

    ted

    23 Jul 09 at 1:19 pm

  376. A follow up to Columbia Mall. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I think my parents took me there on opening day, and if not just a week or so later. In the summer they used to shoot fireworks and everyone would go up to the parking lot to watch, or we could see them from the pool at our condos.

    BTW - Mr. Bill - Did you run Pawn Shop? If you have no idea what I'm talking about then please forgive me.

    Larry

    23 Jul 09 at 1:32 pm

  377. Do you mean Pawn Shop BBS?

    Dave

    23 Jul 09 at 2:13 pm

  378. no sorry it wasn't me

    MR BILL

    23 Jul 09 at 2:44 pm

  379. Anyone remember that bar below the Varsity. It was called The Zoo. It only last a little while around 1996. I was in college and underage at the time. That was a great place to hang out. They never carded anyone.

    MR BILL

    23 Jul 09 at 2:46 pm

  380. Yeah, I had a relative (seriously!) who frequented it. He was in high school, so I buy the part about their not carding anyone. I think they had a fire maybe? Also, this might be what the Downstairs Plaza turned into.

    badger

    23 Jul 09 at 3:44 pm

  381. The Downstairs PLaza or DSP as we called it, was directly below the Big Bird and could be reached via stairs from inside the Big Bird. The place was always dark, but had a great jukebox and dark beer on tap before dark beer was hip.

    Tom

    24 Jul 09 at 7:27 am

  382. OK. Thanks for that. Since the Moe's location was formerly the Big Bird, then that pretty much cinches that the backside of Moe's was the DSP.

    badger

    24 Jul 09 at 8:17 am

  383. Does anyone remember the restaurant that was on the corner of Gervais and Huger? There's a Hertz/Avis car rental place there now. I distinctly remember when it burned down in the early 90's because I remember Johnathon Rush talking about it on WNOK during the "morning rush." Apparently, his commute (from Irmo, I think) took him right past it on his way to the station.

    I never ate there, but I saw the burned-down husk of the place shortly after the fire and it stood there for some time IIRC.

    Brian

    24 Jul 09 at 9:22 am

  384. Brian, I think that was called "Scriven's Alley". It was a steakhouse that you could cook your own steak if you wanted. Two story tall building if I recall.

    jjt

    24 Jul 09 at 9:26 am

  385. jjt - Nice work, that must've been it. That prompted me to google, where I found the following link that I thought Ted and our group here would find interesting:

    http://www.local793.com/photography.htm

    Includes pics of columbia fires going back to the 70's. Ironically, the one for scriven's alley brings up a "page not found" error for me.

    Brian

    24 Jul 09 at 9:59 am

  386. very interesting!

    ted

    24 Jul 09 at 10:48 am

  387. Dave - Yes. Pawn Shop BBS. Miss the old days sometimes.

    Larry

    24 Jul 09 at 1:04 pm

  388. OK - I ran a BBS as well called Times Square BBS from 1989-97....

    Dave

    24 Jul 09 at 3:42 pm

  389. Dave - I pretty much phased out of BBSs in 89 so I'm not too familiar with TS. However, 86-89, the good old days.

    Larry

    24 Jul 09 at 5:37 pm

  390. Are you planning on doing a post on the Food Lion on Decker Boulevard that is long gone?

    James Greek

    27 Jul 09 at 6:48 pm

  391. Hmm. As far as I know, the Food Lion on Decker is still there. I'm pretty sure I bought some stuff there just a month or so ago.

    ted

    27 Jul 09 at 11:18 pm

  392. Well one poster on here made a comment about Pic-A-Flic video that was on decker by the old food lion that is now long gone and the "new" one by Bi-lo in the Mcdonald's Parking Lot.

    James Greek

    28 Jul 09 at 10:46 am

  393. They might have remodeled it, buth the Food Lion on Decker has been in that same location since it was built in the late '70s. I don't recall two locations on Decker.

    badger

    28 Jul 09 at 11:21 am

  394. I liked pic a flic. The one on Rosewood was great too.

    MR BILL

    28 Jul 09 at 1:31 pm

  395. Ted, I know you don't have an emotional attachment to video stores but I wish you could write a post about Pic-A-Flic or have someone write a post about it on here

    James Greek

    28 Jul 09 at 6:48 pm

  396. Ritz Camera on Columbiana Drive closed last Saturday. I was told the employees showed up to work and were told to go home.

    Tom

    30 Jul 09 at 4:32 pm

  397. This pertains to Governor Sanford and his affair. What I feel is that this country needs to grow up. We get all high and mighty over something that has been going on around the world for hundreds of years. Who cares what a man or women does as long as they can do it and can still concentrate on business. What I believe is that the media must be hard up for important news, so they hammer on some poor smuck who can't seem keep his pants zipped. By having this affair, did he really hurt you, me or anyone who may take the time to read this? He alone has to answer to God, not one of us will stand before Jesus with an appology asking that Governor Stanfords actions be forgiven. No way! Gov. Stanford is on his own. If he is a good Gov. give him a break. I want to know how innocent are the media people. Are they truly looking in a mirror and seeing themselves?
    Carol

    Carol Whitlow

    5 Aug 09 at 3:06 pm

  398. Thats the first Sandford apologist I have met.

    Get your head out of your ass lady! He is the gov. IMO he needs to be held at a higher standard.

    Michael

    6 Aug 09 at 5:28 pm

  399. Hey folks,

    I know everyone's got political opinions, but please not here!

    ted

    7 Aug 09 at 1:49 pm

  400. Thanks Ted. That came out of left field. Especially considering neither post got his name right. It's S-A-N-F-O-R-D.
    End Meta.

    Larry

    9 Aug 09 at 2:07 pm

  401. What has happened to additional postings? The last one was on 7/24 about Mermaids. Businesses are dropping left and right!

    joel

    9 Aug 09 at 4:47 pm

  402. Well, as I said in that post, I am on vacation. Posting will resume when I get back to town!

    ted

    9 Aug 09 at 11:52 pm

  403. Well, until then, I’ll toss out a few to see if anyone remembers these:

    Mayfair Grill: South Main St, near the mill. The Mayfair Grill was to “greasy spoon” as “Shoney’s” is to “fine dining.” It was run by Clyde. The wait staff were grouchy ol’ Minnie, and another waitress whose name I don’t recall. The cook was Oscar. He reminded me of actor Chino “Fats” Williams, best remembered as the garbage truck driver at the beginning of the original “Terminator,” and the “she kicked you in the family jewels” guy from “Weird Science.” He would be busily stirring and sweating over the day’s various “lunch” concoctions. I’m sure they had a health inspection sticker, but I don’t recall ever seeing it. It was open ‘til sometime in maybe ’85.

    Ebby’s: Harden St, across from the Peaches/Old Sears/Food Lion. One of those small buildings, I think it is/was a Mexican restaurant in recent times. The owner’s (last) name was “Ebersole.” I know I went to it in 1986, and I think the owner died either that same year or within a year or so.

    Floriday’s: I think this place was open in 1988. It was a seafood restaurant. It was in the 500 block of Gervais, in the small light-colored building just below the SCBT building. Don’t recall much about it, though.

    Captain Dick’s: This was on Knox Abbott somewhere on the left side of the road. It’s now either a bank, paint store, or a motel, since I’m not exactly sure of the location. I remember it being open @1983. Not exactly sure when it closed.

    It’s Showtime Pizza: Just past the K-Mart in Cayce on the left side of the road. I remember it being open in the early 1980s. It’s now an Advance or AutoZone. They showed silent “Little Rascals,” “Laurel and Hardy,” and probably others that I don’t remember. I guess they had a menu, but all I ever got was the pizza buffet.

    Buffalo’s Café: This was on Sunset Drive heading into Lexington near the Wal-Mart. I think the building was razed and a bank replaced it.

    badger

    10 Aug 09 at 3:08 pm

  404. I vaguely remember the pizza place you mention that was near the K-Mart in Cayce -- I had forgotten all about that place. I think I played some pong-like game there.

    E.J.

    10 Aug 09 at 7:49 pm

  405. I know Showtime Pizza turned into Chuckie Cheese on Burning Tree Road. Buffalo's Cafe turned into Chicago Uno in Lexington.

    Jonathan

    11 Aug 09 at 7:18 am

  406. Badger-The pizza place that you are thinking of near K-Mart was Shakey's Pizza, a national chain. there was one on Parklane rd. near Columbia Mall too. They used to have a tag line "We serve fun at Shakey's-also Pizza" They would also occassionaly have banjo players play live music. I miss them, not just because of the old films they showed but because the pizza was also good.

    Tom

    11 Aug 09 at 8:56 am

  407. I believe it was originally a Shakey's, as you say, but by the time I was going there, Shakey's had pretty much pulled out of Columbia. Whoever had that restaurant kept it open for a while longer under the name "It's Showtime Pizza." I don't think it had any affiliation with the "Showbiz" chain, which would later become "Chuck E. Cheese."

    badger

    11 Aug 09 at 9:17 am

  408. "I know Showtime Pizza turned into Chuckie Cheese on Burning Tree Road"

    "I don’t think it had any affiliation with the “Showbiz” chain, which would later become “Chuck E. Cheese.”

    Doh!!! Where is that edit/delete button!!?! I even spelled "Chuck E." wrong!! At least I am certain Buffalo's turned into Chicago Uno, right??!!

    Jonathan

    11 Aug 09 at 11:50 am

  409. Don't think so. Uno Chicago Grill goes back to 1943 as Pizzeria Uno. I dont' think they've ever been a Buffalo anything, and the US-378 store in Lexington is the first time they've been in the Columbia market.

    ted

    11 Aug 09 at 11:59 am

  410. I phrased my sentence wrong. The Buffalo's building "turned into" Uno Chicago Grill after Buffalo's closed.

    Jonathan

    11 Aug 09 at 12:50 pm

  411. Okay, I'm going to step away from the computer for a bit. Google shows that Ruby Tuesday is currently located at the old Buffalo's restaurant, (5464)not Uno (5304).

    Jonathan

    11 Aug 09 at 12:55 pm

  412. Anyone remember where the Godfather's pizza in Cayce was?

    MR BILL

    11 Aug 09 at 2:03 pm

  413. I think Ebby's must have been where El Burrito is now (it's actually very good..."healthy mexican" if you can imagine it!).

    Anyone remember De-Light's (sp?) in Five Points where Harper's is now? My husband reminded me that Rivers Scarborough, who used to own the Villa (now Congaree Grill) opened it back in the '80s. I know we ate there, but I barely remember it.

    jeanne

    11 Aug 09 at 3:14 pm

  414. The Godfather's Pizza was actually in West Columbia at the strip shopping center beside the train trestle (the one with the bingo parlors), in the building behind the club/bar that's adjacent to Taco Cid--I think it's a performance garage now.

    Mike

    11 Aug 09 at 3:44 pm

  415. Wow, I had completely forgotten about "Buffalo's Cafe" but now I remember eating there sometime around 1999. So they must've been still open at that time. Does that sound right to anyone?

    Brian

    12 Aug 09 at 8:48 am

  416. Thanks Mike, I was thinking it might have been where Arby's is now. I only went there once or twice. I went to the Forest Drive location and the Columbia Mall one a lot more.

    MR BILL

    12 Aug 09 at 9:12 am

  417. I remember a De-Lights on Two Notch in the old Pizza Inn.

    MR BILL

    12 Aug 09 at 9:14 am

  418. Actually the D-Lite's on Two Notch was located where I believe "Splendid Buffet" (formerly a Miami Subs) or something is now. They had to tear down the D-Lite's building because it was formerly a gas station and it was built over underground gas tanks.

    Dave

    12 Aug 09 at 9:38 am

  419. yes you're right about that. So where was the Pizza Inn? Next to it?

    MR BILL

    12 Aug 09 at 1:51 pm

  420. The current Honeybaked Ham, so, yeah.

    And I think Buffalo's Cafe was open from about '97 to 2005. It was then replaced by "Bentley's" restaurant for maybe a year longer. I think--but I'm not sure about this--but the Bentley's restaurant had the same ownership as the Bentley's Boat people. After they closed this Bentley's, they would later open in the old "Buckets" cafe near I-20 and SC 6. That lasted for a few months before being replaced by the current tenant Timmy Mac's.

    badger

    12 Aug 09 at 2:40 pm

  421. Anyone remember Cuco's by the Columbia Mall. Closed in the ealry 90s.

    Larry

    14 Aug 09 at 5:29 pm

  422. Yes, I remember it! :-)

    ted

    14 Aug 09 at 5:34 pm

  423. The Dollar Tree in strip mall with the Irmo Kroger's is gone. They have moved next to the new Wal-Mart in Ballentine I was told.

    Tom

    15 Aug 09 at 9:51 am

  424. Paulie's Pizza on Forest Drive is now the Forest Dr location for The Village Idiot. I don't know if this is classified as an actual closing, but their website is gone (you are sent to a generic msg from the hosting company). I'll miss the homemade sausage that Paulie's had.

    Matt

    16 Aug 09 at 2:31 pm

  425. Anybody else frequent Duff's in Cayce back in the day? Can't remember exactly when it went OOB, but I don't think The Great Carousel Buffet Scare of the 1980s lasted all that long.

    Brian

    18 Aug 09 at 12:07 am

  426. Well, the Food Lion on Airport BLVD is closed. FL still has the lease on the space for four years, so I've heard, so don't expect anything to replace it for a while. Nice corporate citizen, there, FL.

    jamie

    24 Aug 09 at 8:49 am

  427. Really? I wonder if it has something to do with Reid's opening down the street. FL owns Reids so maybe they are moving everyone over there.

    MR BILL

    24 Aug 09 at 11:44 am

  428. They are. Employees are pretty much being split between the Reid's and the FL on 378.

    jamie

    24 Aug 09 at 1:43 pm

  429. Lately I have been on a nostalgia kick. I did a virtual drive of my home town via google maps. Then I went through the RCPL archived photos of Columbia. I have to say, the RCPL archive is great, it spans the past 150+ years, a must to anyone interested in architecture and history.

    While using the googles I happened upon your site. Love it! Great job, looking forward to seeing more and participating.

    Jeff

    Jeff

    25 Aug 09 at 10:43 pm

  430. No one has mentioned the Hitching Post Restaurant on the corner of Blossom and Assembly. It was built around 1957 and remained in buisness until it was torn down to build the colesium. My family used to eat there in the late 50's and early 60's.

    melton

    29 Aug 09 at 9:17 am

  431. what about the elite epicurean? i can't find it on here...was my favorite!

    carol

    29 Aug 09 at 11:21 am

  432. What about Tons of Toys?

    If you were a kid when this store was around, it was a very big deal.

    boi-dan

    30 Aug 09 at 11:26 am

  433. I haven't done a post on it, but it's been mentioned in the comments a number of times. If you go to google and do

    site:columbiaclosings.com tons toys

    you should find some discussion.

    ted

    30 Aug 09 at 11:03 pm

  434. Have pictures/clippings about Applegates Landing. Let me know how I can send them to you.

    Trent

    2 Sep 09 at 11:39 am

  435. closings at columbiaclosings dot cmo

    Thanks!

    ted

    2 Sep 09 at 11:45 am

  436. I believe Quizno's in Harbison has closed. I wonder if they kept the Lake Murray Blvd location open?

    Jonathan

    3 Sep 09 at 8:17 am

  437. I just thought of an older closing on the way to work this morning - the Winn-Dixie on Devine, which closed in January 1997 (Earthfare opened in that location in June 2000).

    Dave

    3 Sep 09 at 8:23 am

  438. Johnathan- the Quizno on Lake Murray Blvd. is still open. I think the big problem with the Harbison location was traffic and parking.

    Tom

    3 Sep 09 at 9:08 am

  439. That link to the Gobbler site is awesome.

    MR BILL

    9 Sep 09 at 2:11 pm

  440. Lileks is great!

    His book Interior Desecrations is quite possibly the funniest thing I've ever read.

    ted

    9 Sep 09 at 3:43 pm

  441. There are many long gone stores on Main St. that I've not heard anyone mention and here is one that I just thought of. When I was a kid in the 50's my mother would drag me into a small gray fronted store called Lizabeth Wolf with Miss Lizabeth next door. It was the most expensive lady's store on Main and she always bought silk blouses there. Of course I hated the place and I wanted to go to the shoe store that had the big x ray machines in the childrens department. Does anyone remember those?

    melton

    9 Sep 09 at 8:26 pm

  442. melton - I do remember that store. Was it Lizabeth Wolf or Lizbeth Wolf?

    We have mentioned the x-ray shoe sizer before. They had one at Tapp's. Wonderful fun. Of course, this was the era when my mother let me play with the mercury one time when she broke a thermometer.

    Dennis

    10 Sep 09 at 9:10 am

  443. Does anyone remember Daddy Junior in Five Points near Hiller Hardware? They had a big sign painted on the side of the building and they were in business until the late 60's. Also Cayce TV and Appliance on Knox Abbott Dr. in Cayce?

    melton

    11 Sep 09 at 10:19 am

  444. Does anyone remember the store that was on the Belk's side of the street (same block) called "Tots to Teens"? Dont remember it all that well..due to it being the EARLY 60's and I was maybe about 5 at the time. Anyone? anyone? I remember JC Penny's downtown, Belk's, Louries, B Berry's and Berry's On Main.. Wilson's Mens Clothing Store.. and RL Bryan Co. next door to Woolworth's. Dont really remember all the stores, but I do remember the Theaters there.

    Del

    13 Sep 09 at 11:57 pm

  445. Does anyone remember McCrory's dime store and right next to it was Silvers Dime Store? and then you had Kress right up the walk from there... and then Snipes around the corner from McCrory's also. How about Dodds when it was on Assembly St. on the back side of the Wade Hampton Hotel?... I think it was there through the mid to late 60's. (Dodd's that is)

    Del

    14 Sep 09 at 12:00 am

  446. Oh.. the Hitching Post... THANKS for reminding me of that. I had forgotten the name of the place. The old sign that was there originall was still there up til a few years ago when the City Of Columiba decided to tear it down for some stupid reason... It used to have all the events listed on it for USC and the Coliseum also.. I remember it being there til 1967 or 68 til it was torn down to make way for other things on that spot.

    Del

    14 Sep 09 at 12:05 am

  447. Who remembers that GREAT ICECREAM PLACE called "EDISTO" ? It sat on the corner of N. Main and Beltline..back in the early to late 60's.. super great I think...I really miss it. That's when Ice cream WAS ice cream and you didnt have all this "machine made" non sence that's around now. Also Ponderosa on Knox Abbott..it's just a BIG empty lot now with a concrete slab around it.. I guess it's the foundation where it sat at one time.. I dont remember it all that well..

    Del

    14 Sep 09 at 12:11 am

  448. There's a little about the Knox Abbott Ponderosa here and some about Edisto dairies in general here.

    ted

    14 Sep 09 at 12:36 am

  449. I've not heard anyone mention a restaurant on Beltline called Ricks Mammy's Shanty. This place was running radio ads all the way back to the 1950's.

    melton

    14 Sep 09 at 8:28 pm

  450. My sources (and doesn't "my sources" sound better than "the phonebook"..) say Mammy's Shanty was at 3201 Two Notch Road, it must have been torn down because that is the site of the current Dick Dyer Scooters / Alternative Transportation (and until very recently his Toyota dealership).

    ted

    14 Sep 09 at 10:04 pm

  451. Heard tonight that Jim Moore Cadillac on Main Street is closing down, allegedly due to the behind schedule street project in front of it.

    Tom

    14 Sep 09 at 10:16 pm

  452. ted, melton -- FYI, found this a minute ago:

    Mr. Amerigo "Rick" Busa died Saturday, August 11, 2007. Born in Philadelphia, PA, he was the son of the late Joseph and Susie Formosa Busa. He was a veteran of WW II and the Korean Conflict. Mr. Busa was a Shriner and member of the Richland Masonic Lodge and Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Columbia. He was the owner of the Zephyr Restaurant in Washington, D.C., the Belvedere Restaurant and Rick's Mammy's Shanty in Columbia. After his retirement, he provided consultant services for food and beverage corporations.

    Dennis

    15 Sep 09 at 8:03 pm

  453. I thought I'd bring up the Tasty Bake Shop on Forest Dr. It was a sad day when they closed. I've lived in Washington DC for 30 years now and I still miss that bakery. I've been in bakeries in Washing, New York and across Europe and Tasty Bake could compete with any of them. At Easter they made cup cake size egg cakes that wre so popular that you had to reserve them. They made a dense white cake so beautifully and tastefully decorated that you wanted to keep them under glass.

    melton

    16 Sep 09 at 5:43 pm

  454. The Tasty Bake bakery was great! I think they closed down around 1990. They had these fantastic fudge-brownie-cake things with marshmallows melted on the top. One of the bakers there went to Tiffany's afterwards and made them there, but they weren't nearly as good.

    Dave

    16 Sep 09 at 7:35 pm

  455. I'll toss out another name and see if anyone remember it: Captain Billy Fallaw. Spelling might be off, because I never saw it in print, but it was pronounced "fuh-LAW." He was a spokelsman for the SC Highway Department, and frequently showed up in locally produced PSAs talking about highway safety.

    badger

    17 Sep 09 at 7:28 pm

  456. badger -- Captain (or was it Sgt.?) Billy and Friends was on ETV for a few years too, with his puppet friends.

    Dennis

    17 Sep 09 at 9:34 pm

  457. Dennis - I think you may be referring to Deputy Billy from the RCSD. As I remember it, he was a puppet and was on Saturday Mornings, possibly in conjunction with Mr. Knozit.

    Larry

    18 Sep 09 at 8:02 am

  458. Right. Deputy Billy was the puppet. Capt. Billy, the highway department spokesman, I mostly remember from the 1970s. Memory's a funny thing, but I recall him looking sort like Gen. Westmoreland.

    badger

    18 Sep 09 at 8:45 am

  459. Can anyone tell me the name of the men's taylor shop located in the converted lobby of the 5 points theater? My dad and I used to buy our suits and sports coats from them. Another buisness thats no longer around was a great little deli in Trenholm Plaza during the 60's and 70's.

    melton

    18 Sep 09 at 9:28 pm

  460. I remember when Deputy Billy originally ran on WNOK-TV / WLTX. It was like their version of Mr. Knozit. Where Deputy Billy ran Three Stooges and Little Rascals shorts, Mr. Knozit had Deputy Dawg cartoons.

    David H

    20 Sep 09 at 12:52 pm

  461. Any old Boy Scouts out there?

    The old Camp Barstow in Gaston?

    Significant portions of my childhood took place there in the early 70s.

    Dennis

    26 Sep 09 at 5:07 pm

  462. Only spent one week there officially "at camp" though I think the troop may have spent some weekends there. I remember the lake with the dining hall on one side and the canteen building on the other. I never had the merit badge gene, but I decided I would try for "Marksmanship" despite never having fired a gun, so I bught the targets at the store and then got lost trying to find the gun range. Good thing I didn't find it from the wrong side! I still have those targets somewhere.

    Also remember the lean-tos and campfire songs:

    You can't get to heaven in a sub-marine
    Because you might come up in the Lord's latrine..

    If anybody has pix, I'll be glad to post them.

    ted

    26 Sep 09 at 9:05 pm

  463. Does anyone remember Tiffany's Bakery being in Columbia Mall? Also, the Food Lion on Decker Blvd was originaly Food Town. Brittons was in the outdoor Richland Mall, and there was also a laundromat down near Eckerds, Winn Dixie and Merle Norman. I had a coworker swear there was a Weiner King near the corner of Bush and Broad River Roads. Does anyone recall this? I don't remember anything like that.

    Nicole

    26 Sep 09 at 10:38 pm

  464. Food Town/Food Lion are the same store, there wasn't any buyout. I forget the exact story, but they had to change the name for legal reasons and decided that keeping 'Food' and a four-letter second word would be the cheapest thing to do.

    ted

    26 Sep 09 at 11:04 pm

  465. Re: Tiffany's at Columbia Mall... My sister used to work there in high school right before they opened the Two Notch store. She used to decorate the petits-fours, of course. She also worked a 2nd job at a Cola. Mall store called Sun-Up - it was right across from The Limited (where all the cool girls worked) and they sold tons of Hello Kitty stuff.

    Speaking of Food Town - I remember as a kid shopping at the Food Town/Lion on Decker even though we lived in Spring Valley - something about the quality of the meat I think! That's pretty ironic... lol. Anyway, I remember one of the big reasons my mom stopped shopping there was because they put railings out front which prevented you from wheeling the cart out to your own car. Of course, this was back in the day when you drove across the hose that went "ding-ding" and the bagboy would put the groceries in your car at the curb. As soon as I was old enough to help put the bags in the car, she didn't feel like bothering with that. The railing they put up forced you to drive up to the curb, and she didn't want to wait for that, so we stopped shopping there!

    I also learned to pump gas when I was 6. There was that book - "Real Women Don't Pump Gas" (a companion to "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche"), so at the height of the energy crisis and self-service gas stations, I also had that duty! lol.

    Dave

    27 Sep 09 at 12:55 am

  466. The Quizno's on Lake Murray Blvd (in the same strip as Moe's) is now closed. There is a sign up for some bagel shop coming soon, and rennovations inside have already begun.

    IrmoJeff

    29 Sep 09 at 6:07 am

  467. Along the same lines as Woolco, there was a Zayre's near the corner of Colonial Drive and Harden St. I think the building is still there and seems to be a vehicle depot for the city of Columbia.

    Nicole

    30 Sep 09 at 12:58 am

  468. I remember Zayre's well. Bought a lot of records there. Also my first 10 speed bike.

    Later I went to high school at C.A. Johnson, which is just about back-to-back with the Zayre's building.

    Dennis

    30 Sep 09 at 5:18 am

  469. Edisto Dairy was located next to Graucho's in Five Points before they moved to Trenholm. In the mid 50's we lived on Enoree Ave. and often went to Edisto for ice cream cones that I always spilled in the car. In the early 70's I went to the one in Trenholm and asked for a coffee milk shake. It took the manager a few moments to figure that one out because it wasn't on the menu board but he came up with a winning formula. If he wasn't there I would instruct the counter people how to make them.

    melton

    30 Sep 09 at 10:17 am

  470. Does anyone have photos and information on the Palmetto Theater? It was the most beautiful theater on Main St. You always felt dressed up there as the place alone took you out of the ordinary even without the movie. Does anyone here remember this place and shame on whoever ordered it torn down. There probably isn't so much as a door or a piece of all that carved wood in use today. I still the adventure of that beautiful place.

    melton

    1 Oct 09 at 10:22 am

  471. Ted, found another closing, although I suspect you didn't go in this place either. Modelhouse on the corner of Main and Elmwood closed up a month or so ago. It was some sort of furniture store.

    ChiefDanGeorge

    5 Oct 09 at 5:32 am

  472. I was just reading Andie McDowells bio on wikipedia and it mentioned that she worked at a bar called the Stage Door in Columbia. I remember the name, but was way too young to remember specifics. Would this have been along Rosewood somewhere? I also remember a club near where Rockaways is, called the Copper Door.

    Nicole

    5 Oct 09 at 11:50 pm

  473. The Stage Door was in Five Points next to the old Eckerd's Drug Store. It was later Pug's, an extremely popular bar in the 1980's. Not sure what it is now.

    Rich

    6 Oct 09 at 4:39 am

  474. Remember the Elite Epicurean?

    E.J.

    6 Oct 09 at 6:59 pm

  475. The Stage Door was on Harden Street from the early to mid/late '70s in the back of what was at one time the 5-Points Theater. It was a big hang-out for actors and theatre folk, especially after a play or rehearsal, but like any college town bar with a restaurant it had a wide-open clientele. It was called The Stage Door because you had to walk all the way to the back of the old exit alley for the then defunct movie theater and would enter through what at one time had literally been the stage door exit. There was probably a bar there after The Stage Door, but the next one I remember was Pug's. Pug's continued this alley entrance, however in recent years the front theater marquee has been restored and the front entrance has been put to use for the intended purpose. I notice from the pictures on Ted's entry for the old 5-Points Theater that the alley is still there and marked as 634 Harden. I have no idea what that alley leads to today.

    By the way, the only movie I remember seeing at the original 5-Points Theater was a Saturday all-day showing of the old black & white 1940s Batman serials. We're talking maybe 1963 when I was seven. The place was jammed pack full of boys about my age for that whole day, and now in retrospect I realize it was a great inexpensive guilt-free way for the parents to have the day off.

    The Copper Door was either in the space of the present day Rockaways or was one block east on the same side of the street. I'm sure someone here will know the correct location. The doors (seem to remember 2) were indeed copper colored and were at an odd angle to Rosewood. I was too young to go to bars at the time of the heyday, but I certainly do remember WCOS-AM 1400 running ads for that place non-stop. The Copper Doors' major claim to fame was that the then unknown Allman Brothers played there one or two times in the 1960s as the Allman Joys.

    Michael

    6 Oct 09 at 11:20 pm

  476. The Copper door was at the northeast corner of Rosewood Dr. and South Woodrow St. The building is now divided into two or three retail storefronts and is called The Shoppes on Rosewood.
    The angled doorway is now the entrance to a check cashing joint.

    I have fond memories of The Copper Door mostly because they never checked my ID and would let me in to hear the bands and sell me beer when I was 16. Drinking age was 18 then, and I was tall with a deep voice and a mustache. Heard some great music there and a few blocks down Rosewood at The Left Guard. Mother's Finest was sort of their house band.

    Dennis

    7 Oct 09 at 10:12 am

  477. I still miss the Elite Epicurian. Lamb Chops Bandit Style!

    I felt old today when I heard that this is Hennessy's Restaurant's 25th year. I still think of them as "the restaurant that moved into the Ruff Hardware store."

    Dennis

    7 Oct 09 at 10:15 am

  478. Hi..I enjoy your site...I was wondering if you or anyone that frequents your site might have a picture of Charlie's Cue and Cushion. I cannot find pictures of it anywhere..any help would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks in advance

    christine smith

    7 Oct 09 at 4:12 pm

  479. Davino’s Pizzeria in Dutch Square Mall closed, probably last week or the week before, but I didn’t see it listed on your site. They don’t answer the phone anymore and their website is down. Sux for me, I loved their calzones and they DELIVERED, too!

    Evelyn

    7 Oct 09 at 4:54 pm

  480. Also, does anyone remember the German restaurant, Hofbrauhaus in Columbia Mall? or how about The Tinder Box in Columbia Mall? There was also a German Gasthaus on Decker kinda behind where KFC is today. I also was fond of Charlie's Cue and Cushion, great place!

    Evelyn

    7 Oct 09 at 4:56 pm

  481. According to The State, the Hardee's in 5 Points is going to be torn down and replaced by a Chic-Fil-A.

    Tom

    8 Oct 09 at 5:37 am

  482. Willy's "FoxFire" out on Bower Parkway has closed. I went by there last night. I thought there was an entry for Willy's, Beaulah's and the train station on Park Street that I would have attached this entry to, but I could not locate it.

    Jonathan

    8 Oct 09 at 7:57 am

  483. 5 pts Hardees closing. It was in today's State:

    http://www.thestate.com/business/story/975124.html?mi_pluck_action=comment_submitted&qwxq=8570670#Comments_Container

    Five Points is getting another development boost.

    Charlotte's Aston Properties, which owns the Marketplace on Harden (commonly known as the Food Lion shopping center) will replace the Hardee's on College Street with a Chick-fil-A in 2010.

    The firm, which bought the shopping center and the fast food store in 2006, will demolish the present building and build a new store for the popular Atlanta-based chain.

    Also, the lot will be landscaped to match the Five Points beautification project and to meet Five Points design guidelines.

    In 2007, the city completed a $36 million streetscaping and utility improvement project. The guidelines, which set height standards and other design parameters, were adopted last year.

    The new Chick-fil-A will have outdoor seating at College and Harden, a wrought-iron fence, steps leading to the intersection and an arbor to define the corner.

    "It was very important to meet the criteria of the Five Points guidelines and add to the improvements the city has made," said Aston partner Kevin Flynn. "We hope it will be another catalyst for the area."

    Merritt McHaffie, executive director of the Five Points Association of merchants, said the project would be a great improvement to the corner.

    "Chick-fil-A is a business of high quality and we anticipate this development will add great character to the already diverse and eclectic makeup of Five Points," she said

    Mike D

    8 Oct 09 at 9:06 am

  484. I can't remember the street in 5 Points where it was locatedin an old two storey brick house, now gone , but the first head shop in Columbia was called Maudie's Bussom. One Sat. afternoon in the late 60's I went into the section where they sold record albums and as a joke asked the girl behind the counter if she had God Bless America by Kate Smith, "no, but we have to hell with Viet Nam by Janis Joplin". No one has mentioned the controversial UFO Club that was next to the Elite Epicurian restaurant.

    melton

    8 Oct 09 at 9:27 am

  485. Meh. Color me unimpressed -- it's replacing one fast food with another, and from my pov, replacing one I might actually eat it with one I never will.

    (I also think 'design guidelines' are a plague).

    ted

    8 Oct 09 at 11:46 am

  486. @Ted
    Your bang on right about "design guidelines', I'm optimistic though that the streetscaping that'll come with the new ff joint willl be an improvement on the last judging from the artist's rendering on WIStv:

    http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11274537

    See how there's a new area create with tables right on the street as well as a new walkway which will make it more pedestrian friendly in that lot than it is currently

    Mike D

    8 Oct 09 at 8:00 pm

  487. Isnt Hardee's or that area where the Original Sears Automotive sat for a very long time til they finally closed it? Hardee's wont be missed though. It's out of date, and time for change there.. Chick-fil-A is better than Hardee's..just look how long the one at Dutch Square has been around..39 years and still there.

    Del

    9 Oct 09 at 9:27 am

  488. I was going to say I'm surprised you haven't done anything on Richland Fashion Mall itself, but then I remembered it hasn't actually closed yet. Though the last time I was there, maybe 20% of its storefronts were occupied. I have photos somewhere, I think, of walking the halls and seeing nothing but empty stores. It's really sad.

    I also found this article on it, for reference, in case it does ever close: http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/richland_mall_sc.html

    Although technically, since it is now "Midtown at Forest Acres" and not "Richland Fashion Mall" anymore, you could do a bit on it... And I'm wondering why the T.G.I. Fridays space is shown on their mall map, but isn't listed in their directory. It is still there, isn't it?

    Amanda

    9 Oct 09 at 10:37 pm

  489. I have some pictures I'll run if the place closes totally. So far, they are stumbling on. Some new places have even opened like Bobby's Barber Shop and the children's theater. I suspect it's all depenedant on nothing happening to Verizon.

    Yes, TGI Friday's is still there.

    ted

    9 Oct 09 at 10:50 pm

  490. Lexington Crab Shack at the Old Mill in Lexington. Another Charleston restaurant that comes to the Midlands to "show Midlands how restaurants are done" is closed. Word is Bill Dukes from Longhorns is going to give it a try. Yes, this is same place Mr Friendly's and others have failed.

    O'Reilly

    10 Oct 09 at 8:50 am

  491. Here's a few restaurants from the good old days. I don't think they have been featured on the site (if so, I guess I need to pay more attention):

    Mary's Supper Club on Two Notch
    Lion's Head restaurant - Five Points
    A. J.'s - Devine St.
    Griff's - Devine St.

    Griff's was a good restaurant and a "private club" which allowed you to drink after midnight on Saturdays.

    Lou B

    10 Oct 09 at 9:35 am

  492. Lou B -- wow, I had totally forgotten The Lion's Head. Now I miss it. Also Timothy's in Five Points.

    Dennis

    13 Oct 09 at 10:37 am

  493. I was in Mt. Pleasant this weekend and thought about Blue Hawaii. I never actually ate there -- did any of you?

    Dennis

    13 Oct 09 at 10:38 am

  494. Dennis - I had forgotten about Timothy's. Nice place. I proposed to my wife at the Lion's Den and had the rehearsal dinner there, so it certainly was a special place for me (us).

    Lou B

    13 Oct 09 at 9:25 pm

  495. How about Lion's Head, instead of Lion's Den. Sheesh, I hope my wife doesn't read this...

    Lou B

    13 Oct 09 at 9:26 pm

  496. Ted,

    I have a great idea...why don't you host the first annual "Columbia Closings" get-together at your place. You could cook out, get a keg and we could sit around and reminisce about the old days. We can get a projector, throw some images on the screen and talk about old places and what used to be located near them. Of course, we would clean up before we leave. ;-)

    Lou B

    14 Oct 09 at 9:06 pm

  497. Dennis - when I tried to help Nicole place the Copper Door in the above post, I knew it was very near the current Rockaways but forgot that it was right next door. I just looked on Google Maps, and man, either that place has gotten chopped-up or it's a case of remembering places being bigger. The parking lot is downright tiny. Has that building lost square footage or was it always that small? Same for the parking lot, did they widen Woodrow Street and make it smaller? I remember driving down Rosewood when I first got my night driving privileges and the parking lot would be absolutely packed with cars spilling out onto Woodrow.

    Also, you've mentioned the Left Guard a couple of times on this site. I definitely remember hearing about the place but don't seem to remember where it was. Can you help place it for us?

    Michael Taylor

    17 Oct 09 at 2:04 am

  498. Michael Taylor -- I think the CopperDoor building is the same size as always, but back then it was one big space not cut up into little shops.

    The empty spot between it and the new Rockaway's was part of the original building that burned down, and I believe it had a bar in it -- right next to Rockaway's -- called the Rosewood Lounge.

    The Left Guard was on Rosewood on the other side of the street, a few blocks down the hill toward the fairgrounds, just before Zeagler's Auto. I knew the owner's son. After Left Guard it was two or three other clubs whose names I can't remember. At least one had a hippie Deadhead kind of vibe, and another was a punk place. The building sat vacant for years and crumbled into junk. Now it is a vacant lot.

    Dennis

    19 Oct 09 at 12:28 pm

  499. Thanks Dennis, when you mentioned Zeagler's Auto it came back to me a bit. Not sure why I didn't go there because I was old enough when it was in operation. Guess it may have been because I did 99% of my bar carousing in the old Campus Club, which was where the Hunter/Gatherer is today. It's hard to imagine it now because of 5-Points and The Vista, but at one time the Rosewood corridor was a major club destination.

    Michael Taylor

    19 Oct 09 at 1:05 pm

  500. Carolina Inn on Assembly St. was mentioned elsewhere -- memories anyone?

    I remember the bowling alley to the left of it.

    Dennis

    20 Oct 09 at 5:15 pm

  501. I think the old Bowling Alley on Assembly was Star Lanes ...I think, but I dont remember what year it was torn down.

    Del

    20 Oct 09 at 8:50 pm

  502. Maxins opened around the mid 70's and was only there for a few years. I had dinner there one Sunday with my family but I don't recall the year. It was on the Gervais St. side and in the autumn of 72 a friend and I had lunch several times in the Wadw Hampton restaurant on the Main St. side. It was a small dinning room that was very nice and had great food but was a bit expensive for a couple of college students. When did they enlarge the hotel? As a kid I used to make the rounds of all the big hotels. What a shame they are all gone. Downtown is really all gone now.

    melton

    20 Oct 09 at 8:57 pm

  503. I could be wrong, but it looks like the Maurice's BBQ on Sunset Boulevard, right off I-26 and across from the Rush's in West Columbia might have closed. All of the flags outside have been taken down, and there is a "For Lease" sign outside by the road.

    B.C.

    23 Oct 09 at 3:52 pm

  504. Unfortunately the Maurice's BBQ on Garners Ferry has closed also. This location had 2 strikes against it when it opened:
    1) no drive-through
    2) it was located on the wrong side of the street

    Terry

    24 Oct 09 at 8:08 am

  505. Ted, I just read your post about WIS. Very nice. The morning ritual at our house was different. While I ate cereal our am radio was fixed on WCAY so my parents could listen to Friendly Ben (Ben Dekle) host of the country station during the 60s & 70s. Like you, this daily dose of country music delayed my appreciation of rock & roll a few years. Still, I have fond memories of WCAY. Specifically, some of the comics on radio later turned up on Hee Haw.
    Anyway, Ben Dekle deserves a nod because he was directly involved with the creation of the Salley Chitlin Strut. He died in a car crash in 1978.

    John R

    24 Oct 09 at 4:18 pm

  506. Man, Friendly Ben Dekle certainly brings back memories. My family was mostly a WIS listener, but I enjoyed spinning the dial and listening to what was around Columbia when the adults were through with the radio. What a great personality he was because I would stop the dial on WCAY just to hear him talk. Here's a history of the Salley Chitlin Strut that I found from just a brief search for Friendly Ben.

    Michael Taylor

    24 Oct 09 at 6:33 pm

  507. I found this site while just surfing.. OMG at the memories you have taken me to. I was born in Columbia and lived there until 1995 - I was wondering if anyone remembers the "Boozy Yaya Show? He was in competition with the "Mr Knowitz Show". I was on both of them as a kid... Boozy was a little creepy LOL A clown named Boozy has to be a little creepy.. but he played good cartoons... If anyone has pics of the show or remembers it give it a shout out..

    Tina

    25 Oct 09 at 11:14 pm

  508. Sorry, I think Mr Knozit is how it is actually spelled..?

    Tina

    25 Oct 09 at 11:32 pm

  509. Tina,

    I think it was something more like "Abusiyaya", kind of an arabic+magician kind of word. I don't have a posting for him, or Mr. Knozit (yet) or Jolly Jim, but they have all been mentioned at different places in the comments. Just do "site:columbiaclosings abusiyaya" or whatever in google.

    There is a book Hi There, Boys and Girls! that covers the kids shows in local markets nationwide, including SC.

    ted

    26 Oct 09 at 12:03 am

  510. Yes you remember! I did not know how to spell it. I just remembered how it sounded when you said it.. LOL I just read the Catus Quave and remember Macky too. You really brought back some old memories for me. I will share your site with some of my family and friends from Cola. Thanks !

    Tina

    26 Oct 09 at 12:31 am

  511. Jim O'shea I think died of liver problems due to an excessive amount of drinking..even before going on the air live.. He had a drinking problem and WIS I think fired him because of that.. THAT'S when Joe Pinner took over the Jolly Jim Show sometimes, and then got his own Mr. Knozit show.. I think it was 1965 when that started, but not sure.
    I dont remember "Cactus Quave" though..before my time, or either I was too young to watch TV. I dont remember much about Princess Pat other than seeing her show I think about the same time Jolly Jim was on. What years was Princess Pat on?

    Del

    26 Oct 09 at 9:07 am

  512. I definitely remember Jolly Jim. Looking back through the lens of my 6 year old mind the other shows seemed chaotic & silly. Jolly Jim had structure, i.e. a plot like a serial to make sure you 'tuned in next time'. Princess Pat was more like a Kukla Fran & Olie wannabe. Very benign & tranquil.
    I did have a kind of Ralphie/Santa moment with Jolly J' when he was scheduled to do a promo appearance for the new Red & White store in Lexington. I guess because we had only b&w tv it was a bit of a shock for me to see JJ in all his brightly colored glory. I kinda spazed-out once I got to the podium where he was & did a 180 back to my dad. No photo, no autograph, just take me home.

    John R

    26 Oct 09 at 10:51 am

  513. I asked this in another post, but I'll put it here, too: Anyone know who played J.P. Sidewinder? I know the late Jim Quick was Chief Sillyhorse.

    badger

    26 Oct 09 at 11:10 am

  514. The guy who was Abuysiyaya (spelling?) left broaddcasting to be a minister. I remember his show as featuring B&W Max Fleisher cartoons (except the Popeyes) Mr. Knozit showed warner Brothers cartoons while WLTX (then WNOK) showed Popeye.

    Mr. Knozit and Jolly Jim were both on the air at the same time. Both were a half hour long with Knozit coming on first. They both pitched Pepsi, Sunbeam bread and Whamo toys.

    Tom

    26 Oct 09 at 1:28 pm

  515. I think JJ wore a really BRIGHT red vest and a white shirt.. The thing that used to scare the daylights out of me was that spooky old Evil Forrest..I didnt like it then and it still gives me the creepies thinkin about it..of course being about 6 or 7 at that time, it was rather traumatic.

    Del

    26 Oct 09 at 2:17 pm

  516. Whatever happened to Stanley The Clown? Who was he and is he still here in Columbia? Inquireing minds wanna know...

    Del

    26 Oct 09 at 2:19 pm

  517. And so far as pitching "Pepsi" (and other products), I remember J.P. Sidewinder pronounced it "Peeps-eye" cola.

    badger

    26 Oct 09 at 3:40 pm

  518. Oh yeah, Sunbeam Bread!

    The key selling point was that it was "batter whipped", and Mr. Knozit would give a kid a slice to tear down the middle -- it always would, and that was good for some reason..

    ted

    26 Oct 09 at 3:41 pm

  519. When I was on the Abusiyaya Show I was about 6 or 7yrs old. He would give you a balloon and candy as you were leaving. The screen we watched the B&W Max Fleisher cartoons was like a regular TV screen. I remember him asking us questions and my mom & sister watching us from the sidelines.

    Tina

    26 Oct 09 at 10:45 pm

  520. While we're reminiscing about Columbia's old broadcasting scene, here's a nice little bio on Mackie Quave:

    http://www.cas.sc.edu/Mcks/broadcast/mackiestory.html

    Dennis

    27 Oct 09 at 3:53 am

  521. In the Mackie link, in the last picture where he's interviewing Gov. Edwards, that looks a lot like Capt. Billy Fallaw between them. Capt. Billy was some sort of spokesman for the SC Highway Dept or Highway Patrol or something. I remember he used to appear in these homey little PSAs about safety on the road back in the 1970s or so.

    badger

    27 Oct 09 at 8:41 am

  522. The name of the street where Morrison's was and the Trailways Bus Station is SUMTER..not SumPter. It's named after General Sumter..I dont know where people get the letter "P" from, but next time, check and see how it's spelled on the sign. Also about the Blue Laws... Back in the 60's everyone did their shopping downtown Monday through Saturday, you made sure you had everything you needed by Saturday, or you just didnt get it. Gas Stations were closed also on Sunday's. The only things opened were the Drug Stores like White Cross, Ekerds's, and I think Wal-green's. No one complained about things being closed on Sunday's and if they did, it didnt matter anyhow. Sunday has just become another "regular" day of the week anymore.. too bad! When I first started working at the old Sam Solomon/Service Mdse Store in the early 80's, that's when businesses started to open on Sunday's but only from 1:30-6:00, and I think it stayed like that for quite some time. Call me antiquated, but that's ok.. too bad things change and most of the time, not for the better.

    Del

    27 Oct 09 at 9:26 am

  523. Del - you know you're an old Columbian if you still nervously check your beer supply on Saturday afternoon. And you had a secret backup plan such as a private bar that would sell you a cold six pack to go on Sunday when no one was looking (mine was Keg O Nails).

    When beer sales became legal on Sundays, I locked the door and loaded the shotgun and waited for the crime-filled anarchy and total breakdown of civilization we told to expect -- but it never happened!

    Dennis

    27 Oct 09 at 3:31 pm

  524. Who remembers when Mackie Quave started hanging out in Group Therapy on a regular basis? The people who didn't know who he was avoided him because they thought that maybe he was a dirty old man (definitely the oldest guy in the bar), and the people who knew him avoided him because he was a legend and they were too intimidated to talk with him. So here's this legend in local broadcasting sitting in Group Therapy drinking pitchers of beer alone. Very surreal.

    Michael Taylor

    27 Oct 09 at 3:53 pm

  525. Does anyone know who played/was Stanley The Clown? I think he was on Channel 19 at the time. WIS had Princess Pat, Jolly Jim AND Mr. Knowzit.. Channel 25 had Abuseyaya as the only "kid" show I think..

    Del

    27 Oct 09 at 7:55 pm

  526. OH! Speaking of old TV shows.. how many remember (this shows my age) the magician Mark Wilson and Lonnie Darnell? I think the show was called "Alakazam".. this would have been the early maybe mid 60's.

    Del

    27 Oct 09 at 7:59 pm

  527. That's "Nani Darnell".

    Mike

    27 Oct 09 at 8:47 pm

  528. Speaking of the Blue Laws in Columbia you could not buy Hosiery *like pantie hose* on Sunday either. We were going to church one Sunday and they would not sell them to my Mom at the Zippy Mart (remember those stores) she was upset, but that was the law back then. I think my dad told me if you could not eat it or drink it *with the exception of alcohol* you could not get it on Sunday. When we were in our teens we would go buy beer on Fort Jackson on Sundays. But the alcohol level was reduced in the beer on base.

    Tina

    27 Oct 09 at 9:52 pm

  529. Anyway, Ben Dekle deserves a nod because he was directly involved with the creation of the Salley Chitlin Strut. He died in a car crash in 1978.
    ---------------------------------------------------------

    IIRC, he was in a VW bug being pursued by an irate husband (maybe estrabnged, don't remember) in a van. Van rear ended the bug on Charleston Highway in Cayce. That sound right?

    jamie

    28 Oct 09 at 8:43 am

  530. One other name from the early 1970s Columbia broadcasting: Lynn Nevius. Sad story, whatever the reason.

    badger

    28 Oct 09 at 8:50 am

  531. I've been by the "Nevius" house. It's still near Columbia College. The house and neighborhood has really changed from what it was I'm sure. But you couldnt pay me to spend the night in there..knowin' she blew her brains out on the mid level of the staircase. Taking your life over a person or for whatever reasons isnt worth it.. and does anyone know why she did? what person supposedly she killed herself over? I do...

    Del

    28 Oct 09 at 4:37 pm

  532. Jamie, your post agrees with what I've heard in general. I'm not sure about that auto make(s). Like rumors I heard about Nevius... sad endings are not always necessary.
    But in the mood of Halloween & houses I wouldn't venture into... does anyone remember the story about 20 yrs ago of murder near Lexington. Like a 'movie of the week' plot, a high school girl is tired of her drunken mother's abuse & lures a young male into a plan of murder. Despite the headlines & the girl apparently expertly manipulating the young man to do the deed; she get's the proverbial slap on the wrist. About tens years after, she appears on nbc's today show no worse for wear & about to graduate from an ivy league school. Perhaps with a degree in law?
    Today the house is on hwy378 between Lex. & W.Cola almost directly across the road from Hudson's BBQ.
    Still unoccupied & still for sale. Care to take a look?

    John R

    28 Oct 09 at 5:29 pm

  533. Nevius is alledged to have had an affair with a well known personality at WIS TV, though the said personality has denied it many times.

    Tom

    28 Oct 09 at 7:06 pm

  534. Yep. That's the story I heard, too. Even back then. She was married to (the late) Tally Sessions, a WIS-TV employee. I suspect the actor Tally Sessions is his son from a subsequent marriage.

    badger

    28 Oct 09 at 7:45 pm

  535. Gina Grant was the girl that killed her Mom, with a Candlestick, IIRC. She changed her name and tried to get into an Ivy League school, but someone tipped them to her past. Don't recall the outcome.

    I always wondered where the house was.

    What's the Nevius story? new o me. And where's the house? That would be spooky.

    jamie

    29 Oct 09 at 7:52 am

  536. Oh, sorry...new to me.

    Anyway, here's the Gina Grant tale:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gina_Grant

    Maybe Ted should start a Columbia murder/suicide house page. And right in time for Halloween!

    jamie

    29 Oct 09 at 8:14 am

  537. A dollar says that BOTH houses are haunted. You couldnt pay me to spend the night in either one of thos places. It was also rumored that Lynn and her husband Talley Sessions were more than friendly with WIS TV's particular person and wife better known as "Swingers".. not to be confused with the Camera of the same name. And after Lynn was told by WIS heads to end this "affair"..she couldnt deal with it and became obbessed about the "other" person..so that one night late when Talley came home I guess from WIS, she was waiting for him with a loaded pistol between the middle of the staircase, and I guess they argued or she mumbled crazy things and proceded to stick the gun in her mouth and pulled the trigger before Talley could get to her..and she blew her brains out (litterally). I heard too that it was very gruesome
    and nasty... I guess it would be huh? I think Talley sold the house soon there after and moved to wherever he is now and remarried. I heard too that Talley taught some class I think at Columbia College..but could be wrong on that.
    Isnt this a happy story huh?... I know that the Nevius house in right across the street from some elementary or middle school.. It's a spooky house knowin what happened in there..

    Del

    29 Oct 09 at 11:43 am

  538. Tally died about 5 years ago. Don't recall where he was living when he died, though.

    badger

    29 Oct 09 at 11:54 am

  539. Charming story, Del. Oddly, I don't remeber any of that. Must have happened in the early seventies.

    jamie

    29 Oct 09 at 12:00 pm

  540. The Qdoba on Two Notch in NE closed pretty recently. I just noticed it tonight but I'm up and down that part of Two Notch all the time and I could swear it still looked open this past weekend.

    Jason

    29 Oct 09 at 8:10 pm

  541. Yeah, I went to that Qdoba all the time and I was just told today it closed. I went there not more than 2 weeks ago and they were giving out buy one entree get one free coupons. Very sad about that. The Northeast is becoming a graveyard for restaurants. I'm just hoping Solstice will survive.

    Alex

    29 Oct 09 at 10:09 pm

  542. This may have been posted already, but the Quizno's in five points is now closed and looks to be in the process of being cleaned out.

    MB

    29 Oct 09 at 11:10 pm

  543. Both Qdobas that I am aware of on the Grand Strand (Coastal Grand Outparcel + Lowes@544 outparcel) closed last year. WOnder if the chain is hurting.

    ted

    29 Oct 09 at 11:14 pm

  544. Are there any Quiznos still open in Columbia? That makes three that have closed as of late.

    Tom

    30 Oct 09 at 9:28 am

  545. There is a Quiznos on Sumter Street maybe around Washington? When the Harbison location closed, I was hoping to blame it on access. I guess that is not the case.

    Jonathan

    30 Oct 09 at 9:33 am

  546. Thanks, Ted for creating, sponsoring, and researching this fabulous website! I have probably spent 8 hrs reading all of the postings. Thank you again for a wonderfully nostalgic and bittersweet look at Columbia!I look forward to coming back!

    doc

    31 Oct 09 at 1:43 am

  547. You're welcome. Thanks for all the comments!

    ted

    31 Oct 09 at 1:53 am

  548. Hi-Hat Club update: My 91 year old uncle is the last remaining person of that generation alive for me personally, and I've been hitting him up for city history a little at a time so as not to wear him out. The latest nugget should tickle all the "Hi-Hatters" out there. Dig this, before it was a honky tonk the building was a 2-room schoolhouse and my uncle went there for a bit. Unfortunately he is not a photographer and doesn't even have a photograph of his old garden center. Oy vey!

    Something a little less certain that I remember from my father talking about the Hi Hat Club back when it was still a working honky tonk in the 1960s is his insistence that a couple of scenes for the cult Robert Mitchum movie "Thunder Road" were filmed there in 1958 or so. According to this wikipedia entry for the movie, most of the principle filming was done in Asheville, NC, so this at least puts the production crew to within a few hours drive. It's not uncommon to film several locations for one final composited location. In other words, if you were filming a honky tonk scene, you may film the interior of some place on the outskirts of Asheville and the exterior of some distinctive juke joint in the suburbs of Columbia SC and then edit them to look seamless. It seems excessive, but often one place looks better on the outside and the other place looks better on the inside and because they can, film crews do this stitching all the time and you'd never know it.

    Going against my father's story is that the South Carolina film database doesn't have "Thunder Road" listed, however it mostly lists the films that have been primarily filmed here. It does list a "Thunder In Carolina" stock car movie (with Rory Calhoun and Alan Hale, Jr., the skipper from "Gilligan's Island) filmed in Darlington in 1960, which my father could have been confusing with "Thunder Road". But on the side of a film crew having filmed a few scenes at the Hi-Hat Club for "Thunder Road," here is an interview with Mitchum's son James on the 50th anniversary of the film where he mentions that some of the inspiration came from their South Carolina cousins' moonshining and fast driving. I could see Mitchum coming down the short drive from Asheville for some scenes at the Hi-Hat Club, it was such a wild looking little honky tonk. I suppose one way to solve this would be to rent both movies and watch them with hawk eyes and keep an eye out for that crazy neon sign on top of the club. And speaking of signs, wonder what ever happened to that sign, bet it's at the bottom of a trash heap somewhere.

    I can see that place in my mind's eye just as clearly as this computer screen, but sadly, 41 years or more later it's not enough, especially with websites like this. Right this very moment there is a box of photographs with photos of places like the Hi-Hat Club and YOU may know the person who has them.

    Michael Taylor

    1 Nov 09 at 1:05 am

  549. John R said:

    [quote]Today the house is on hwy378 between Lex. & W.Cola almost directly across the road from Hudson’s BBQ.
    Still unoccupied & still for sale. Care to take a look?[/quote]

    I lookee it up the other day, and they want a cool 1.4 million for it, marked down from 1.8 mil.

    I think it'll be for sale for quite some time.

    jamie

    4 Nov 09 at 11:06 am

  550. Borders announced that it was closing hundreds of it Walden Books locatons across the US by the end of January 2010. The Columbiana location is on the list.

    Tom

    6 Nov 09 at 9:39 am

  551. If you want to see something really sad and falling apart in Columiba, stop by and take a gander at the Whaley/Dunbar House on Gevais and Pickins... It's litterally falling apart and USC I think owns that house now, but they're letting it fall apart I think to have it torn down saying that it's too expensive and not worth restoring it. Until Dunbar Funeral Home moved out of the house, it was in good condtion, but since they've left, the poor old house is gettin' worse everytime I drive by and look at it. Columbia is for sure " historically challenged". Too bad. Get pics. of this place before it's all gone like the rest of the old houses and buildings that have been torn down in the name of "progress".. Too bad.

    Del

    7 Nov 09 at 1:02 pm

  552. In responce to my own comment above, I should add this comment: Shame on you Columbia and Mayor Bob and others for letting these old historical buildings and houses fall apart and having them all torn down and not leaving anything left of Columbia's past history. Learn a lesson from Charleston... at leaste 95% of all the historical buildings and houses are still left and have been restored.

    Del

    7 Nov 09 at 1:08 pm

  553. Del, there is an entry for that house here

    ted

    7 Nov 09 at 1:42 pm

  554. Hi Ted, really ejoyed going on your site and having a great reminising time. I can remember a lot of the restraunts. My question for you is.........do you have any idea if there is a site similar to yours on the stores on main street during the 1960's and the 1970's. With out a doubt your site was fantastic.

    Judi

    8 Nov 09 at 11:20 pm

  555. Thanks Judi!

    As to your question, not as far as I know, and I don't know how to make such a list. If you want to know about a particular store, checking the old phonebooks in the local history room at the RCPL on Assembly can get you the information about where it was in a given year, but there's no easy way to make a list of all the stores on a particular street..

    ted

    9 Nov 09 at 12:18 am

  556. Del- USC is planning to restore the old Dunbar Funeral Home. One of the big catch-22s in preservation is that in order to qualify for Federal $$$ is that you have to do an in-depht study of the property and fill out a ton of paperwork, all of which can take years in some cases. Plus in this case, because of the embalmbing chemicals used here, I suspect the EPA may have to be involved.

    Tom

    9 Nov 09 at 9:45 am

  557. I just hope the old house doesnt fall apart before they do anything. USC may be hopeing that it falls apart and has to be torn down so nothing has to be done to it. But that would be typical Columiba...

    Del

    9 Nov 09 at 5:45 pm

  558. I meant to say COLUMBIA..

    Del

    9 Nov 09 at 5:47 pm

  559. I'm surprized not to see anything on or about Morrison's Cafeteria that used to be on Sumter St. that sat next to the Trailways Bus Station or the one at Dutch Square or Columiba Mall.. Whatever happened to them and why did they close? Anyone know?

    Del

    10 Nov 09 at 10:22 am

  560. I can spell ColumBIA early in the morning for some reason.

    Del

    10 Nov 09 at 10:23 am

  561. Ted, I don't know if you can do it with WordPress, but it would help if links on your site opened their respective pages in new tabs or windows, rather than replacing yours!

    Barc

    13 Nov 09 at 6:24 pm

  562. In firefox on Linux, just press the middle button to open a link in a new tab. On windows, or IE I think you have to do right click "Open Link in New Tab".

    ted

    14 Nov 09 at 12:21 am

  563. I just read in the Free Times that this year the two best local blogs are TheShopTart.com and SceneSC.com.

    Both look pretty lame. Good luck next year Ted.

    Terry

    15 Nov 09 at 5:00 pm

  564. I've been reading "Free Times" since day one, and the fact is that they, like any culture rag, are going to chose the young and tragically hip references over the study of city history any day of the week, month or year. History comes way after sushi and consignment shops.

    Michael Taylor

    15 Nov 09 at 7:07 pm

  565. Well, while obviously I wouldn't mind everyone voting for Columbia Closings, there's room for everybody on the internet. I know The Shop Tart has linked to me and commented here, which is always welcome.

    ted

    15 Nov 09 at 9:54 pm

  566. choose
    chose
    chosen

    see
    saw
    seen

    freeze
    froze
    frozen

    be
    bop
    bean

    Michael Taylor

    16 Nov 09 at 2:19 am

  567. High school social clubs of long ago --

    When I was in high school, way on the wrong side of the tracks in the 1970s, I nevertheless had friends from the wealthy side of Forest Acres and Spring Valley.

    I learned from them about these social clubs, that were apparently deeply established local institutions for teens, sort of like junior sororities and fraternities. They had some nominal nable mission written down somewhere, like helping the dowtrodden or supporting youth, but their real activity seemed to be throwing these fancy parties, complete with live bands, corsages, fancy finger food, and LOTS of booze that wasn't "officially" there. One or two distracted moms would serve as chaperones while the kids behaved like wild heathans.

    It was fun, but so far above my actual social standing and family income level that I felt like a tourist. The girls were way out of my league (except a couple who hauled me around as their pet hippie to torture their parents with) and the guys were overpriveledged future doctors and lawyers. These were the kids who got brand new Camaros for their 16th birthday which they wrecked a month later, and never wondered if their family could send them to the exclusive private college their parents went to. Without exception they all went to Myrtle Beach for "first week" in big house parties with only nominal adult supervision.

    Anyone else remember this crowd? Some of the clubs were:

    Les Friponnes
    Les Coquettes
    Dark Horsemen
    Les Truands
    Order of the Rainbow
    LTA
    LGO (can't remember what these initials stand for)

    Dennis

    17 Nov 09 at 5:11 pm

  568. I definitely remember the Dark Horsemen, it was a fraternal "order" of course, and for some reason I remember the Les Friponnes and Les Coquettes as well, which were the sororities. I NEVER fit in with those folks socially or attitudinally, however I did know several K-12 school mates who were in the Dark Horsemen in high-school. The girls who were members of those clubs wouldn't even give me the time of day, I mean that literally. There was maybe one in my whole high-school career who would actually say hello. My clique was so far out there that we were listening to Frank Zappa in 8th grade in 1969 and making fun of all the people in those clubs right up to the day we graduated 12th grade. We were definitely spurred on by Mr. Zappa's biting satire on "joiners," which probably made it harder for those club folks to warm up to us. In retrospect, maybe a vicious cycle of mistrust and misunderstanding.

    And though we weren't poor, my folks were basically middle-class working people and I never fit in at all with the country club set, which on the whole pretty much populated those clubs. No bad memories per se, never had the Dark Horsemen bop me up against the side of the head because I had long hair and wild friends or anything like that, but you and I obviously had different experiences with those clubs. Fascinating.

    Michael Taylor

    17 Nov 09 at 10:12 pm

  569. So, maybe some of you guys can fill in the blanks...

    What happened to Eau Claire/North Main? From the closings, there seem to have been a bunch of cool hangouts in the 50s and 60s. The area used to be really nice, from what I've heard. Shoot, there are even a lot of really nice homes in the area that could be fixed up.

    So what happened?

    My first memory of the area was in 1980 or so when my sister went to b-ball camp at Columbia College. The place looked really bad back then (probably didn't help that Mom insisted the doors be locked-something she never did) so I guess it happened in the 70s sometime.

    Was it bussing?

    jamie

    18 Nov 09 at 8:15 am

  570. Ted,

    If you get over to Sunset (hwy 378) the Primarily Pi Pizza looks like it closed down. It's really sad to see so many businesses closing down. When you think about it, this is someone's life in many cases.

    Larry

    19 Nov 09 at 12:36 pm

  571. Primarily Pi! Oh NO!! I really enjoyed their pizza. We purchsed one of those WLTX coupons a few months ago and used it a couple of weeks ago. Boy am I glad!! I wish they'd open in the Harbison area. Maybe West Columbia was not ready. I called and it is disconnected. Larry, you ruined my day!!!

    Jonathan

    19 Nov 09 at 2:08 pm

  572. I figured something was going on because Google Analytics started reporting I was getting hits for "primarily pi closed"..

    ted

    19 Nov 09 at 2:30 pm

  573. I think that Larry put it best. Just a few comments up Larry stated "If you get over to Sunset (hwy 378) the Primarily Pi Pizza looks like it closed down. It’s really sad to see so many businesses closing down. When you think about it, this is someone’s life in many cases."

    Kudos to you, normally on this site ( which I love don't get me wrong) When a place closes everyone always writes the bad experiences they had at that certain business. Which we shouldnt do that, because a business closed and many people lost their jobs we should remember that. Many thanks to Larry for saying what he did and thinking about the peoples lives

    Steve

    20 Nov 09 at 12:59 pm

  574. Very true. Every business is somebody's dream, and I don't *wish* failure on anyone, even if their store is not to my personal tastes.

    ted

    20 Nov 09 at 1:48 pm

  575. I don't know what happened to Primarily Pi. We never made it there. But it's hard to get traffic in a little center like that when very few people are already there. Plus 378 already has several places to get Pizza within 2-3 miles (Grecian Gardens, Nicks, Uno's, Pizza Hut, etc.) I think with pizza you have to go either really cheap or have lots of other offerings to make it work. The other issue is, I don't think many of the hospital staff leave the campus for lunch. I would not doubt all medical personnel have to stay on campus for lunch. I understand that the hospital added a food court of some kind when they added on, so most everyone just stays at lunch.

    Larry

    20 Nov 09 at 5:38 pm

  576. That's a good point, Larry. My dad volunteers at the hospital and he eats at the cafeteria on those days. He says it is pretty good. I enjoyed Primarily Pi. I am not a pepporoni pizza/standard toppings guy, and they had some pretty good specialty pizzas. A lot of people aren't though, and that explains the proliferation of Pizza Huts/Little Caesar's, etc. From eating there three times (twice carry out and once dine in), my main complaint was the price. A large (14 inch I think) specialty pizza would run you around $18, and that would barely feed two adults. Very inconvenient location for us, but I was very satisfied w/ the food.

    Jonathan

    23 Nov 09 at 10:00 am

  577. I'd like to know if Taylor Garden Center on Forest Drive is still open. They used to have a Christmas room with a lot of differently decorated real trees that was awesome! The girl who worked in the greenhouse was very nice, as was Mr. and Mrs. Taylor who owned it.

    Deborah Aldridge

    23 Nov 09 at 11:59 pm

  578. Can you do a piece on the old CCI prison that was down by the waterfront??

    boi-dan

    26 Nov 09 at 7:00 pm

  579. I may some time, the trouble is I never visited, so I have no stories, and I think it's all torn down so no good pictures to take.

    ted

    27 Nov 09 at 12:13 am

  580. In eighth grade we took a class trip to CCI - can't remember the reason as it was not a scared straight sort of thing. We did not get to go into the main prison buildings but did get to tour the grounds, some of the industries and most memorable was the death house, where we had the chance to sit in the Electric Chair. I probably would not do it today, but at 13 it just seemed a cool thing to do.

    Larry

    28 Nov 09 at 12:13 pm

  581. Two Peas in a Pot on St. Andrews Road is closed. This is very sad, as our family had gone in there on numerous occasions and made our own artwork. The staff was always helpful. They contributed greatly to the community and will be missed.

    Jonathan

    2 Dec 09 at 2:34 pm

  582. Snipe's Hobby Shop left me with a Ralphie/Rifle kinda memory. His display window was nothing like old Belks downtown. That was the bomb. His window was probably 4 ft. by 5 ft. but back in 1965 I was stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a full size model of the Fireball XL-5 suspended pointed toward the sky. Fireball was one of Gerry Anderson's super-marionette shows on tv. There are probably some samples of it on youtube.
    To have something like this for sale was mind-boggling, especially for an 8 yr. old. Mind you we had our share of excess back then but nothing like today. I think the tag on it was over $100 & back then that was real cabbage. Out of reach for us no matter how much I begged. From that time on, I made sure my parents always took me by Snipe's before Xmas.

    John R

    4 Dec 09 at 3:44 pm

  583. John R - are you saying that Snipe's Hobby Shop was where Two Peas In A Pod is/was? There was a hobby shop on Taylor Street in the block between Sumter and Main but I don't remember the name. I'm pretty sure I've heard the Snipe name in context with a hobby shop, but I'm not too clear about this morning for some reason.

    I do remember the Fireball XL-5 marionette show on Saturdays though. A very trippy alternative to standard animation. There are definitely samples on YouTube.

    Michael Taylor

    5 Dec 09 at 12:32 am

  584. Snipes was at 1286 Taylor St. The building looks unchanged except the windows are boarded up. There was a Western Auto right next to it or very close.

    For a couple of years as a young teenager my friends and I were very interested in model rockets and Snipes was where we got all our stuff. They were a true specialty store and seemed to always have really wonderful stuff you never saw anywhere else. The man who ran it (Mr. Snipe?) always scowled at us and followed us around like we were thieves, which we found very funny.

    I went there when he went out of business (1982 ish?) and bought a bunch of vintage Motorific stuff, brand new in the box, for pennies on the dollar, which I did very well with on ebay 20 years later.

    Thunderbirds, a follow-up to Fireball, is the show I remember watching. The theme song is burned into my brain.

    Dennis

    5 Dec 09 at 4:39 am

  585. I just looked again and realized that 1286 Taylor was the Western Auto, and the little building to the right of it was Snipe's.

    Dennis

    5 Dec 09 at 4:43 am

  586. Dennis,
    Were those Estes model rockets you were launching?

    Terry

    5 Dec 09 at 7:19 am

  587. The funny part of this, really the embarrassing part is that I spent many dollars at Snipes Hobby Shop buying model rockets (Estes) as well and didn't remember the name of the shop. Guess that's why it seemed familiar when John R. mentioned it. This was one of my many haunts when taking the bus downtown when I was a pre-teen, though as Dennis mentioned, the old guy wasn't too fond of young kids hanging around too long, especially if they weren't going to buy anything. He never seemed available to answer the many questions I used to have for him. I can't say I "lived" here like I did in the other places I used to visit while making my downtown rounds, but I did lust over many items in Snipes and should have remembered the name, but in fairness to me it's been almost 40 years since I was last there.

    The other fun thing was buying the chemicals that were intended for chemistry sets and making various substances from scratch. Once my friend and I bought a mortar & pestle along with some charcoal, sulfur, and sodium nitrate and made up a batch of rough and ready gunpowder. To test it, I took a bit of the powder and put it well to the side of the mortar and lit it. Well, of course I had left a small trail from the mortar to the test pile and there was enough dust to cause the whole mortar to light up and before it was over the glass mortar had melted into a blob. It happened so fast that if someone had been directly over the mortar when the powder flared up, they could have been possibly blinded from the flash. Seriously good gunpowder, deadly bad technique. Absolutely NO parental supervision!

    Our next experiment was to see if we could make some laughing gas because I had found the "recipe" in some chemistry book in the school library. You take ammonium nitrate and heat it in a flask allowing the gas to displace the air in another flash under water. Of course you are supposed to run the fumes over a copper catalyst before it goes to displacement, but we left that part out. Ended up with not much of anything but we huffed it anyway looking to get goofy. We didn't even get a headache. Of course we were so incredibly lucky that the ammonium nitrate didn't explode in the closed flask because in addition to being a fertilizer, it's also the main ingredient in home-made bombs because once heated that stuff goes KABLOOEY!!! big time. Very unstable once heated. Now days you'd have the FBI at your door if you bought ammonium nitrate because it's the number 1 ingredient for folks who want to build serious explosives meant to kill. The Oklahoma bombing was an ammonium nitrate bomb. It's really only a miracle our chemistry experiments ended without harm to anyone involved. Don't try this at home kids.

    Ah the memories.

    Michael Taylor

    5 Dec 09 at 2:22 pm

  588. I always got both the Estes and Centauri model rocket catalogs, but I never could convince my father to let me get one. He remembered a lot of "amateur" rocketeers blowing themselves up in the 1950s, and I never could get him to see the difference between "amateur rockets" & "model rockets".

    I finally got to have one as part of a class project in high school, and I shot it *once* and never could find where the upper stage came down. (Another of my clasmates set the Polo Road polo field on fire with his..) I believe Centauri went out of business long ago though Estes may still be around. There was a shop on Forest Drive, I believe in the strip where Bobby's SHoe Repair is now that sold them as well.

    ted

    5 Dec 09 at 2:23 pm

  589. that should be, "... displace the air in another FLASK under water ..." not _flash_ under water. Just wanted to set you straight if you had decided to make some nitrous oxide for yourself.

    Michael Taylor

    5 Dec 09 at 2:31 pm

  590. The Columbia Mall BK Lounge was on the Sears side..Chik-fil-a was on the other side with Morrison's, Shiano's Pizza and some Ice Cream place on that side too. There used to be a place there that was called " The Carosel" or something like that.. I dont remember what side Annabell's was on though. Spencer Gifts I always thought was on the 1st level of the Mall, Leisure Time Hobby/Toy Store was on the upper end of the Mall along with a Pet Store that sold Sea Horses and miniature sharks..but I dont remember the name of it either.

    Del

    6 Dec 09 at 9:19 am

  591. The website was really fantastic! Lots of good information and enthusiasm, both of which we all need!

    Irving

    7 Dec 09 at 11:27 am

  592. anyone know if Import Specialties on Rosewood is still there?

    what about that restaurant on the other side of rosewood that burned down a few years back... it was pretty trendy place, good food, etc. the fire seemed like a insurance scam tho. did they rebuild?

    what was that pool hall/arcade that was beside the sandy's off of assembly? can that still be there?

    new site looks great!

    steve

    7 Dec 09 at 2:14 pm

  593. I would guess import specialties is no more, but not really sure.

    Rockaways was built back after the fire. It is a nice place.

    jamie

    8 Dec 09 at 8:10 am

  594. Import Specialties (formerly The Bug House) is alive and well where it's always been at 2100 Rosewood Dr.

    Dennis

    8 Dec 09 at 9:43 am

  595. A dude named Dale Prosser used to do all the work on my bug back in the eighties. He had a shop on Leesburg, then moved to the Sumter HWY near Caughman's pond. He was really good, but I don't know what happened to him.

    Glad to hear the renamed Bug House is still there.

    jamie

    8 Dec 09 at 1:06 pm

  596. Del...
    Annabelles was on the entrance spur near sear on the left hand corner. Other than the anchors I believe it was the only two story establishement in the mall. Spencer Gifts started 2-3 doors down to the right, followed by a bookstore. The pet store was called Pet-Go-Round. I want to say that Schianos was on the 2d floor on one of the spurs - I should remember, we ate there all the time, but it seems like they moved within the mall during their time there. Seems like someone could dig up an old directory or something but I'm sure the owners are not proud of how far the mall has fallen from its heyday.

    Larry

    8 Dec 09 at 6:40 pm

  597. My memory is that Schianos was on the second story spur on the Penny's end of the mall, past Lowrey Organs

    ted

    8 Dec 09 at 7:20 pm

  598. Ted, that seems to be my memory as well, but I have a nagging memory of 2 different layouts for Schianos, one that was downstairs and narrow (1989ish) and another that is wider and upstairs (1990 forward).

    Larry

    9 Dec 09 at 12:08 pm

  599. Verizon's call center is leaving Richland mall. that's gonna put a hurting on it.

    http://www.thestate.com/breaking/story/1064982.html

    jamie

    10 Dec 09 at 10:41 am

  600. Oh wow!

    I don't see how Richland Mall can keep the lights on after that. They've been able to keep the interior open and in fair shape, and have even pulled in some local tenants like Bobby's barbershop and the Children's Theater, but I don't see how they cope without Verizon. I'm sure they must have offered Verizon the Black Lion and Parisian spaces -- Elgin must have given them a really good deal..

    ted

    10 Dec 09 at 1:36 pm

  601. Ted, we need an intel page on MLJ Pizza

    Paul

    10 Dec 09 at 3:39 pm

  602. There's a very little on it here in the comments.

    ted

    10 Dec 09 at 5:50 pm

  603. Ted-
    A couple of watering holes from the 1970s come to mind

    The Opus
    The Copper Door
    The Purple Onion
    Dons Lounge
    The Campus Club
    Tabird, slightly off campus towrard the stadium

    tinman

    10 Dec 09 at 10:05 pm

  604. Ted -

    The GameCrazy store on Garners Ferry closed over the weekend last week - it was the only one in SC.

    Jason

    Jason

    11 Dec 09 at 8:53 am

  605. I remember Schianos being downstairs across from Chick fil a. I remember they had a spiral staircase that went up to what I assume was storage/office space.

    I went in Belk at Richland Mall about a week ago. They have very little inventory but the staff there was so nice. I have a feeling it won't be around much longer. I hope they move the staff to other Belk locations.

    Mr Bill

    11 Dec 09 at 10:01 am

  606. If Belk's leaves they might as well shut the place down. I think the bookstore would remain.

    jamie

    11 Dec 09 at 11:09 am

  607. Verizon announced today that it would be moving out of Richland Mall and to a new location in the Northeast area. This could be the final nail in the coffin for Richland Mall, et all.

    Tom

    11 Dec 09 at 5:48 pm

  608. Mr. Bill,

    Thanks for that...Schianos WAS downstairs in the beginning. I can remember it clearly now. It was later that they moved to the 2d floor.

    Larry

    11 Dec 09 at 6:19 pm

  609. This site is a portal to my misspent youth. It would be great to see a posting about El Menchacha. It was the first Mexican restaurant in Columbia owned and operated by a Mexican national. The owner and his German wife first opened in a location near the top of the road that Richland Memorial is now on. They later relocated in the strip mall that also housed the Atlantic Twin Theaters on Two Notch Road. And Granby's, the non-assuming little restaurant on South Main. I think a Sandy's is there now. They served square hamburgers on buttered white bread. Basic but good. And how about that bar near the fairgrounds where the road from Olympia peters out onto Bluff Road? Best. Dive. Ever. Other folks have mentioned unique Columbia personalities. Who remembers Moss Man, who hung around USC in the '60s, '70s and '80s with moss hanging from his clothes and hair? Interesting, if eccentric, guy. Turned out, according to a 1980s article in The State, to be one of the foremost experts in Native Americans living in South Carolina. This is a great place to live.

    Beth

    11 Dec 09 at 10:25 pm

  610. Enjoyed your comment Beth, glad you mentioned that Marla was German and not Mexican. I've met very few people who knew this as most just assumed she was Mexican because of her accent. In all fairness, who would suspect that a German gal would be married to a Mexican guy and running a Mexican restaurant? Ted has an entry for El Menchaca, though sadly it seems that very few people here had much experience with it.

    When I lived on Lee Street during my brief USC experience in the mid-'70s, one of my roommates knew the Moss Man and he visited us a couple of times, ain't that weird? The thing is, he was SO eccentric that he would answer very few questions. I never actually got his real name. The main thing I remember about him was that he smoked tobacco in a Catawba clay pipe and walked around town barefoot, even in the middle of Winter.

    Ted also has an entry for Jaco's, which is probably the bar you are talking about near the fairgrounds, but as with El Menchaca there doesn't seem to be many people here who have much to say about it.

    Michael Taylor

    12 Dec 09 at 1:34 pm

  611. Granby's was in the building behind Sandy's on College. It's now the home of a beer distributor association.

    Mike

    12 Dec 09 at 10:45 pm

  612. Speaking of Columbia Mall.. Upstairs past Penny's, you had Lowry Organs, then around the corner you had Orange Julius, then it left and was someking of Chinese restraunt I think, but across from there was I think Duck In, and some other place to eat..but dont remember the name. Then past that upstairs was Tiffany's bakery. Other than those I dont remember..anyone?

    Del

    13 Dec 09 at 2:26 am

  613. Ooops! Meant to say "somekind" of restaraunt..not "someking"..whatever that means.

    Del

    13 Dec 09 at 2:27 am

  614. There was Mr. Dunderbanks / Haufbrau House on the second floor near Penny's..

    ted

    13 Dec 09 at 2:02 pm

  615. Ted I've driven by Granville's on Devine for three days in a row and noticed that it was closed every time (at various times of the day). There's no notice on the door, I wonder if they're closed for good, maybe you oughtta check it out next time you're in that neck of the woods

    Mike D

    14 Dec 09 at 2:59 pm

  616. Hi Ted,
    I love your site. I tried E Mail some pics, and info.
    I could not get it to go thru!
    How can I send them to you. Do you have another
    E address?
    Thanks "Bo"

    "Bo

    15 Dec 09 at 12:12 am

  617. yah Re: Granvilles on Devine

    make that 4 days in a row. Odd nothing in newspaper about it closing though if that's the case considering how many stories they ran on it pre-opening.

    Mike D

    15 Dec 09 at 10:35 pm

  618. Hmm. Wonder if the issues mentioned in this story in The State caught up with it. I'll admit that I wasn't even aware that it was open yet.

    ted

    16 Dec 09 at 12:36 am

  619. This is more of a NEVER OPENED than a closing, but does anyone know what the deal is with the Dunkin Donuts on Main Street. The sign went up months ago. Maybe the construction across the street kept them from opening.

    Larry

    16 Dec 09 at 1:59 pm

  620. re Dunkin Donuts
    I remember reading something in the paper about the franchisee who owned that one and a bunch in Greenville going belly-up.

    You'd think another DD franchisee would step in, that location next to the new office building is an obvious goldmine.

    Mike D

    16 Dec 09 at 4:20 pm

  621. I don't think anything has been done to the interior in over a year. All the junk that had been torn had has just been left in place. The renovations started in early 2008.

    badger

    16 Dec 09 at 5:18 pm

  622. Heard today that the CVS on Taylor Street the old Taylor Street Pharmacy site, is going to close.

    Tom

    16 Dec 09 at 6:37 pm

  623. I believe the "new" Mangia Mangia on Spears Creek Church Rd in the Northeast has closed. There's a large banner near the road in front of the restaurant that says "Shag Bistro now open."

    If tue that they've closed, this is a true loss for Columbia as Mangia Mangia was a really extraordinary place.

    Stewart

    16 Dec 09 at 7:39 pm

  624. Golds Gym has completed their new location on Forest Drive and moved out of the old Columbia Athletic Club location.

    Matt

    18 Dec 09 at 10:08 am

  625. The DD may never be. It is true that the developer filed Chapter 11 some time ago.

    Larry

    18 Dec 09 at 6:49 pm

  626. Oh No!
    Porky D's has closed.
    Best B B Q around area, Lexington .
    931 Two Notch Road
    Lexington 29073

    "Bo

    19 Dec 09 at 1:54 pm

  627. Maurice's Barbeque at Edmunds is closed, property
    for sale.
    On left toward Pelion. 6029 Edmund Hy.
    Lexington 29073

    "Bo

    19 Dec 09 at 3:40 pm

  628. Went by the site of the old Gold's Gym on Harbison yesterday (aka Halloween and Christmas Express) and it is now being redeveloped as a "Gold's Gym Express."

    Tom

    19 Dec 09 at 8:29 pm

  629. "Daddy's Money," a retailer located 919 D Sumter Street (2nd floor) is no longer in business, there's a sign on the door.

    Mike D

    20 Dec 09 at 2:08 pm

  630. Folks, see my post from December 10. Does anyone have any memories to share about any of those places? In particular, Don's Lounge at 5-Points was such a popular hangout in the 70's and I recall it being a private club for a while ($1 membership) around 1975. Doc Wu and I stopped in there for a cool one several years ago and it brought back memories, but it was a little uncomfortable being surrounded by people half our age. We did notice the Pabst on tap had dissapeared. I can still hear the strains of Heat Wave, Love Machine, Tush, Love is the Drig, and Dreamweaver blaring from the jukebox that was on the back wall of the dance floor. But does anybody remember the metal building sort of near Bates House (perhaps on Whaley Street) that was called the Tabird? It was really hopping around 1975 when it opened. The is where I heard "Come Monday" and watched people dance "the shag" for the first time. I can't find a building that looks like it on bing.com, so it might have been demod as the campus expanded.

    tinman

    21 Dec 09 at 1:11 pm

  631. http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11711027

    Club Essence closed by Columbia Police

    Matt

    21 Dec 09 at 1:57 pm

  632. Ted, if you go take pics of Club Essence, wear a flak vest and watch out for green Caprice's with 22" rims.

    jamie

    21 Dec 09 at 2:15 pm

  633. Merry Christmas everyone. Ted, you can be proud of yourself. You've built quite a nice neighborhood here. Although I have not met any of you personally, I really enjoy logging on every few days and reading everyone's posts. Unfortunately due to the ailing economy I'm afraid Ted will be kept pretty busy shooting and posting in 2010. Take care everyone.

    Terry

    21 Dec 09 at 5:23 pm

  634. Bo: The entire office is devastated about Porky D's. It always had lots of business. Do you know what's up with that?

    Beth

    21 Dec 09 at 7:55 pm

  635. Thanks Terry!

    And thanks everybody for participating!

    ted

    22 Dec 09 at 2:47 am

  636. What did the building at Monticello and Dixie that now houses Grace Church used to be? I'm guessing hargware store or grocery, but that's just a guess. Anyone know?

    jamie

    22 Dec 09 at 7:55 am

  637. tinman - I'm pretty sure Don's was the first bar I ever went to, back when I was about 15 but looked 20 and the drinking age was 18. Nothing fancy but college students traditionally are not looking for anything fancy, just cheap beer. I believe it dated back to the 50s.

    Dennis

    22 Dec 09 at 9:13 am

  638. It was a grocery store. It might have originally been a Pig, but I remember it mainly as a "Red & White," and I think it might have been called "Super Saver" at one point. I think it ceased to be a grocery store by the late '80s.

    badger

    22 Dec 09 at 9:18 am

  639. I just attempted to contact Frawley's on Devine, because I need a turntable belt. I received the disconnected message. Their ad on Yellowpages.com states they've been open since 1955!! Quite the run. I wonder what happened?

    Jonathan

    22 Dec 09 at 9:21 am

  640. Thanks, badger. What was it in the first half of this decade (or was it closed)?

    jamie

    22 Dec 09 at 11:00 am

  641. When in closed this past summer, Frawley's still had a sign on the door that said "35 Years in Business" that looked like it had been printed in Print Shop on a dot-matrix printer, and a flyer for the USC Symphony's "upcoming" performance in December 1997.

    Dave

    22 Dec 09 at 11:13 am

  642. I think "Grace" has been in that location since the mid 1990s. I know it was mostly vacant between the grocery stores and "Grace," but that doesn't mean that there weren't some short-lived operation there.

    badger

    22 Dec 09 at 1:38 pm

  643. Don't know if this was already posted but I went to Dutch Square this afternoon and there were signs all around the Chick Fil A stating "Due to the store closing soon we can't accept whatever coupon"
    Wonder what fried chicken and gizzards place will take over that spot after its empty.

    Cant they just close Dutch Square and get it over with.

    michael

    22 Dec 09 at 11:42 pm

  644. Oh man. They opened with the mall! That's at least 39 years!

    ted

    22 Dec 09 at 11:54 pm

  645. Chick-fil-a is/was the only original place left in DS Mall wasnt it? I think all the other original stores are long gone. I think maybe Belk's and the Theater are the only things keeping the old Mall open.. I think they need to tear it down since that entire area is an "am-was" place. There's nothin' but trouble makers out in that area anymore anyhow.. Too bad it isnt what it used to be.

    Del

    23 Dec 09 at 12:16 am

  646. A contributing factor would be the standalone Chick-fil-a practically next door on Bush River Road.

    Mike

    23 Dec 09 at 6:20 am

  647. That will leave The Rogue and the Hallmark store as the last remaining original occupants. Almost hard to believe even two have survived this long.

    59 Ford Wheelman

    23 Dec 09 at 7:53 am

  648. tinman, I have many memories from Don's. I played my first video game there - Pong. Then there were those huge Klipshorn speakers on the dance floor. Of course there was the $1/pitcher specials. Seems like a really bad idea now but in 1975 we were all glad to save a bit of money on our beer.

    bud

    23 Dec 09 at 9:06 am

  649. Speaking of Don's....don't forget the 10cent Pabst drafts !

    Paul

    23 Dec 09 at 9:40 am

  650. The Dutch Square CFA was the first one in Columbia and the only one until Columbia Mall opened in 1977.

    Tom

    23 Dec 09 at 11:29 am

  651. Bud - Great recollection of Don's. I had forgotten about the huge speakers in the corner of the dance floor that could nearly burst your eardrums if you were positioned in front of them. And I had also forgotten the pong game that was around the corner (on a slightly elevated level?). As I recall there was only one of them in the place. Do you recall Don's ever being a private club? I seem to remember it being one either when I arrived in 1972 or when I departed Carolina in 1976. The membership fee was only about a dollar. Either way, on some busy nights I can remember lining up outside the door in hopes that somebody would leave and I could get in. And the Pabst draught pitchers for $1, you're right, it didn't get any better than that for most students. But I do remember their draft glasses coming in two sizes - the economy size couldn't have been more than 10 ounces.

    tinman

    23 Dec 09 at 3:27 pm

  652. The neighboring Chick-Fil-A is pretty irrelevant. It's been there over 10 years. Rarely to people go to a mall just to eat at the food court, certainly not enough to sustain a restaurant. Pretty simply, with nothing in the mall, there's no traffic in the mall, and this no people passing places to eat there. Same reason all the other eateries in there are gone.

    Nobody

    24 Dec 09 at 2:26 pm

  653. i am originally from Columbia. My cousin, Doug Broome had several restaraunts around town. He had the Dixie Double Dip on Divine Street in the early 1940s, then he had the "Beat My Shake" upstairs on 1200 block of Main Street. He then opened the Drive Inn on Harden Street at Five Points and then opened the restaraunt 3035 N. Main Street. Later be owned what was called "Two Macs" on Millwood and Taylor Street. later he owned one on Taylor Street 2 blocks up from "Two Macs".

    Behind the 3035 Main Street location, Doug had "The Port Hole" where all the curb girls around town would come to after getting off work.

    He had one in Spartanburg and one in Aiken, S. C. Steve Wadiak was killed on the way back from Aiken.

    Andy Scott broadcast from Doug's on main originally. You could send request up to play a song over the speakers, for your girl friend, that you placed on the driver's window such as a Drive Inn movie. Andy now lives in Greenville, S. C. Woody Windham was there after Andy Scott left.

    i jerked soda on Main Street while going to Carolina.

    Doug's brother, Jimmy, had a restaraunt at Divine Street and Ft. Jackson Blvd. I worked their where I would close at night for Jimmie.

    i do not remember a house on Beltline and Forest Drive with neon in the shape of a Top Hat. I lived in the stone house on the left side of Beltline going toward Trenholm from Forest Drive. I moved in 1959 to Greenville.

    I noticed some one mentioned "Thunder Road" with Robert Mitchum. My mother's nephew, Pete Hornsby was in "Thunder Road. He was the one that Mitchum ran off the road in the movie and "killed".

    My aunt had a restaraunt in Five Points called the Green Derby and had a night club next door called The Rainbow Room. The Green Derby had a neon sign above it in the shape of a derby hat.

    There are tunnels under the State House. i was a Page in the Senate for 3 years along with Richard Duffy and Dusty Rhodes.
    Dusty's father was Comptroller General of South Carolin at that time.

    How many of you remember the prison break at the S C Pententiary in the 1941, I think? The prisoners killed Capt. Sanders. They electrocuted 5 men in one day and most of them are buried in Potters Field between Elmwood Cem. and the Columbia Canal.

    I know I have touched a lot of subjects in this message, but I just found this site about 20 minutes ago.

    I love the comments about "old times" in Columbia.

    Penny

    Penny Aiken

    26 Dec 09 at 9:43 am

  654. Great memories Penny!

    ted

    26 Dec 09 at 11:46 am

  655. Quizno's on Harden next to Mucho Margaritas has gone under they've already removed everything inside.

    Mike D

    26 Dec 09 at 8:07 pm

  656. Penny - drove by the stone house on Trenholm today and thought about your wonderful post at Columbia Closings. You may be able to help with this, but a few weeks (months) ago I heard some local morning radio drive-time talk guys - WISW 1320 - talk about the passing of Gene Broome, and evidently he had been the one who owned the Gene's Pig n' Chick chain of restaurants around Columbia as well as being the person who brought the Popeye's chain into Columbia, plus a few other franchises that I didn't catch. I think I remember Frank-n-Stein as being one. As I understood it from what little of the conversation I could follow, Gene was Doug Broome's brother. Do you know anything about Gene's restaurant franchises in Columbia?

    Michael Taylor

    27 Dec 09 at 6:31 pm

  657. Columbia Mall opened in 1978. It was still being built in 1977.

    Del

    27 Dec 09 at 11:39 pm

  658. Thanks for sharing Penny. That was a great read.

    Jeff

    28 Dec 09 at 3:09 pm

  659. Sad News,

    Mary Dixon of Celebrity Supper Club and "Ole Place",
    passed away Christmas Eve.
    "The State" Obituary 12/28/09

    "Bo"

    29 Dec 09 at 12:20 am

  660. Bo, that's too bad, but thanks for the info. I've added a note to the Mary's Celebrity Supper Club entry.

    Sounds like she was a grand lady!

    ted

    29 Dec 09 at 1:28 am

  661. Does anyone remember Shealy's behind the Carolina Coliseum? We ate there when I attended USC in the late 70'sand they served the best hamburgers. Another landmark was the TallyHo and the HoDog.

    Dan

    29 Dec 09 at 8:27 pm

  662. To all those wondering about Downunder Columbia; I was a bartender, and for a short while manager, at the Soho Place in Downunder Columbia (it was never called Underground Columbia). There were 5 Restaurant/Bars and we, by far, attacted the largest crowd. The Soho Place started the summer of 1972 and went from "brown-bagging" to mini-bottles and entertainment was limited to a Pong machine during the day and a DJ at night. We still attracted anyone who was anyone in Columbia at the time.
    I heard that Downunder went under not too long after I left at the end of 1973. If it should ever get re-opened I'll be the first to volunteer my bartending services.

    Tim

    30 Dec 09 at 2:31 pm

  663. I've been down to the Underground Columbia and unfortunately time and nearby construction don't make it look promising for it reopening. Maybe one day if Main Street hits a critical mass for nighttime activity it will be worth reopening. As for the current condition imagine what playing DOOM looked like and your pretty close.

    Larry

    30 Dec 09 at 3:23 pm

  664. They moved fast. The Dutch Square Chick-fil-a is fully closed with all signage already been removed and most fixtures gone. On another note, the space across from the old Chick-fil-a now has a new Pizza restraunt. Good luck to them.

    Thomas

    31 Dec 09 at 1:48 pm

  665. Well, darn!

    I actually took my camera over there the other day, but there were enough people (and the security guy) that I felt too self-conscious to get the shot with the signage still there.

    I'll go some slow Sunday and get the empty slot..

    ted

    31 Dec 09 at 2:01 pm

  666. Granville's on Devine now has for sale sign in their window.

    Mike D

    31 Dec 09 at 5:00 pm

  667. Thomas - as a railroad aficionado, I really dig your archive. I notice in the photo of the Lincoln Street trestle, you state that this trestle line runs the right-of-way of Lincoln Street from Pendleton Street to Olympia Avenue. In Ted's entry for The Trestles, I brought up how odd it would be for a line to switch from Lincoln Street to Gadsden Street and end up at an elevation of probably at least 30 feet in such a short distance. I have since been on Lincoln Street in person and have solved the problem of the height, because when you look south toward Blossom Street from the old Seaboard Station, it's obvious that you're going downhill both toward the river and toward Blossom such that 30 feet could easily be achieved. I even vaguely seem to remember a very old wrought-iron-curving-trestle-ramp approximately at the end of Senate Street, but that certainly would have been a tight curve. The thing is, when you look at the topography from above, everything indicates that the Lincoln line ran straight through and crossed Blossom Street without switching over to Gadsden. Do you have any thoughts on this?

    Michael Taylor

    31 Dec 09 at 6:33 pm

  668. Lincoln Street is correct--here's a link to a page with an old picture of the trestle:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/23117774@N04/2731561769/

    Mike

    31 Dec 09 at 11:10 pm

  669. I have a 40s city road map somewhere. Let me see if I can find it and scan it. I think it shows all the old lines thru downtown. I remember there was a embankment that sloped up towards the the trestle that was there until all the work in the Vista around the new Conference Center.

    Thomas

    1 Jan 10 at 12:34 am

  670. Doors shut and construction going on in the space for Miyo's on South Main. Renovations or new business?

    Steve

    1 Jan 10 at 12:10 pm

  671. Does anyone know where the Jerome Hotel was located?

    Edna Ruth Harrell

    3 Jan 10 at 12:10 pm

  672. The new USC dorm across from Wilshire House on South Main is on the site of the Jerome Hotel. Prior to being the site of the dorm, it was a parking lot for students and the USC Police station.

    Steve

    3 Jan 10 at 3:53 pm

  673. I thought that the Jerome Hotel was originally where Woolworth's was and where the Marriot or whatever it's called now is. Also, would anyone know where the original Columbia Hotel was on Main Street? I've seen old Postcards of Columbia that show it, but just dont know where it would have been. Anyone??

    Del

    3 Jan 10 at 9:31 pm

  674. Here's a link to a photo of the Hotel Jerome from the Richland County Public Library archive on Flickr. According to the caption for this photo, the address would be on the northwest corner of Lady Street and Main.

    And here's a link to a photo of the Columbia Hotel from the same Richland County Library archive. The address listed in the caption would put this hotel on the southeast corner of Main and Taylor Street. Isn't that about where Woolworth's was? Maybe the Columbia Hotel was the one you were thinking about being in the location of Woolworth's.

    If you click on the "Local History Photographs (Set)" link to the right of either of the above photographs, you'll be taken to the full set of 446 images of the Richland County Library archive on Flickr.

    Michael Taylor

    4 Jan 10 at 12:03 am

  675. can anyone give me a link(s) or info about Columbia Underground/ Underground Cola....??? would really love to learn more about it. thanks!

    fred

    4 Jan 10 at 3:41 pm

  676. Does anyone have a recollection of a slightly off campus watering hole (metal building, bar on the left, dance floor, and juke box music) call something like the "Tabird" that was located around Catawalda or Whaley Streets, southwest of Bates House? It was open around 1974 through at least 1976. I have received no positive hits after a number of posts - am I imagining the place?

    tinman

    4 Jan 10 at 6:10 pm

  677. tinman - nope, you're not imaging Tabard's. I've wanted to at least confirm it for you, but I never actually went there, and I try not to comment on places I'm not really familiar with. But I do remember it, or at least the name. I kept thinking that someone would confirm it, but they never did so here I am. There is a brief mention of it in the Twilight Lounge/Chippendolls entry by the commenter Bobby about mid-way down the page. He calls it the Tabard Inn. Sorry I can't fill in the details any more than that for you, but you are not imagining it.

    Michael Taylor

    4 Jan 10 at 7:47 pm

  678. Tabbard Inn was there until around 1980. There was also a bar next door called the Library.

    Greg

    5 Jan 10 at 10:15 am

  679. Does anyone remember a club named Easy's? It was down Bluff rd I believe. Went there in the '80s but I can't remember the exact location. Didn't McGillicutty's take the place of Tabbard Inn in the '80s.

    jjt

    5 Jan 10 at 11:36 am

  680. Good input regarding The Tabbard Inn, guys. At least I am still not in an alcohol induced haze imagining the place since the mid-70's. It was off by itself, but provided an alternative from Don's at 5-points, having essentially the same format. I have looked at some aerial images of the area on Bing and Google, but can't find the old Tabbard building. So I assume it was demolished to make room for campus sprawl. Greg, I don't recall the Library next door. Iit must have surfaced after I left Columbia in 1976.

    Does anybody remember Don's Lounge when it was a private club? Or the Campus Club, which in the early 70's was mobbed almost every night, but began to fall out of favor by 1975. I recall it had a mezzanine level around the perimeter.

    tinman

    5 Jan 10 at 5:25 pm

  681. Chick-fil-A inside Dutch Square has closed. Had been there since the 70s.

    Midnight Rambler

    6 Jan 10 at 1:34 pm

  682. Farewell little stone house on North Main near Miller! I'll miss seeing you daily and vow never to patronize the taco Bell supposedly replacing you!

    jamie

    7 Jan 10 at 9:09 am

  683. I was riding down Broad River Rd. a couple of nights ago, and noticed that the Antique Mall has closed. I remember it being a "brown sign with a sewing machine in the corner" store, although the name escapes me. I know the Antiques Mall that was on the corner of Hwy 1 and Watling closed a couple of years ago. That was a Lowe's at one time. What do they do w/ all the merchandise? I tried to place a piece of furniture at the Broad River location one time as consignment. Do they just call you and say "pick up your stuff!?

    Jonathan

    7 Jan 10 at 9:40 am

  684. I know the Antiques Mall that was on the corner of Hwy 1 and Watling closed a couple of years ago.
    ------------------------------------------------------
    I think that's a Builder's Supply now.

    jamie

    7 Jan 10 at 10:31 am

  685. Re: Easy's & Don's. Both were private clubs, so they could stay open past midnight Sat. though Don's later went public. Dons was on Harden across the streat from where the Elbow Room was. Easy's was on

    Tom

    7 Jan 10 at 10:55 am

  686. Sorry, my finger slip. Easys was across the street from the fairgroiunds in an old warehouse.

    Tom

    7 Jan 10 at 10:56 am

  687. Oh man, I got a lot of old Sandlapper magazines and other stuff at that antique mall. Too bad!

    ted

    7 Jan 10 at 12:05 pm

  688. Absolutely right, Tom. The private club status at Don's was indeed a way to get around the midnight Saturday closing time. For college students it was the kiss of death to hear that reminder of "last call" just when you were starting to get into the groove. Who wanted to go back to campus at such an early hour? Nobody! So you remember the private club coming first. I recall memberships cost about a dollar, and us requently having to stand in a line outside the place waiting for the doorman to let a few people out so we could get in.

    tinman

    7 Jan 10 at 3:31 pm

  689. I think "Easy's" was at 1219 Bluff Rd.
    Now Carolina's Riggin ?

    "Bo"

    7 Jan 10 at 9:31 pm

  690. The Antiques Mall at US 1 @ 205 Wattling Road; Old Lowes, is now "The Building Center".

    "Bo"

    7 Jan 10 at 9:40 pm

  691. Tinman, as I recall the doormans name at Don's was Nick.

    Don's also served food trying to establish itself as a restaraunt. They were trying to get around something with that but I'm not sure what.

    bud

    8 Jan 10 at 9:56 am

  692. I think Easy's might have been the Tallyho at one time in the 70s.

    bud

    8 Jan 10 at 9:57 am

  693. The Campus Club, actually the Campus Club South, was located in the building where the Hunter/Gatherer is now.

    bud

    8 Jan 10 at 10:00 am

  694. Bud is correct, that was the Campus Club South back in the day. I always wondered where the north, east, and west clubs were. I would ask this question while drinking way too many pitchers of beer and mostly doing so from the mezzanine. Also would buy baskets of popcorn to moderate the beer to keep from getting the dreaded spins. Many people reading this may not realize it, but in those days you could drink beer at 18. I was in the Campus Club when I was 17 because I had a full goatee and dark beard stubble around the rest of my face, and walked right in several times. But the fun didn't really begin until I turned 18 and was fully legal. This was my watering hole of choice until The Coal Company and then Greenstreets took over Joyful Alternative in the old coal company building on Greene Street.

    Today, the Campus Club South building is inhabited by the Hunter/Gatherer, which is a brew pub famous for being an eclectic place to hang-out and drink hand crafted beer while listening to live jazz music.

    Way before it was a club of any kind, that building was a fire station, and I'm talking about a fire station when they used draught horses to pull the wagons. I saw a photograph of this, and I want to say it was on the upstairs wall next to the office; could have been in some archive totally unrelated to a bar, but whatever the case, when it was a bar it never smelled of horse manure ... just the top note of stale beer & cigarette smoke with the lovely second note of vomit. Boy I miss those days!

    Michael Taylor

    8 Jan 10 at 7:46 pm

  695. Bo has the correct address for Easy's. The Tally Ho was where Seawell's is now.

    Tom

    9 Jan 10 at 6:46 am

  696. There was a place on Main street in the late 80's early 90's that I can't find any info on. I think it was where Hunter Gatherer's is and it might have been called Muldoons ... you could buy a pitcher of long island ice tea for under 10 bucks and they were always getting raided by ABC.

    Any idea what I'm talking about, and might it still be around (I've been out of the area since 1990).

    Thanks in advance!

    Tony

    9 Jan 10 at 2:17 pm

  697. There was an Irish themed bar in the H/G building throughout the ealry 90's although Muldoons doesn't ring a bell. Definitely an Irish name though. My recollections have that building being a Swenson's Ice Cream in the early 80s but no verification on that. I'm relatively sure it turned into H/G sometime between 93 and 96.

    Larry

    9 Jan 10 at 2:21 pm

  698. Thanks Larry, I'm also not sure Muldoon's is right ... but it was something like that.

    Sad to see the Big Bird closed. I spent a ton of money there on chicken fingers with honey mustard sauce ... oh and beer and pool. There was a pool table in the basement if I remember correctly.

    Tony

    9 Jan 10 at 2:28 pm

  699. I remember it being Muldoon's as well. I remembered the Swenson's as being on the 900 block of Sumter Street, but you might be right. I know it was near the Horseshoe.

    59 Ford Wheelman

    9 Jan 10 at 4:47 pm

  700. I think after Swensen's moved out it might have had a short tenure as a "Firehouse," but I have no idea what their menu was like.

    badger

    9 Jan 10 at 7:10 pm

  701. Here is one that has been missed. Shakey’s Pizza was on Airport Blvd near Kmart across from the Toyota Center, I think an Advance Auto parts store is on the site now. Shakey’s showed old black and white films of the Little Rascals, Laurel & Hardy, Three Stooges and many others in the dinning room. You could stand at windows in the kitchen and watch the staff make Pizzas. On Friday & Saturday nights two guys would play songs / have a sing-a-long on a piano & banjo. Shakey’s was also known for all the YE OLD NOTICE signs around the restaurant. Shakey’s operated here in Columbia in the mid to late 1970s closed in the early 1980s. Shakey’s Pizza still operates today but mostly on the west coast.

    Barry Taylor

    9 Jan 10 at 11:12 pm

  702. The immediate progression of clubs in the old Campus Club South building as I remember it: first after the Campus Club South was The Quarter Moon Cafe, or maybe just Quarter Moon, I forget. I know "Quarter Moon" was in there somewhere. This was the first true music listening club in town, excellent sound system, but as usual for this town, it didn't last long. Next would be Muldoons, however I never went there so nothing to add for that one. I lost track of it after that until it became the Hunter/Gatherer.

    Michael Taylor

    9 Jan 10 at 11:58 pm

  703. The first Skakey's Pizza I ate at was on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood California in 1975. A year later when I was back in Columbia working near the airport, we would occasionally go to the Airport Blvd. Skakey's for a cheap all-you-can-eat pizza lunch. Can't speak about the entertainment at the Airport Blvd. store, but the store in Los Angeles had a Dixieland Jazz band that was good enough to tour. Still the same laid-back old-timey family atmosphere with all the same signs and movies playing, just in the middle of La La Land. One of those weird disconnects.

    Michael Taylor

    10 Jan 10 at 12:35 am

  704. After Shakey's bailed out of the Aiport Blvd location, it was called "It's Showtime Pizza," and it continued to run old Little Rascals and Laurel & Hardy shorts.

    badger

    10 Jan 10 at 12:00 pm

  705. T.W. Muldoon's was where Hunter/G. is now. Good lunch spot when I was at USC ('89 - '93.)

    Midnight Rambler

    11 Jan 10 at 7:59 am

  706. I have not verified this information but I heard that New Orleans Riverfront Restaurant closed down. Anyone heard anything about this place?

    Steve

    12 Jan 10 at 10:09 pm

  707. Still answering the phone and giving information out, so I'd say still open.

    Larry

    13 Jan 10 at 5:27 pm

  708. I heard New Orleans is for sale, but is still operating

    Jeff

    13 Jan 10 at 6:40 pm

  709. I wouldn't be surprised about New Orleans there Steve. I have read so many bad reviews, and heard nothing but bad things about that place. Guess that view can't keep them going on forever.

    michael

    13 Jan 10 at 10:38 pm

  710. MacDougall's in the Vista is now closed as of Jan 9th. A new owner is renovating now and opening the Sly Fox this Sat.

    JANE

    14 Jan 10 at 10:31 am

  711. what happened to chick fil a at dutch square?

    jen

    14 Jan 10 at 5:31 pm

  712. It's strange for New Orleans because when they first opened the food was fantastic. I'll admit it has been years since I've been there but in the beginning it was really good.

    Larry

    15 Jan 10 at 10:21 am

  713. Jonathan,

    I stopped by the antique mall on Broad River Road today, and it was open. There is a for-sale sign on the lot, but no indication in the mall itself that they are packing it up.

    ted

    17 Jan 10 at 6:48 pm

  714. Its official. New Orleans Restautrant is closed. WIS reported this tonight on their 7pm newscast.

    Tom

    18 Jan 10 at 7:37 pm

  715. Ted

    I not only lived in Douglas Hall, I lived in 618.

    M ike

    18 Jan 10 at 10:40 pm

  716. Did you draw those chalk pictures on the patio by any chance?

    ted

    18 Jan 10 at 11:11 pm

  717. Thanks, Ted. I drove by there the other night after 6:00, and saw the "for sale" sign. There were still many items out around the wall, but they are permanent, so I did not think too much about them. When I drove by there a couple of days ago during the afternoon, it was booming. Glad to see they have not closed down. There are always many treasures in those places!!

    Jonathan

    19 Jan 10 at 9:43 am

  718. Hey ted ..this site is still great! Just thinking about being a kid around 1980 or so and going to a rollerskating rink that was around the corner from house off Trotter rd...it was down a little dirt road.....does anyone rememember it?

    tony

    20 Jan 10 at 12:16 am

  719. also another closing if it matters that it is in Lexington.....Porky D's BBQ Closed down the new restaurant they built a few years ago.....I always said they had a gold mine with the little place they use to have on the corner down the street...they should have never opened that new place.

    tony

    20 Jan 10 at 12:23 am

  720. Hmm. Not familiar with Trotter Road. Foxcroft skating rink was on a dirt road, could that be it?

    ted

    20 Jan 10 at 2:16 am

  721. I don't recall a skating rink off Trotter, either. Only ones I remember were Foxcroft and Redwing.

    jamie

    20 Jan 10 at 7:51 am

  722. Here's a link about the New Orleans Restaurant closing: http://www.thestate.com/local/story/1118367.html

    Tom

    20 Jan 10 at 9:10 am

  723. Tony,

    I lived just off trotter in the 70s and there was a dirt road that ran behind my house up to Trotter. There was a large warehouse building behind my house that was a boat factory when I lived there. The dirt road was about .5 miles to a mile off of Leesburg Rd. That's the only place along Trotter I can remember for such a place to have been but the area really changed after I moved away totally in 1982.

    Larry

    20 Jan 10 at 3:48 pm

  724. Ted,

    Foxcroft was off a dirt road off brookfield in the northeast side of town. I don't think they had one on the southeast side of town but I could be wrong.

    Larry

    20 Jan 10 at 3:49 pm

  725. I think Southern Pig BBQ in Blythewood is closed. I tried to go one day at lunch and the door was locked. Their phone number isn't in service either.

    Matt

    21 Jan 10 at 10:33 am

  726. How about Forest Lake Men's Shop in Forest Lake Shopping Center? I worked there off and on while in high school in the 60's. Bob Grimshaw was the Manager then and the owner's name I can't remember.

    Steve Conner

    22 Jan 10 at 11:47 am

  727. Looks like another Food Lion going down....

    http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=83172&catid=2

    jamie

    25 Jan 10 at 9:22 am

  728. Just spent some time reviewing this great site and leaving some comments on the various pages. One store I remember from my childhood (late 1960's) not yet mentioned was the Grant's store in Parkland Shopping Center.

    There was a question on this page (some months ago) about the Morrison's cafeterias in the malls. They didn't close, they were simply re-branded as Piccadilly's after that chain bought out Morrison's.

    One quibble: The nationwide retail chain Penney's is spelled with 2 e's, not one. This is so pervasive on this site that I'm wondering if it is an auto-correct by the WordPress software. (If this post shows up with Penney's spelled with 1 "e" instead of 2, that is indeed the case.)

    Ted, keep up the good work, we appreciate it.

    Bobby

    25 Jan 10 at 4:38 pm

  729. Thanks Bobby!

    I wish I could blame WordPress for the spelling, but that's all me. Somehow I just got "Penny" like the coin stuck in my mind so deep it never even ocurred to me to check it!

    ted

    25 Jan 10 at 5:33 pm

  730. Someone earlier had asked where the old Jerome Hotel used to be?... It used to sit on in the 1300 block of main street at 1301-1307 main where the Downtower/ Roadway Inn or whatever it's called now sits.. I dont know what year the Jerome was razed, but that's where it used to be. The first Columbia Hotel sat in the 1500 block of Main Street at 1531 main..towards the end of that block past what was Belks... I guess about where Macy's used to be or just past that. So now you know where these were. Too bad they were torn down..

    Del

    27 Jan 10 at 7:22 pm

  731. others I remember are The Bounty, The Chicken Coop, & Cosmic Wave Skateboard Park on Sumter hwy/Garners Ferry Rd. Western Auto, Family Mart, Kroger, Richway on Devine St. Western Sizzlin on Rosewood Ext. Acme comics on Rosewood. Starlite Drive-In on Ft Jackson (old Kroger spot). Causeys, Rivkins, Young's on Leesburg. Coburn's Steakhouse orig and Knox Abbot. The Shrimper on knox abbot. Sunview Lake swim club in east columbia. Hinson's Feed downtown. Joy's feed & seed on hazelwood. Dicks Flamingo club on Leesburg Rd. Parklane Seafood on Parklane. Sounds Familiar in woodhill mall. Woodhill mall arcade. Duke Sandwich on Forest Dr. Garcia's behind Cola Mall. Yan Ping on knox abbot. The parthenon in 5 pts. Constantines on knox abbot. Shakey's Pizza on knox abbott. Quincy's on Rosewood extension. the keg on rosewood.

    AJ

    27 Jan 10 at 8:19 pm

  732. Aj, have you looked at the "Alphabetical Closings" page? A lot of those are there.

    ted

    27 Jan 10 at 10:05 pm

  733. Ted, thanks a bunch... I lived two terrific years of my life in Columbia and this page is a treasure. Makes me want to do the same thing for the area in northeast Atlanta where I grew up - like in Columbia, the last quarter century has brought a lot of change but not necessarily improvement.

    PsAustrinus

    28 Jan 10 at 2:19 pm

  734. Thanks PS, I've enjoyed your comments -- Setting up a blog is not hard -- go for it!

    ted

    28 Jan 10 at 2:46 pm

  735. I happened to run across your site and saw an old post about some old Columbia high school social clubs. I started a web site on myspace for one of those mentioned, Les Truands, and have gotten in touch with many of the old members. Some have contributed photos and memories that I have posted and I am looking for more. You can check it out at myspace.com/lestruandsclub. Some of the eating establishments around Columbia High School where we enjoyed lunch in the 50's that might be remembered (if you are old enough): The Lunchbox at 1313 Washington St; Caldwells Cafeteria at 1334 Sumter Street; The Sports Center, a grill and poolroom, at 1337 Main Street; Yon's Grill, a hamburger and hot dog stand on the corner of Sumter and Taylor; and the Columbia Sandwich Shop a couple of blocks down on Taylor Street, just to name a few. A few other nearby hang outs were Jordan's Drugs, 1400 Hampton and United Cigar Store (pinball machines) at 1349 Main. All are long gone but not forgotten.
    Walt (CHS '58)

    Walter Hall

    2 Feb 10 at 1:56 pm

  736. I started school in the mid '60s, and never had any idea this world of social clubs ever existed!

    ted

    2 Feb 10 at 2:37 pm

  737. Daylight Donuts , Scarborough Café , Bessie Mae's Ice
    Cream Parlor at 108 Scarborough Drive, Lexington. US #1 . near Lexington High School, still closed.

    "Bo"

    "Bo"

    5 Feb 10 at 12:00 am

  738. I drive down Assembly street daily and always notice this abandoned neat old building close to Moe Levy's. I always wonder what it's history was but haven't had much luck finding anything.
    It has a for sale sign on it. If you face the building there is a parking lot on the left side (bank lot perhaps?). It's two stories and is very long. According to the For Sale sign posted the building is 22,900 sqft! 3 levels (10,000 main and upstairs, 2900 basement). I believe the address is 1308 Assembly Street. You can see a picture of it if you go to Google maps and do street level view. It would be great if someone knows something about it.

    Jeff

    7 Feb 10 at 7:42 pm

  739. That is the Howard Sports downtown location. It is actually two buildings, the much older Assembly Street building and a 1540's-1950's Lady Street Building that are joined to form an L that wraps around Moe Levy's.

    It's a huge amount of space, but the demand for that much retail space is low in that location and it would require a lot of renovation for office space.

    The Lady Street side is a really good example of Post-WWII modern.

    Steve

    8 Feb 10 at 9:55 am

  740. Thanks for the reply Steve. I wonder what it was way back, like turn of the century.

    Jeff

    8 Feb 10 at 3:40 pm

  741. Cogburn's seemed to be the most popular restaurant for my friends at USC in the early '60s. You could either sit at a table or on a swivel stool at the counter. The steak sandwich (not really a sandwich) was the most popular item. It was a nice thick cut of beef grilled to order, thick buttered toast, and your choice of fries or grits. It was the best deal in town. Down the street was a cafeteria (Morrison's?) that always had a big crowd inside. The S&S later opened on Gervais. Shimmy's was another downtown steak house. Steaks were served sizzling on metal plates. But I never thought that the quality of the meat was equal to that at Cogburn's. Shimmy's steaks were thin and tasted and looked to me like tenderized meat.

    Marshall

    8 Feb 10 at 9:02 pm

  742. .....yes, a very enjoyable site. I ran into your site, quite by accident, as I was looking for something on the old "Scrivens Alley" steak house that was upstairs in the two-story building located at the SE corner of Gervais & Huger, known as 500 Gervais St. The restaurant was there for several years and was involved in, according to the ATF authorities, a inside job by a discontented employee. None of this was ever proved. The restaurant got its name from the alley-way that bi-sected the block....."Scrivens Alley." The Scriven's Alley community was home to some 15-20 families that some of which, lived there their entire lives. The Scrivens Alley restaurant was not actually burned down, but suffered only about 10-15% fire damage and about 85-90% water damage, thanks to Columbia Fire Dept. The building was a candidate for complete restoration, but the economy (Post War) didn't permit. The original building dated pre 1900 (though the City thought it was 1950), and was once named "The Fairmont Hotel" and was used as such up until about 1948. Enough of that.

    Now.....as for the Hi-Hat Club, it was located about where the parking lot is for the "gold building" located on Forest Drive, and catered mostly to Ft. Jackson soldiers in the 40 and 50's. I know that it was there in 1955, as I lived just a block away. How about Kelly's Open Air Market on Forest Drive, located just behind the Verizon building. Does anyone remember the "9-hole golf course" located where Trenholm Plaza is today? How about Ursuline High School up on Assembly St, torn down in 1960, being replaced by Cardinal Newman HS. How about Dent's Open Air Market located where Casual Living is now on Forest Drive? And, yes, Gene Broom was Doug Broom's brother. I remember that Macky Quave played "JP Sidewinder" part as well. Does anybody remember "Robby's Roundup" on the old WNOK-TV - Channel 67? She married one the Radio/TV announcers at that station...Don Ferguson. She was killed in an auto accident on I-20 about 13 years ago, on her way back to Atlanta. And some may remember that Joe Pinner originally worked at WNOK-TV in 1956-58 while he was stationed at Ft. Jackson, then returned to Florida, and then back to WIS-TV Columbia...and the rest is history. I remember my son used to tell me that he was going to the "Library" and I was so proud that he spent so much time there in the early 80's, until I found out that it was a night club. Ug!

    cjlbrooks

    8 Feb 10 at 9:40 pm

  743. .....yes, a very enjoyable site. I ran into your site, quite by accident, as I was looking for something on the old "Scrivens Alley" steak house that was upstairs in the two-story building located at the SE corner of Gervais & Huger, known as 500 Gervais St. The restaurant was there for several years and was involved in, according to the ATF authorities, a inside job by a discontented employee. None of this was ever proved. The restaurant got its name from the alley-way that bi-sected the block....."Scrivens Alley." The Scriven's Alley community was home to some 15-20 families that some of which, lived there their entire lives. The Scrivens Alley restaurant was not actually burned down, but suffered only about 10-15% fire damage and about 85-90% water damage, thanks to Columbia Fire Dept. The building was a candidate for complete restoration, but the economy (Post War) didn't permit. The original building dated pre 1900 (though the City thought it was 1950), and was once named "The Fairmont Hotel" and was used as such up until about 1948. Enough of that.

    Now.....as for the Hi-Hat Club, it was located about where the parking lot is for the "gold building" located on Forest Drive, and catered mostly to Ft. Jackson soldiers in the 40 and 50's. I know that it was there in 1955, as I lived just a block away. How about Kelly's Open Air Market on Forest Drive, located just behind the Verizon building. Does anyone remember the "9-hole golf course" located where Trenholm Plaza is today? How about Ursuline High School up on Assembly St, torn down in 1960, being replaced by Cardinal Newman HS. How about Dent's Open Air Market located where Casual Living is now on Forest Drive? And, yes, Gene Broom was Doug Broom's brother. I remember that Macky Quave played "JP Sidewinder" part as well. Does anybody remember "Robby's Roundup" on the old WNOK-TV - Channel 67? She married one the Radio/TV announcers at that station...Don Ferguson. She was killed in an auto accident on I-20 about 13 years ago, on her way back to Atlanta. And some may remember that Joe Pinner originally worked at WNOK-TV in 1956-58 while he was stationed at Ft. Jackson, then returned to Florida, and then back to WIS-TV Columbia...and the rest is history. I remember my son used to tell me that he was going to the "Library" and I was so proud that he spent so much time there in the early 80's, until I found out that it was a night club. Ug!

    cjlbrooks

    8 Feb 10 at 9:40 pm

  744. The Village Tavern, 214 Berry Hill Road, is closing. It was established in 1968 and has been a local watering hole, pool hall, sports bar and grill for at least two generations of Columbians in the St Andrews area. Our group started having a boys night out on Thursday night back in the early 60's when the Columbia Speedway was still open. Our hangouts then was the Tap Room on Lower Main and Don's in Five Points. When Don sold out and moved on, we started hanging out at what is now the No Name Deli on Elmwood. When No Names expanded the dining area and closed the bar, we moved to the Village Tavern and have ben there ever since. I guess after next week we will have to find yet another gathering place suitable for a bunch of fussy 70 something year old, but young at heart, men who collectively are a store house of knowledge of, and enjoy talking about, old Columbia and Grand Strand resturants, cafes, bars, drive-ins, pool halls, road houses, etc., etc. from the late 40's to the present. Also Carolina sports back to before the last Big Thursday and the McGuire glory days. And the stories get better and better as time goes by, we just need a place to get together to rehash them.

    Walt

    9 Feb 10 at 10:58 am

  745. What did this building house?

    http://www.bing.com/maps/#JnE9eXAubm9ydGgrbWFpbithbmQrc3Vuc2V0K2NvbHVtYmlhK3NjJTdlc3N0LjAlN2VwZy4xJmJiPTUxLjc0OTU3ODM0MjY0ODYlN2UtNTEuNTg2NjQwNjI1JTdlMTEuNjQ0ODYxMjQ5MjExNSU3ZS0xMTAuNDczMzU5Mzc1

    jamie

    9 Feb 10 at 11:00 am

  746. Sorry about that..didn't work too well. It is the white brick building at the SE corner of North main and Avondale. Looks like it was a store of some sort.

    You can take down the previous post....

    jamie

    9 Feb 10 at 11:02 am

  747. Is that the old "Stone Manufacturing Company?" I think it was in that general area. If so, I have not idea what kind of company it was, or whether "Stone" was the name of the company or they manufactured with stone.

    badger

    9 Feb 10 at 11:24 am

  748. Speaking of Forest Acres places, when Forest Dr was just 2 lanes (yes, how many of us remember that!) there was a honky tonk in the pine thicket about where the gold-glass reflective building is now located. It was called GOLDIES. Anyone else remember that?

    BR

    9 Feb 10 at 11:44 am

  749. Again, maybe the Hi Hat club was owned by 'Goldie', so maybe they were the same. At the time, a frequent visitor to the place always called it the latter.

    BR

    9 Feb 10 at 11:51 am

  750. After some research, I do believe it was Stone Manufacturing Company. They were a textile company than made underwear from what I understand and seemed to be highly successful in the 70-80's and were around for quite some time in the US.

    Kurtis

    9 Feb 10 at 11:53 am

  751. Just catching up on a lot of these (going backward). Bud, you're right, Don's doorman was Nick Baum from Camden.

    BR

    9 Feb 10 at 12:03 pm

  752. And the lady bartender's name was Nancy. I can still hear those huge Klipzshorn speakers blaring out John Lennon's classic Whatever Gets You Through the Night. And Don's really did get me through many a night back in the 70s.

    bud

    9 Feb 10 at 12:43 pm

  753. cjlbrooks -- thanks for the recollections. I love to hear comments from folks of your vintage, about 10 years ealier than mine.

    While you were talking about broadcasting, I thought about local newsman Don Upton, whose wife Miriam was Miss Universe in the 50s.

    Dennis

    9 Feb 10 at 6:07 pm

  754. Kurtis said: After some research, I do believe it was Stone Manufacturing Company.

    Nah, they are one street up, and off North Main. This building fronts North main and has a couple of big display windows and a front staircase that splits halfway down and goes in two directions.

    jamie

    10 Feb 10 at 7:57 am

  755. I would love to see a post on the old Macy's on Main back in the 80's. I was young, but I remember it started out as a Davidson's, but changed to Macy's. If memory serves, it was the next block down - towards the State House - from the old Belk on the corner of Main & Taylor. The thing I remember the most about Davidson'/Macy's was that there was a large mural on the wall as you went up the escalator that was of Columbia being burned by Gen. Sherman.

    TahoeChic

    10 Feb 10 at 11:25 am

  756. Jamie: How sure are you of this, or did you just google "Stone Manufacturing Columbia SC"? I ask because I do see the address shows up a bit down N Main (like you previously mentioned) if you do that. I see the building you are talking about.

    However, in the time I spent reading different pages- an address is listed for Stone Manufacturing Co at 3452 North Main Street, which is in the location you initially mentioned (corner of Avondale/N Main).

    Also to boot, there are quite a few links referencing 3452 N Main to Stone Manufacturing once you google the address- for beautification, zoning, and cleanup projects mainly.

    Try again and see what you come up with.

    Kurtis

    10 Feb 10 at 12:49 pm

  757. Oh, OK, thanks.

    When I ggoled, yeah, it came up on (I think)Cook Street and the building shown had a lot of air handlers on top. The building I'm looking at doesn't. I'll look up the address you have.

    Thanks again!

    jamie

    10 Feb 10 at 3:00 pm

  758. Kurtis, you are correct!

    jamie

    10 Feb 10 at 3:08 pm

  759. didn't see the copper door night club on rosewood drive
    mid 70s

    Barry

    10 Feb 10 at 10:12 pm

  760. I saw your post on University Corner today. I worked at Carolinas when all the stores were closing back in 2006. The man who owns Varsity owns all that property, and the University was trying to buy it from him, but he refused. Unfortunately, a lot of businesses came in at once that could afford to pay twice the rent, so that's why all the businesses kind of went out at the same time (Smoothie King had already been gone, and the short lived Global Joe's was there at that time). Thankfully, I think the owner is pretty committed to keeping Varsity alive as long as possible. A lot of interesting stuff was taking place at that time.

    Sarah

    11 Feb 10 at 1:41 pm

  761. Hey Ted, I just remembered a few....Nightlights Nightclub at Embassy Suites........it was pretty wild back in the mid 80's....how about that Radio Station that was hot for a while around the same time...I think it was YES 97...whatever happend to them?

    tony

    11 Feb 10 at 10:48 pm

  762. Also...someone told me that there was a Joes Crabshack located somewhere on the river that closed a long time ago...I do not remember it....I have been to Joes in Charlotte and in Florida, and I can't imagine that type of place not working on the river.

    tony

    11 Feb 10 at 10:53 pm

  763. Joe's Crab Shack is now under a high end housing developement (that doesn't seem to be selling all that well) on the West bank of the Congaree.

    jamie

    12 Feb 10 at 8:08 am

  764. Joe's Crab Shack was in the old Hungry Fisherman building. It was also the first (I think) location of the "D's" expansion, but D's didn't last very long there.

    badger

    12 Feb 10 at 9:12 am

  765. Hey! Does anyone know why Larry's Subs closed down both of their locations on Broad River Rd. and Garner's Ferry? They have a new sub shop in the Broad River Rd. location, but they are not doing good business at all.

    Alicia

    12 Feb 10 at 9:34 am

  766. Tony... Wasnt there a night club called Merlins somewhere behind embassy suites back in the day?

    Steve

    12 Feb 10 at 2:20 pm

  767. Tony... Wasnt there a night club called Merlins somewhere behind embassy suites back in the day?

    Steve

    12 Feb 10 at 2:20 pm

  768. Yeah, Merlins was in the building that now houses Platinum Plus.

    59 Ford Wheelman

    12 Feb 10 at 4:30 pm

  769. For those of you who enjoy models, you'll get the biggest kick out of this flickR slide show, and that's all I'll say about it because I don't want to spoil the ending. I think you'll find that it blends in quite nicely with Ted's blog, and the old days that we talk about are suddenly made real again.

    Michael Taylor

    12 Feb 10 at 7:04 pm

  770. Pretty cool!

    ted

    12 Feb 10 at 8:32 pm

  771. Tony and 59 Ford Wheelman --

    The door is about 60 ft higher than the parking lot, that's why you used to see bumper stickers that said I CLIMBED THE HILL AT MERLIN'S

    Dennis

    14 Feb 10 at 6:29 am

  772. I heard today that Box and Bow in Forest Acres (in the Piggly Wiggly shopping center) is closing. I loved going there, but the hours weren't well suited for working folks.

    MPB

    16 Feb 10 at 5:12 pm

  773. I saw the Face of Columbia on 35.2 Sunday. It was a really interesting show. A few impressions:

    1) Main Street was four lanes all the way to the State House! I think it was a really bad idea to make it tow lane. When did that occur? Back when they put those godawful stadium lights up?

    2) There were an awful lot of first generation Corvairs. I was really surprised at that. For some reason, I always figured they were pretty unpopular down here.

    3) I was surprised at the number of pickups on the road. I thought that trend was about a decade away.

    4) Richland mall was a lot cooler, and apparently a lot more popular, back in its old incarnation. I miss it.

    5) Downtown sure was a lot more busy than it is now.

    6) Lots of people on motorcycles with no helmets. Mostly college kids on Hondas (you meet the nicest people on a Honda).

    7) It looked like the Colatown PD was still driving 53 Buicks for patrol cars. I saw a lot of them.

    8) I got to see the Glide-a-rides in action on Main Street. Looked a lot more popular than those silly trolleys were.

    jamie

    17 Feb 10 at 7:45 am

  774. http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11994700

    I think the old Hard Rock amusement park in MB might just be cursed. I just saw this story on WIS. So if I understand it, the first company spent $400 million and couldn't make it work. The 2nd company spends $25 mill to buy it (and who knows how much to rename it) and can't make it work either.

    I guess the only thing the can do turn it into a pay per ride park (Pavilion II) or tear it down and build an outlet mall.

    Matt

    17 Feb 10 at 9:47 am

  775. It's been kind of slow-mo disaster since the park closed for the fall. It seemed like every time I saw a story, they had laid off more people, were angling for one more payment extension etc.

    They may be crippled by inherited Hard Rock debt, but it seems like if they really had a good case for being profitable they could get the financing..

    ted

    17 Feb 10 at 10:54 am

  776. Jamie - When you mentioned Richland Mall in point #4 of your reaction to The Face of Columbia, do you mean that you saw film footage of the old mall? Boy would I have enjoyed seeing that show. According to the story at SCETV, it was supposed to be aired January 10th, so if they showed it this past Sunday, maybe they'll show it again down the line. If you happen to notice it listed to be aired again, let us know.

    Speaking of Corvairs from your second point, for a very brief period of time, my grandmother let me drive her early-60s model Corvair when I first got my driver's permit in 1971. She had a temporary spirit of generosity and was almost going to give me the car because she couldn't drive much anymore, but for some reason had second thoughts. So of all cars, my first car was very nearly a Corvair. My one and only Corvair experience.

    Michael Taylor

    18 Feb 10 at 4:15 am

  777. didn't even notice till read in free times this week that MacDougal's on Lincoln had closed. It's already been replaced by new place.

    The Sly Fox
    http://www.theslyfoxcolumbia.com/

    Interesting to note: They have poutine on the menu

    Mike D

    18 Feb 10 at 10:59 pm

  778. Wonder where they get cheese curds -- I don't think I've ever seen them for sale. In fact I didn't even know such a thing existed until I read a piece about how they are big in Wisconson, and how if they are fresh, they squeak when you eat them..

    ted

    18 Feb 10 at 11:07 pm

  779. I was wondering about the building at corner of Rosewood Drive and South Gregg. It looks like an old KFC but was most recently a China Hut or something. It doesn't even seem to have an address. Any information regarding who is the current owner?

    Thanks and I really like this website.

    R Webb

    19 Feb 10 at 10:32 am

  780. Michael Taylor - Jamie – When you mentioned Richland Mall in point #4 of your reaction to The Face of Columbia, do you mean that you saw film footage of the old mall?
    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    Yeah, it wasn't a very long clip, ten seconds, two scenes at the most, but you could see the old open air mall with the angled beams and panels. I miss that place. It was pretty cool.

    I contacted the programming manager or someone on e-mail and asked them when it was airing again. It was on 35.2, which I'm notsure is available on cable or satellite packages. We watched on over the air television.

    jamie

    24 Feb 10 at 8:21 am

  781. I was wondering about the building at corner of Rosewood Drive and South Gregg. It looks like an old KFC but was most recently a China Hut or something. It doesn’t even seem to have an address. Any information regarding who is the current owner?

    I live near there - this was a China Hut, but has been closed for probably 3 years. From what I have heard, it still is owned by the folks who own/owned the China Hut restaurants, and they evidently have refused offers to sell. I sure wish it would become anything else than a vacant old restaurant!

    Beth

    24 Feb 10 at 11:22 am

  782. Hey I just found this cool video on Facebook about the Columbia underground. Thought you guys might enjoy it.
    http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=258839101480&ref=nf

    Mr Bill

    25 Feb 10 at 12:47 pm

  783. To those that are interested in Columbia's past, here's something you may want to go and see before they are covered up again. Goin up North Main St. towards the old Coca Cola Plant in that general area, the road has been dug up and you can still see (yes they're still there) the original Trolley tracks that used to run all the way up Main St. and towards Columbia College back in the late 1800's through I guess the early 1900's before they were either torn up, or covered up. Go see them before they are gone again and maybe for good and take pics. of them. This is one of the very few chances you'll get to see something that hasnt been completely gotten rid of. Search your Columbia history and find out more about them.

    Del

    25 Feb 10 at 7:09 pm

  784. So, I tried to go to the Krispy Kreme in Cayce tonight and found it gutted. Anyone know what's going on? I was just there a few days ago and there weren't any signs anything was up. Hope they're just remodeling, I would hate to see the location close down.

    Kenneth

    25 Feb 10 at 10:51 pm

  785. I've been afraid of that. I've been getting hits on google analytics for keywords like "krispy kreme west columbia closing" as though there were rumors out there and people were googling to check them out.

    So I made it a special point when I went there last week to check for any signage, and there was none. Also, they were doing a land-office business, so I figured I was worrying over nothing.

    They were remodeled just a few years ago -- that's when they took all the nice booths out and put in those awful chairs and tables.

    I'll drive to Cayce for Hot Doughnuts Now, but not to Lexington..

    ted

    25 Feb 10 at 11:24 pm

  786. According to The State Newspaper Kittys Hallmark in Dutch Square and West Columbia are closed. The article said that business at DS had dropped from a million a year to $250,000. I wish some one would just put a bullet to DS head and put it out of its mysery.

    Tom

    26 Feb 10 at 6:31 am

  787. I picked up a flier for Krispy Kreme in Cayce that said they were closing for remodeling on Feb. 22nd. When they reopen they will serve Kool Kreme which looks like soft serve ice cream from the logo. It also mentions a "mobile unit" that will sell doughnuts outside during the remodel.

    Rebecca

    26 Feb 10 at 9:32 am

  788. For those interested in seeing the trolley tracks, the best places are where River Drive hits North Main and in fron of Jim Moore Cadillac. I was going to get pics this morning, but the batts in my digicam went belly up.

    jamie

    1 Mar 10 at 8:01 am

  789. I heard that Palmetto Sandwich Shop, 1465 Sumter Street is closing. It is a great little downtown place, but evidently couldn't deal with the loss of business when SCANA bolted.

    Walt

    1 Mar 10 at 10:18 am

  790. I just built myself a custom wine cellar that is just amazing. Already looking for some more inspiration though.

    Allena Moilanen

    8 Mar 10 at 6:27 pm

  791. Allena -- I have never had wine from Romania that wasn't great.

    Dennis

    8 Mar 10 at 6:45 pm

  792. Noticed today that the Rite Aid, nee Eckerds on US 378 near Lexington Medical Center and I-26 is closed.

    Today's free Times reported that the Palmetto Sandwhich shop on Sumter St. is now closed.

    Tom

    10 Mar 10 at 4:12 pm

  793. That would be this Rite Aid?

    I've got some pix of the sandwich shop, but according to Eva's article, they'll be open until the end of the month..

    ted

    10 Mar 10 at 5:21 pm

  794. Acme Comics over on Wanker's Alley is closing at the end of the month.

    Nobody

    14 Mar 10 at 12:04 am

  795. Nobody -- terrible news about Acme, although I don't see how they've lasted this long. I'm still mad that their landlord stabbed them in the back and they had to move off of Rosewood.

    Dennis

    14 Mar 10 at 5:35 am

  796. Anybody else notice that adjacent to Publik house on Devine, just before it if you're coming from 5 points, there's a sign that says Lulu's hot dogs coming soon.

    The weird thing is the building with sign looks like an office,so I wonder what it used to be.

    Mike D

    14 Mar 10 at 7:30 pm

  797. Putt-Putt Golf and Games on St. Andrews Road was a place I worked at for a few years. It was the perfect after-school and weekend job for a teenager. This was perhaps the most popular hang-out for area teens in the mid-80s.
    I fondly remember locking ourselves and our friends inside all night long, to unlock and play foosball and Gauntlet until the sun came up.
    Putt-Putt was a great place. It was everything that the 80's teen "rites of passage" films try to emulate. As much fun as those films are to see now, we can honestly say, we lived that.
    Putt-Putt's franchise owners also purchased and remodelled a skating rink in the St. Andrews area and created "Opening Break", an upscale billiards establishment. That also eventually faded, and became a country club named "Bubba 'N Bucks".

    Putt-Putt St. Andrews, is now a leased parking lot.

    Behonkus

    14 Mar 10 at 11:07 pm

  798. Be,

    Sounds like a lot of fun. I'll try and get a post up on it some time!

    ted

    15 Mar 10 at 12:37 am

  799. Oddly enough, the banner ad I got when I popped in here was for Circuit City. I guess with the closing of Columbia stores I figured the whole chain was done for.

    Larry

    18 Mar 10 at 4:21 pm

  800. OOPS...should have clicked the link first - Circuity City is under new ownership. Basically looks like someone bought the name brand and slapped it on their website. I never thought Circuit City had that great a reputation anyway. Oh well go figure.

    Larry

    18 Mar 10 at 4:23 pm

  801. I think it's kind of a new cottage industry to buy up fondly-remembered, but failed, brands and try to re-launch them. I've seen several stories on it being tried with things like "Brim" coffee, "L'Eggs" panty-hose, "Postum" grain beverage, "Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific" shampoo etc. Of course, as you say, it's not clear how fondly remembered the "Circuit City" brand is..

    ted

    18 Mar 10 at 4:57 pm

  802. I looked at the Circuit City website and it has been bought by Systemax, Inc. Systemax is the parent company of TigerDirect as well as CompUSA who they purchased the rights to after CompUSA went belly up.

    Matt

    19 Mar 10 at 10:31 am

  803. I knew that site looked familiar. I guess its a smart move since most people will click a link for a business they have heard or more readily that one they haven't. I'm always cautious of any new website - commerce or otherwise.

    Larry

    19 Mar 10 at 3:20 pm

  804. The Hollywood Video next to the closed Qdoba Mexican Grill on Two Notch is closing. Already up to 50-70% off.

    Thomas

    20 Mar 10 at 5:50 pm

  805. The Play N Trade on Forest is closed due to remodeling according to the sign on it. Of course, the other sign on it says they're closed because they didn't pay their rent.

    Nobody

    21 Mar 10 at 8:31 pm

  806. Hey, what about La Straddas? I think it was a pizza place over in Decker in that strip mall next to Longhorn. I know it was there in in 1980.

    Tim

    22 Mar 10 at 12:25 am

  807. Does anybody remember a restaurant called Collaros (sp?). I think it was near Columbia Mall. I only went with them once or twice, and the last time would've been in 1988-89 or thereabouts. Anybody know why they closed?

    Allie

    22 Mar 10 at 8:57 am

  808. That's no ringing a bell. Do you remember what street it was on, or what kind of food they served?

    ted

    22 Mar 10 at 10:21 am

  809. Collaro's was on that frontage road that went behind the old Spring Valley Cinema (now Lowes). The building is still there, seems like it's a day care or something.

    Briefly, aflter Collaro's closes there, they occupied a location on Assembly St, near the old Heart of Columbia. It ws the same building that had that Thai restaurant in the early to mid 1990s--but Collaro's only lasted there a few months, if that.

    badger

    22 Mar 10 at 10:57 am

  810. Found it: Collaro's was at 7303 Firelane Rd.

    badger

    22 Mar 10 at 1:43 pm

  811. Collaro's was great. Ate there many times and always enjoyed it. Kind of a Pasta Fresca with a little more elbow room. Wish it was still there.

    Dennis

    23 Mar 10 at 7:48 am

  812. Looks like HOUSE BRAND furniture store on Forest Drive is closing. They had clearance and store closing signs out front when I drove by there yesterday. No confirmation of this on their website: http://housebrandhome.net/default.aspx

    RM

    26 Mar 10 at 9:43 am

  813. Kirby Croft florist on N. Main seems to be out of business. There's a "for sale" sign in front, the place appears to be empty, and their website is no more.

    Jim

    6 Apr 10 at 12:36 pm

  814. RIP Kirby Croft florist

    Baby Bath Thermometer

    6 Apr 10 at 10:02 pm

  815. The used car dealer on Two Notch across from the old Moore for Less lot is gone. I think that this was a lot for one of the dealers (Acura?) closer to the mall but I'm not sure.

    Matt

    6 Apr 10 at 10:48 pm

  816. Re: Collaro's I remember eating there a couple of times and enjoying it. I had forgotten all about the place, and another detail just popped into my head. At the cash register in Collaro's, there was a small statue of a bulldog, with the Mack truck insignia. I got the feeling that it was there because workers from the plant ate there. Where was that Mack plant, and when did it close?

    Cary

    10 Apr 10 at 12:20 am

  817. The Mack plant was in Winnsboro. Not sure when it closed although I think it was early 2000s.

    Larry

    12 Apr 10 at 1:19 pm

  818. It was open as late as 2005. It's been a fiberglass plant since then.

    badger

    12 Apr 10 at 2:47 pm

  819. Speaking of Winnsboro, have you noticed just how run down looking it is now.. I'm mean it's REALLY gone downhill from what it used to be..if that makes sence.

    Del

    12 Apr 10 at 5:51 pm

  820. Yeah. It has, and it does.

    badger

    12 Apr 10 at 6:05 pm

  821. Went ot the Quizno in West Columbia, across the street from Rite-Aid and the original Piggy Park. There was a notice on the door that the franchise owner was ceasing operations on April 30 due to the bad economy.

    And is it just me, but does the new Krispy Kreme look like a Hess Station?

    Tom

    16 Apr 10 at 3:44 pm

  822. Ted, I tried e-mailing a link to you but it failed. It regards the passing of Red Rutland in Saturdays paper. He ran the Red Star Grocery near the Coliseum up until the 60s. His daughter wrote a book which should still be available at 14 Carrots and it is well worth reading about how things were in Columbia before us baby boomers. Please check it out.

    John R

    19 Apr 10 at 10:06 am

  823. I remember a non-chain grocery on the east side of Assembly Street, I think on the same block that had JC Penny on the Main Street side. I only went into it once, probably in the early 1980s. It was very old-school, and always had hand lettered window signs for things like "Hog Maws".

    There was another downtown indie grocery that held on into the 80s on one of the east/west streets. I remember it some sort of odd entranceway.

    ted

    19 Apr 10 at 9:45 pm

  824. Ted- you are thinking about the Dixie Supermarket. They remained in business until the 1980s and was the last downtown grocery store, until Publix opened in the Vista.

    Tom

    20 Apr 10 at 7:17 am

  825. The Let's Dish at Sparkleberry/Clemson is closing April 23rd, according to an email they just sent out.

    Jason

    21 Apr 10 at 8:40 am

  826. Jason, is that one of those "ready to eat" gourmet places? There is one of those close to the corner of Broad River/Kinley. As much as I hate to see a business close, especially a family run business, I never saw the benefit. It's just so easy to run into a store and pick up something already made. You tell me, you're on their email list. Should I try the one in Irmo? Am I missing out?

    Jonathan

    21 Apr 10 at 9:05 am

  827. Jonathan, that's exactly what it is. Or was. I liked it because I could run in and grab a month's worth of dinners for my wife and I, and not have to worry about it again until next month.

    The food was always really great when the original owners ran it, but they sold to the current owners and quality took an immediate nosedive. Newsletters started coming out rife with typos and wrong information as well, which didn't exactly boost my confidence. I think I stopped going after the second month under new management, which was sometime last summer.

    I'd say give it a try, at least. If nothing else, it might be convenient to keep some ready-made meals in the freezer in case you get home too late to cook a hot meal or just don't feel like doing more than throwing something in the oven.

    Jason

    21 Apr 10 at 10:47 am

  828. I'll give it a shot. Thanks. Your last sentence just described every day of my work week.

    Jonathan

    22 Apr 10 at 4:53 pm

  829. How about Little O's ( Little Oscar's ) Bar right by Sarullo's in Five Points ? Gun underneath the cash register. Frank's Hot Dogs,over by Group Therapy ?

    Greg

    26 Apr 10 at 4:57 pm

  830. Can anyone tell me what happened to Wily's Foxfire Grill on Bower Parkway? I went there last November and the place was locked up tight. I was just there about 3-4weeks earlier eating at Wild Wings and it was open. Needless to say I was more than disappointed because I loved their food.

    Pat D.

    26 Apr 10 at 6:05 pm

  831. Wily's Foxfire was originally owned by Bill Dukes that owns Blue Marlin in the Vista. Towards the end, he brought in Neville Poots as a managing partner. Neville has years of Columbia restaurant experiience. If you ever notice, neither at Lunch nor Dinner where they ever full to capacity. As their food was outstanding, there was not enough clientel in the area to support such a place.

    O'Reilly

    26 Apr 10 at 7:13 pm

  832. While this is not a Columiba area closing, from the looks of things, Eastland Mall in Charlotte is in foreclosure and the remaining tenants have been given notice that they will have to pack their bags. I remember it when in was still thriving in the late 1980s, and it wouldn't surprise me if some of our area malls end up the same way.

    badger

    26 Apr 10 at 9:26 pm

  833. On the other side, the hapless Inlet Square Mall is actually getting a new theater to replace the Regal which closed in Jan and will supposedly be getting the long delayed remodel which had run out of money after they ripped the ceilings out..

    ted

    26 Apr 10 at 11:44 pm

  834. "How about Little O’s ( Little Oscar’s ) Bar right by Sarullo’s in Five Points ? Gun underneath the cash register. Frank’s Hot Dogs,over by Group Therapy ?
    Greg
    26 Apr 10 at 4:57 pm"
    ----
    For what it's worth, Little O's became Jungle Jim's, I think.

    Jim

    27 Apr 10 at 11:10 am

  835. Nice site design, incredibly exhaustive detail (although to someone who has never been to Columbia, somewhat mystifying in its detail and arcana).

    The only thing I'd suggest is thumbnailing your very nice photos. The constraints of dial-up are now over, most everyone has broadband, so loading time is not an issue, but they push your text far down the page so that all your posts are very vertically huge. This also means you can't glance at the photo while reading some of the details about the building (or looking peripherally).

    This is a minor point, but I think it would improve the overall look of your site. Personally, I'd float them left (or right) so text wraps around them, and keep them at around 200-220px.

    When you take great photos, you tend to want to feature them, but as a long time webmaster with a lot of image content, I've found that people do very well with photos about a quarter of the size you're featuring, with the option to click on them for a bigger version.

    Just a suggestion, great site, though of somewhat specialized interest. I'm in awe at the time, research, care and feeding that obviously goes into every post. You're one dedicated blogger!

    -d

    docweasel

    28 Apr 10 at 7:17 am

  836. The newely re-modeled Krispy Kreme off Knox Abbott Dr. is really odd. It now looks like a BIG gas station of somekind with all that green and white tile. I'm sure it looked good on paper, but it's not at all practicle. As said, it looks like a gas station that sells Doughnuts on the inside along with ice-cream or whatever it is.. All they need now is to put gas pumps outside along with where they have a person in that little booth like Hess used to have. It isnt appealing at all now. I think white tile or red and white tile would be nice and be more appealing "look wise" and eye catching.. but now it's an UGLY thing. I wonder what they were thinkin' when they did this?

    Del

    28 Apr 10 at 2:13 pm

  837. I haven't been inside yet, but personally, I think the 90s interior when they had the padded booths was the best. On the exterior, yeah -- it does look Hess-like.

    Some night shots on the Krispy Kreme closing, I'll get some day pix eventually.

    ted

    28 Apr 10 at 2:43 pm

  838. Del, it looks like a Hess station and a 1969 singlewide mated, and this was the offspring. I like the brick exterior much better than the 50s throwback porcainalized metal.

    jamie

    29 Apr 10 at 6:50 am

  839. Hotel Indigo....
    Ted, I'm surely not giving you a hard time about your ads. I am sure I speak for all the regulars in saying how thankful we are to you for providing us with many hours of entertainment and in general having such a laid back vibe. I did want to comment on the Hotel Indigo ad. I'm always looking for a nice place to stay in downtown Asheville, walking distance to The Orange Peel and Barley's. The Days Inn/Downtown Inn just does not cut it anymore for my wife, although at $40/night, great place for a guys weekend w/o the mint on the pillow and other things guys can live without. Unfortunately, the other options run in the mid $200s a night, generally w/ a two night minimum. I was excited about the ad, touting 20% off. However, that rate is not offered, and when you click on the terms of the "discount" you get this neat bit of info.
    "20% discount is limited. Discounts at most participating hotels are less than 15%."
    And that is if you can find a hotel that "participates" We are going in July. I thought that was "advance" enough, as it says 14 days in the policy.
    Anyway, it reminds me of those 1/2 price "Entertainment" coupons that were only valid at restaurants on Wednesdays, from 5:00-7:00pm, and that actually ties into your site.

    Anyway, it looks like a nice place. I hope they don't mind when I smudge their windows with my face looking in, because that's the only time I'll be able to visit. I did get a room at Four Points, so that'll have to do. Sorry to vent.

    Jonathan

    29 Apr 10 at 2:05 pm

  840. Jonathan,

    I don't select the ads that google displays. I just have a general assurance they won't run anything offensive..

    ted

    29 Apr 10 at 3:35 pm

  841. Ted, in follow up to my earlier post about the Red Star Grocery. I checked the book & she says it was located at the corner of Greene & Lincoln. Part of a community then known as East Glencoe. That area was razed & the residents relocated to the four winds to make way for the coliseum parking lot. The store moved across the river. If you don't frequent 14 Carrots, you can find the book on the net. It is a very nostalgic portrayal of a poor neighborhood in the shadow of the capitol dome during the 50s & 60s.

    John R

    3 May 10 at 10:52 am

  842. Thanks John!

    I will certainly give her book a look.

    ted

    3 May 10 at 12:06 pm

  843. What's the name of the book?

    jamie

    3 May 10 at 2:19 pm

  844. The title is... My Father's World - Parables From The Red Star Grocery by Marah Wanda Rutland c2006. Just to share one tidbit, in the days before the vast EMS system we have now, ambulances were limited to the few hospitals. Funeral home hearses filled the void for many years. My own mother shared her experience of that with me. In this book the author relates that one funeral home driver kept a hammer under the seat for nefarious purposes, i.e. to guarantee business. Since the poor usually could not pay for the "ambulance ride" it followed that some family would certainly pay for a funeral. Urban legend or truth? That I don't know.

    John R

    3 May 10 at 4:20 pm

  845. Ah! Here it is on Amazon:

    I will be ordering my copy..

    ted

    3 May 10 at 4:32 pm

  846. Thanks, John R and Ted.

    About the ambulances, until the early sixties, wreckers and ambulances were 'first come, first served' in regards to who got the tows or carries. And yes, the funeral homes at the time ran the ambulances.

    As a result, some of the fastest cars and trucks around were in the ambulance and wrecker service. My uncles were a couple of sped freaks and drove for a local funeral home (don't recall which one) just so they could roll through Columbia in some seriously capable machines. they tell some tales...

    jamie

    4 May 10 at 6:31 am

  847. Was in five points this evening and the Hardee's was closed. Bag over the sign and a simple "CLOSED" on the marquee. I was in a rush so I did not investigate further.

    Larry

    4 May 10 at 5:11 pm

  848. The Hardees in 5 Points closed last Monday and is supposed to be replaced by a Chick Fil A.

    Jim

    4 May 10 at 6:14 pm

  849. This is a wonderful site, Ted! Thank you for putting this together.

    I have spent hours reading the comments and there is still much to look over. This site is like a good book. Once you start reading it, it is very difficult to put it down.

    Ray Price

    5 May 10 at 7:27 am

  850. Brace yourself for an influx of visitors from WLTX. Someone mentioned this site on a story about the shootings at Exclusive Bar and Grill.

    jamie

    5 May 10 at 7:38 am

  851. Hey Ted, I thoroughly enjoy reading this site and seeing the closings, some I recognize and others before my time that that could help me relate to older relatives...be that as it may, I think you've overlooked the closing of the Food Lion back in February at 6169 St. Andrews Rd.

    Andrew

    5 May 10 at 12:07 pm

  852. Andrew,

    Thanks!

    It's coming..

    ted

    5 May 10 at 5:33 pm

  853. Mi Tierra, which occupied the former Little Mexico/ Cancun building closed May 1st.

    IrmoJeff

    6 May 10 at 8:58 am

  854. Went by Boozer shopping center today. The Book Dispenery there has closed. Not only that, but there are more empty stores there than I can ever recall there at one time. Guess Dutch Square is sucking Boozer down with them.

    Tom

    6 May 10 at 3:57 pm

  855. Oh man, I used to spend a lot of time in that store!

    ted

    6 May 10 at 4:25 pm

  856. The Book Dispensary actually moved. It is now located next to a sign shop on Gracern Road near Greystone

    Thomas

    6 May 10 at 7:28 pm

  857. Here's a home movie taken in the 1960s of trains going through Columbia. if you look carfully you'll see several scenes of the Vista.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zdbnqMg0JI

    Tom

    8 May 10 at 4:12 pm

  858. Cool!

    ted

    9 May 10 at 1:37 am

  859. There's a picture in a National Geographic article about the U.S. 1 highway that has a picture taken from about Gervais St. towards the river. If I remember correctly, the caption said that it was intended to show an example of one the less picturesque sections of the highway.

    Mike

    9 May 10 at 7:54 am

  860. It looks like Jewelry Mart on Forest Drive (beside Bruegger's Bagels) is going out of business. They had big signs on the windows. Went there once-- sells mostly costume jewelry and accessories.

    RM

    10 May 10 at 10:01 am

  861. Yeah, the writing has been on the wall since last month when the building owners put up a "space available" sign by the road.

    ted

    10 May 10 at 11:10 am

  862. Uh-oh, ted. there's a space available sign in front of The State paper, lol.

    jamie

    11 May 10 at 6:55 am

  863. Paul Yann's I believe was the name of a terrific hot dog stand
    that was located in a little hut outside the old Grey Hound Bus station and behind Tapp's Department Store. In the 50s, as a little boy, it was one of my favorites downtown. In addition to their hot dogs, they had the best chocolate milk shakes I've ever had! I also remember spending a lot of time at the penny arcade on Main back then. Great memories!

    Bruce,

    Bruce Miller

    11 May 10 at 8:43 pm

  864. Golden City on Charleston Highway closed 3-9-10. Too bad, they had a good buffet.

    jamie

    12 May 10 at 6:27 am

  865. BTW, that location was the original location of Lulan Wang, which spent a number of years in the old Jesudi's location.

    badger

    12 May 10 at 9:25 am

  866. Noticed last night that the Holiday Inn on I-26 near US 1 after four decades as a HI had changed affiliation and is now a Clarion Inn. This motel was the second HI in the Columbia area (after the long gone Knox Abbott location) and was one of the few remaining classic HIs (which featured a full size outdoor pool and a full service restaurant among other amenities.)

    Tom

    12 May 10 at 10:41 am

  867. Jeff Price Tennis, Ski & Skate... was originally on Adger (??) near Dreher HS, then moved to 2127 Devine (can't believe I still remember the address after 11 years)... Was a 1 story building and then he expanded /added on a floor in the 90s... He sold the business to a sports chain (?) in 2002?... Alot of us worked there to pay for tuition!!

    Elizabeth

    13 May 10 at 9:14 pm

  868. That would be here at least for Devine Street..

    ted

    13 May 10 at 9:35 pm

  869. Rust on Gervais (behind Motor Supply) might be closed, saw a post on it on columbia sc message board. I haven't yet verified myself though but if anybody drives by, please post to confirm.

    Mike D

    15 May 10 at 6:21 pm

  870. Not sure if Rust is closed but I do know the owner is selling the whole complex. The building that houses Motor, the Rust building and the white building across the parking lot from Motor.

    Jeff

    15 May 10 at 10:31 pm

  871. what was the name of that high-rise hotel that used to be on Assembly Street, but was demolished (I think in 2006)? It was a couple blocks to the south of Gervais.

    Lee

    18 May 10 at 2:02 pm

  872. Could it have been The Capital Cabana?

    ted

    18 May 10 at 4:31 pm

  873. Oh, *South* of Gervais..

    Heart of Columbia?

    ted

    18 May 10 at 4:32 pm

  874. It was a Radison when I stayed there in 1987 or '88. Robert Plant/Cheap Trick show at the Coliseum. Now & Zen Tour.

    Jonathan

    18 May 10 at 4:48 pm

  875. The University called it Carolina Plaza.

    Mike

    18 May 10 at 5:15 pm

  876. It was sacrificed to the false god of Innovista.

    jamie

    19 May 10 at 6:41 am

  877. It was Carolina Plaza when USC had offices located in the building. Was that the name when it was still used as a hotel? I used to work at USC w/ Continuing Education, early 90's, and when they vacated the building that was torn down and a CVS was built in its place, they moved across the street. Kinda weird to go into the rooms and see it used as office space, although every office had its own bathroom. The lobby was the USC Welcome Center.

    Jonathan

    19 May 10 at 8:49 am

  878. The Radison/Carolina Plaza (if my memory is right) was originally to be called "The Carolina Coliseium" Hotel or inn, but they just called it the Carolina Hotel. It was built by the people who owned the Irwin-Fuller movie chains (which was most of the movie houses in Columbia in the 70s-80s) It had a nightclub called "Beaus" and "The Four Flames Restaurant." At one time Beaus advertised a lot on the radio and was considred the "Hip spot" by the city's movers and shakers.

    Tom

    19 May 10 at 9:22 am

  879. My understanding is that the Baker Bros on Hwy 378 in front of the Lexington Target has closed. I haven't gone by to confirm though.

    I think there was another Baker Bros in Columbia on S Main, down from the Moe's location. Anybody know if that one is still open?

    Brian C

    19 May 10 at 11:59 am

  880. How about Cribbs Bakery? If I have my timeline correct, they moved to the "new" location on Harden, which at some point caught fire, and they apparently decided not to repair/reopen. Anyone know what was up with that?

    badger

    19 May 10 at 12:12 pm

  881. Carolina Plaza was a crappy Radisson. But that flag went through a phase where it was a bunch of two-star worn properties.

    After it was a Radisson, the State bought it and they used it for a substitute State House while the renovations were going on, complete with two chambers in the old ballrooms and offices upstairs. Then BCB transferred it to USC and it was USC offices and a visitor's center until USC tore it down.

    Steve

    19 May 10 at 12:46 pm

  882. @ Steve-I knew someone who was a manager there when it was a Raddison who told me that the buidling was designed by people who knew nothing about motel desgin and their lack of knowledged showed, causing the staff one headache after another. Raddison would pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into upgrades for the place. If i am correct, their decsion to shut down the place was sudden and surprising. Guess they decided it was not worth the headache anymore.

    Tom

    19 May 10 at 1:18 pm

  883. FYI, the Rugged Wearhouse clothing store on Harbison Blvd has closed. Even though that plaza was recently renovated, it has just lost Rugged and the Lifeway Christian Bookstore (moved).

    RM

    19 May 10 at 7:28 pm

  884. The Baker Bros location on Main St. is now an empty storefront.

    Mike

    19 May 10 at 8:04 pm

  885. Interesting. I was half looking for BB last night and wondering if I had misremembered where it was.

    ted

    19 May 10 at 9:41 pm

  886. There's a sign for a yogurt place or something that's supposed to be coming there soon.

    Dave

    19 May 10 at 9:56 pm

  887. Hello friends and neighbors. I feel that way after hanging around here for the past couple of years. I am asking for your help. The Salvation Army has teamed up with Russell & Jeffcoat Realtors and we are sponsoring a Send Kids To Camp campaign this summer. I was nominated by my office to head up the downtown/metro yard sale. For every $250 we collect a local kid from the midlands will get to spend a week at camp. You can help me in 2 different ways. Take this opportunity to clean out your closets of clutter by donating items (other than clothing) this week and dropping them off at our office at the intersection of Devine and Kilbourne. The 2nd option is to come to the yard sale this coming Saturday morning (June 5) from 7-10 am and browse for some unique treasures. We will have coffee and donuts and my goal is to send at least 2 kids to camp this year. You can read more about it here:

    http://activerain.com/blogsview/1655680/send-a-child-to-camp-garage-sale

    When you stop by please look me up and introduce yourself. I would like to put faces with your names. All donations are totally deductible and we can always use books, cds, coffee pots, vacuum cleaners, whatever you have around the house that is usable.
    Ted, if you find this post unacceptable for this site and want to delete it, I understand.
    Terry Edwards----Campaign Manager

    Terry

    31 May 10 at 7:14 am

  888. Looks like the Tan For All Seasons in that small strip at Richland Mall has closed. I am pretty sure I saw a lease sign in the window on the way to work yesterday.

    ChiefDanGeorge

    2 Jun 10 at 5:19 am

  889. Ted,
    We visited Pawleys Island through the 70's and 80's. Just wondering if you had found any information on a couple places I remember as a kid - Kings Funland arcade on the island I think until the early 80's. Also I remember a movie theatre from the early-mid 80's on the east side of 17 somewhere between Pawleys and Litchfield (or maybe a little further north up 17). The theatre complex was situated under a bunch of huge trees - it was a pretty cool location from what I remember. Thanks!

    GTI

    6 Jun 10 at 9:32 am

  890. King's was great. I think it lasted into the early 80s, but I'm not real sure. They had pit trampolines (try getting that past today's insurance..) as well as arcade games. It and a little cinder-block store also on the North End were the only retail businesses on the island (now there are none).

    The theater was the "Tara Cinema". It was the flagship location of Litchfield Theaters, which also had the second Richland Mall theaters (now Regal). The last movie I saw there was Star Trek IV (the one with the whales). I think the head Litchfield guy was killed in a plane crash, and the company went under. The Tara building is still there, but not operating as a theater. The complex is at the Piggly Wiggly traffic light

    ted

    6 Jun 10 at 12:36 pm

  891. Ted,
    Thanks for the information - really enjoy your site!

    GTI

    9 Jun 10 at 6:07 pm

  892. You're welcome, and thanks!

    ted

    9 Jun 10 at 11:26 pm

  893. Tiki Tan on Harbison between the GameStop and Honeybaked Ham just closed....FYI..

    Jason

    10 Jun 10 at 5:26 am

  894. Ramada on Twon Notch closes suddenly...this is kinda odd.

    http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=88420&catid=2

    jamie

    10 Jun 10 at 6:58 am

  895. It was not that long ago that the Ramada-nee Holiday Inn, got a major facelift. Having read the story there is something funny going on there.

    Tom

    10 Jun 10 at 10:24 am

  896. The UFO Coffee House has to be included. It was THE place for Columbia's hippies. It was also the place for nickle bags, entertainment by Speed Limit 35, a link to the underground railroad to Canada for draft dodgers, great hot cider, the latest counter-culture information, and the place where you would be photographed by the FBI from the windows of the county building across the street. It was located about 1730 Main Street near Laurel. I loved the place. And, I still feel paranoid talking about it with strangers. It was open from around 1969 to 1972 but I'm a little fuzzy on the exact dates. Thanks for this wonderful site. I've lost the whole morning enjoying it.

    John Coles

    11 Jun 10 at 10:47 am

  897. Ted, One place I've been wanting to mention for some time is Hite's restaurant in Lexington. Of course, being a life-long resident, I have a selfish motivation. But I dare say, anyone who went to the west side of Lake Murray from the 50s to the 90s stopped there to eat at some time or another. Over that period of time it evolved from just another roadside stop to the premier place to eat in Lex. I think it was about 1975 before Hardee's offered any competition. It's main feature was bbq (with hash & rice of course) and as it grew featured a full menu to pick from. You can find pics & some stories on a public facebook page. Just make sure to use quotes when googling or you'll get Whites. Oh, as a nod to the comment above, we (my family c1969)rode by the UFO one Sun. afternoon just to see some hippies but it was closed. It stood out like a sore thumb on main st with it bright paint. I wonder who owned or leased that property back then?

    John R

    12 Jun 10 at 3:37 pm

  898. I'm about 80% certain that Indian Pavilion is closed, I work at Sushi Yoshi four doors up and walk past it every day. I've been seeing a bunch of guys dismantling the place, they tables have all been taken apart and the coolers are in the middle of the dining room. However it does appear that someone painted the outside baby blue, sometime in the last week or so. Were it not for the paint on the outside I'd be 100% sure it was closed. I think that I'm just going to have to ask them tomorrow.

    Luke

    14 Jun 10 at 3:03 pm

  899. Great site, Ted! Thanks for the memories!

    Becky

    15 Jun 10 at 1:24 am

  900. Thanks Becky!

    ted

    15 Jun 10 at 1:26 am

  901. GameStop in Dutch Square is closing as of 6/27/10.

    Jason

    25 Jun 10 at 2:35 pm

  902. I just got back from Dutch Square and am shocked that the Picadilly Cafeteria has closed! I started eating there as a USC student in the '60's when it was Morrison's. Cafeterias seem to be a dying breed, but remain my favorite restaurant format. Is S&S still at Richland Mall (or whatever they are calling it these days?

    Thanks for a great site!

    Joe

    26 Jun 10 at 2:38 pm

  903. Speaking of cafeterias....Haven't seen a mention here of the old S&S Cafeteria on Gervais, just a block or two from the State House. Another favorite of USC students in the 60's. Also, Cogburn's Grill on Sumter street was well worth the walk for a hungry & poor student. They had a 99 cent special for lunch which included a good-sized hamburger steak and a huge portion of fries!

    Also, I had breakfast frequently at a little place near USC I think was called Jimmy's. The owner was always there and I'm pretty sure his name was Jimmy Leventis. He sold those little meal cards where you got a free meal for every 10 you bought.

    Joe

    26 Jun 10 at 3:22 pm

  904. S&S is still at Richland Mall (and yes, it is Richland Mall, not Midtown at Forest Acres (I'm having to get re-accustomed to calling it Richland Mall as opposed to Midtown at Forest Acres))

    Apparently that my hunch that Picadilly is about to close was true...I was in Dutch Square when there was a sign facing inward indicating it was closed but I could see it without going inside as the doors were still propped open as to welcome folks inside. I wasn't sure but Joe, you've confirmed my hunch that I posted last week. Phillips Edison supposedly had a plan to revamp Dutch Square in a 'Village at Sandhill-esque' style but has been very hush hush about it...so we shall see how it goes

    Andrew

    26 Jun 10 at 4:00 pm

  905. Here is the S & S on Gervais.

    Sounds like I've got to get back out to Dutch Square..

    ted

    26 Jun 10 at 4:40 pm

  906. Speaking of Dutch Square, if memory serves me right, this fall will mark the 40th anniversary of the state's first enclosed mall. I wonder if any media outlets will do a piece to commemorate this.

    Tom

    27 Jun 10 at 9:59 am

  907. @Tom - if any of the media does a story about Dutch Square, it's that it's dying a slow, and painful death.

    Jason

    28 Jun 10 at 8:38 am

  908. @Jason. I agree. It is the classic tale of rise and fall. Still it might be nice to reflect on what made it so nice and special so many years ago.

    Tom

    28 Jun 10 at 11:25 am

  909. Does anyone remember the Rumours nightclub...from the 80's? It was on Blanding street. A;so did anyone ever shop for jeans at "Its...The Levi's place"? it was on Broad river rd.

    Rondo 13

    28 Jun 10 at 10:25 pm

  910. I definitely remember the existance of "Its", but not where it was.

    ted

    28 Jun 10 at 10:44 pm

  911. It's was on the left if you were heading away from downtown. A couple of blocks before Broad River Road.

    It's now a Payday Loan place, painted gray.

    Dennis

    29 Jun 10 at 5:22 am

  912. It's was where M&M Music and later a thrift store used to be on Broad River, next to the used car place that was open a short time across from the hardware store.

    Tom

    29 Jun 10 at 8:35 am

  913. Anyone remember Striders on Huger Street?...Some GREAT bands came thru there in the 80s....I spent a hefty amount of time there ruining my hearing...lol

    Rondo 13

    29 Jun 10 at 11:49 am

  914. @ Rondo. I went there three times. Saw Men Without Hatrs, Joan Jett and Leon Russell there.

    Tom

    29 Jun 10 at 12:49 pm

  915. I saw molly Hatchett,lackfoot,trixter,and numerous other great bands there back in the day....its some kind of cheerleading place now i think.....the inside of that building has seen alot over the years...i wonder what was there before Striders?

    Rondo 13

    30 Jun 10 at 9:43 am

  916. I had a Slayer poster from when they played there, but did not see them. My buddy saw the Chili Peppers. I saw L.A. Guns, but it was Huger Street Concert Hall by then.

    Jonathan

    30 Jun 10 at 10:04 am

  917. Was Striders once the Electric Warehouse, or am I confused?

    Jim

    30 Jun 10 at 8:36 pm

  918. it may have been ,im not sure about that.....How about the green olive?...This was a free standing lounge back in the mid 70's...on 2 notch rd in columbia if my memory serves me.

    Rondo 13

    1 Jul 10 at 9:40 am

  919. also,ive seen posts about "columbia Underground"...the entrance was located in an arcade mall on main street columbia .My aunt ran an employment agency back in the early mid 70s at the arcade mall...it wAS CALLED cAREERS UNLIMITEDE. i REMEMBER GOING TO HER WORK WITH HER AS A SMALL CHILD AROUND AGE 8 OR 9 AND WONDERING WHAT IT WAS LIKE DOWN THERE BELOW STREETR LEVEL AND EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS I WAS MISSING OUT ON....LOL

    Rondo 13

    1 Jul 10 at 9:45 am

  920. @ JIM, Strider and the Electric Warehouse were at two differnt, but clise by locations. The Green Olive was on Two Notch on top of the hill near the drive-in. In was infamous for being a top less bar at one point.

    @Rondo, WOLO Hidden Columbia did a nice piece on the Underground, you can check it their website.

    Tom

    1 Jul 10 at 12:03 pm

  921. I apologize if I have missed any of these elsewhere. Just found this site, and find it very interesting. I will list these along with the location that I am most familiar with.
    -Barrel O' Fun Arcade--Dutch Square. I've seen BRM/Decker Land of Oz mentioned.
    -If It's Paper--N Main St
    -Columbia Book Binders--N Main St
    -Elite Epicurian(sp?)--Main St
    -Old Country Buffet-- St Andrews Rd
    -Kenny Rodgers Roasters--Harbison Blvd(Remember the Seinfeld episode?)
    -Iron Horse Saloon--? the boonies
    -Caper House/The Pantry
    -Doug's Dogs--Pendelton St?
    -California Dreaming--Green St?
    Thanks for the memories!

    JBL

    1 Jul 10 at 6:21 pm

  922. Barrel O' Fun is here.

    California Dreaming is still open as far as I know.

    ted

    1 Jul 10 at 10:03 pm

  923. @Tom: If It's Paper is still open on Main Street but their Bush River Road location (same shopping center as the former Circiut City Location closed sometime in 2007 as they lost their lease...

    Andrew

    1 Jul 10 at 10:20 pm

  924. Thanks, Andrew(I asked, Tom was above.) Do you remember Columbia Book Binders?

    JBL

    1 Jul 10 at 11:13 pm

  925. Is Elite Epucurian still open? Are there still Kenny Rodgers Roasters in other towns?

    JBL

    1 Jul 10 at 11:15 pm

  926. Elite Epicurian closed in 1997 I believe. I think Kenny Roger's Roasters went bankrupt, but there are apparently some remnants of the chain left in Asia.

    Dave

    1 Jul 10 at 11:45 pm

  927. Asia, really? EE is where I proposed. Do you know what's in the building? Thanks.

    JBL

    2 Jul 10 at 1:49 am

  928. Columbia Book Binders at North Main and Miller? They tore that building down a couple, three years ago. I always thought the clock over the door was cool. The Gravely dealership has been vacant for quite a while, too.

    jamie

    2 Jul 10 at 7:04 am

  929. Let's see... Elite Epicurian first became a Northern Italian seafood-focused place called LaVecchia's, full of fish tanks and aqua neon colors, until around 2002... Then it became Aquagrille, which didn't last long. After that it has been dance clubs under 2-3 different names.

    Dave

    2 Jul 10 at 7:27 am

  930. Thanks, Jamie and Dave.

    JBL

    2 Jul 10 at 1:33 pm

  931. Wow...I really love this site!!!...How about "The Pizza House" it was on 378 close to I-26...across from that waffle house...the building and the Pizza house signs are still there...I ate there many a late nite in the 70s and 80s....Good times :-)

    Rondo 13

    2 Jul 10 at 10:24 pm

  932. @rondo:

    Thanks!

    And:

    The Pizza House

    ted

    2 Jul 10 at 11:44 pm

  933. As a person who moved away from Columbia as a child in 1989, this site is great and is like an online scrapbook. I only remember Columbia as it looked and felt from the late 80's and the pictures give me fond memories. Where else in the world would I be able to find an old picture of the playground at the Hardee's by Dutch Square Mall!?!?

    Tim

    3 Jul 10 at 2:32 pm

  934. What happened to the North Main Deli? It's been closed for more than a month now.

    Marsha

    6 Jul 10 at 1:25 pm

  935. Rax (roast beef) had 3 locations in Columbia

    - St Andrews where the Bojangles is/was
    - two notch road, now an Arby's
    - Trenholm plaza, razed and turned into a bank of america ( I worked there when they first openned)

    Kmart foods were all over columbia next to every kmart store

    - the one on two notch became a Piggly Wiggly ( my very first job) then it was an Advance Auto. Piggly Wiggly moved to the out parcel of Columbia Mall. When the pig shut down, it became Pier 1.

    Black Eye Peas on Decker Blvd ( fast food meat and 3 joint)

    - the building is still standing, never reopenned under any different name. Its the fast food joint boarded near the corner of Decker and Trenholm. Its right next door to the old McDonalds they razed to put the road in.

    Jimmy

    7 Jul 10 at 8:13 am

  936. I listed the wrong name, it was Grandy’s and not Black Eye Peas. Forgive me as I was young when the family and I use to go there.

    Jimmy

    7 Jul 10 at 8:57 am

  937. On two notch at the off ramp there is a I believe a china buffet there. Before that it was Miami Subs.

    What was the name of the burger joint that was there back in the 80's? They sold pita bread sandwiches, burgers on multi grain buns, beer, wine etc etc... They also had another location in 5 points where Harpers currently is.

    I worked there when they first openned but can't think of the name of it. They were only open maybe 4 years as the public wasn't ready multi grain buns at a burger joint.

    Jimmy

    7 Jul 10 at 9:20 am

  938. The little strip mall /building on harden street just to the right of foodlion will be razed soon. The building housed PT's Caberet, Army Recruiting office, The Firm and others. USC owns the property and forced everyone to close down recently. No sure what USC plans to build here.

    Someone mentioned Rumors on Blanding earlier. That building has been atleast 20 clubs over the years. They rotate between being a gay and a black club about every 2-3 years.

    Jimmy

    7 Jul 10 at 10:08 am

  939. USC owns this too? Good grief.

    59 Ford Wheelman

    7 Jul 10 at 5:10 pm

  940. D'Lites was the name of the place I was thinking of. They had two locations.

    - 5 points where Harpers is
    - Two Notch road at the off ramp where Splendid china buffet currently is. D'lites -> Vision Center -> Miami Subs -> Splendid

    I noticed yesterday they have already started razing the property on Harden St, not sure what USC is going to build here.

    Jimmy

    8 Jul 10 at 5:44 am

  941. Property records show 1101 Harden is still owned by a private developer.

    Steve

    9 Jul 10 at 12:39 pm

  942. I believe the Software Seconds store on St. Andrews right across from that manufacturing plant(can't remember who owns it now) is closed. That place had been in business a pretty long time.

    On another note, does anyone know what those weird little out buildings across from the Lowes and down from the Fire Station on Two Notch used to be? They have a pseudo tropical look to them.

    ChiefDanGeorge

    10 Jul 10 at 6:24 am

  943. I know what they were..

    ted

    10 Jul 10 at 9:07 am

  944. The manufacturing plant is currently owned by Shaw. It was previously Allied Chemical/Allied Signal/Honeywell

    IrmoJeff

    10 Jul 10 at 9:19 am

  945. I beleive Bull Market in the Vista is closed.

    O'Reilly

    10 Jul 10 at 5:42 pm

  946. The note on the door says it's closed for the week for vacation, but I don't inside info.

    badger

    11 Jul 10 at 1:11 pm

  947. Chief Dan George, I do not know what those buildings near Lowes on Two Notch were originally, but I do know that in 1981 The Byte Shop (or its predecessor) was there selling Apple II computers. Later (2003ish) an artist (John Daso) was trying to start an art school of some type there.

    Larry

    12 Jul 10 at 11:56 am

  948. @ CDG If you are talking about the buildings on the frontage road between Two Notch and the Fire Station, they were originally office buildings. The Dentsville Magistrate office was located there as late as the 1980s.

    Tom

    12 Jul 10 at 2:04 pm

  949. Does anyone know what the name of the chicken place that used to be on Two Notch right around the Bi-Lo shopping center area. There used to be a Ryan's, then it was Harbor Inn right there....just up the hill on Two Notch from that. I believe it was a Title Loan place, and now a Japanese Place I believe? I remember they used to serve chicken in plastic buckets, had a Blue Bird for a logo. I want to say it had a Blue, Bell, or Bird somewhere in the name, or something with a B. They must have closed around 93' or so but I can't remember what it was called.

    AM

    15 Jul 10 at 9:23 pm

  950. Do you mean Zesto's?

    ted

    15 Jul 10 at 10:51 pm

  951. I was wrong about Software Seconds, drove by it tonight it was open.

    ChiefDanGeorge

    16 Jul 10 at 5:25 am

  952. Am, was it Mrs. Winners?

    Tom

    16 Jul 10 at 5:49 am

  953. I think it was originally a Mrs. Winner's.

    Dave

    16 Jul 10 at 7:44 am

  954. at one point in the past 20 yrs I remember a chain of fried chicken joints in town called "Birds". If I remember right their sign/logo was blue. So maybe that place on 2 notch was a Birds Chicken?????

    Rondo 13

    16 Jul 10 at 10:19 pm

  955. AM-
    If you are talking about the old McDonalds building, I am pretty sure it was a Zesto.

    Larry

    19 Jul 10 at 4:04 pm

  956. Small but missed is the Attic Treasures on Meeting Street (I think). It was a typical antique mall with lots of booths offering things from lots of people. It was in this odd building and a bit smaller than most but still a great place to find neat things like an old manual typewriter for $15.

    Larry

    19 Jul 10 at 4:08 pm

  957. The Quizno's on Harbison has reopened and been remodeled as well. I ate there last night and asked someone what happened and she said the old franchise owener had retired and that someone else came in and bought it from him.

    Tom

    21 Jul 10 at 11:50 am

  958. The odd collection of buildings at Senate & Harden (PT's, Marine Recruiting, Swift Water Beads) has been demolished. I didn't realize the small building that fronts on Harden was going to be demolished as well as the one on the corner.

    Also, the Hardee's on the next block in completely gone and the Chick-Fil-A has been started. But their sign has already been installed.

    Matt

    21 Jul 10 at 2:28 pm

  959. @ Matt- those buildings were originaly a part of Wilson Lincoln-Mercury. Its owner was called "P-Nut Wilson" and often had a picture of his face supperimposed on a humanized p-nut.

    The thing I remember about the dealership is that it had a neat Ford issued Lincoln-Mercury sign. I hope someone saved it.

    Tom

    21 Jul 10 at 6:07 pm

  960. My Parents bought a couple autos at that dealership...Wilson Motors...That was in the early 70s...When a baby blue Lincoln would have been "in style"....LMAO!!!!!!!!....as IF!!!!

    Rondo 13

    24 Jul 10 at 10:04 pm

  961. I heard recently that Rogers Brothers Fabrics has closed their Columbia store. They moved into the old Columbia Photo location on Devine a couple of years ago. I found out because my sister-in-law's store was looking at moving into the space.

    Matt

    25 Jul 10 at 12:05 am

  962. Interesting..

    I've got the Rogers Brothers move from Trenholm Plaza, and Columbia Photo Supply.

    Guess I'll have to take another look.

    ted

    25 Jul 10 at 12:12 am

  963. Marginally related to Columbia Closings, but does anyone know what happened to the Wings and Wheels museum in Santee, SC? My kindergarten class took a field trip there in 71 or 72, and I remember it was pretty cool.

    jamie

    26 Jul 10 at 10:04 am

  964. I haven't seen a post regarding Martin's Restaraunt ( popularly called "Eats") that used to be on Garners Ferry Road near the current site of Walgreens.

    Also missing is the Capitol Cafe, the Five Points Sandwich Shop ( service with a sneer - I met Pam Parsons there one night!) or Mellender's BBQ in West Columbia.

    I guess its pretty sad the places I recall most fondly are places to eat!

    Great site, btw.

    Jim

    29 Jul 10 at 7:50 am

  965. Jim,

    Thanks!

    Here's Martins and Capitol Cafe

    ted

    29 Jul 10 at 8:08 am

  966. Has anybody noticed that Cadillacs, on Woodlands Hills Rd. in St. Andrews, is closed? I don't know if it is for good or not. They had AC problems. But the former Cussin' Bills spot has never been much for success.

    joel

    30 Jul 10 at 1:46 am

  967. There were people and an awning in front of it last week..

    ted

    30 Jul 10 at 2:00 am

  968. Cadailacs was Bawa Oyster. It was owned by the same guys that own 360 Sports on Bush River. When Bawa went bust, they subleased it to a guy that owns a few gentlemen's clubs in town and renamed it Cadillacs. After a few months he pulled out. The guys from 360 then tried to keep it going as Cadillacs. Its one of those places that could probaly print money if they would get an identy. Are you a family restauratn, are you a late nite bar, are you a black club, are you and old white club, etc...

    O'Reilly

    30 Jul 10 at 7:14 am

  969. I remember chatting with the owner there. He owns a black oriented gentlemen's club on River Drive. He seemed convinced that he could make a go of Cadillac's.

    joel

    30 Jul 10 at 12:17 pm

  970. Does anyone remember Desere Jenkins who went on the nighttime Price Is Right and became perhaps the biggest winner on that show. One night she won a sofa with mink cushons. This was in 1963 or 1964 and her name was in the papers for weeks especially after she bwcame Mother of the Year and soon after there was a very messy and public divorce. I think she ended up moving to Charlotte, but it was a big local story at the time.

    gary

    30 Jul 10 at 4:20 pm

  971. SuperPets on Decker is closed.

    JohnBom

    1 Aug 10 at 4:40 pm

  972. Labrasca's has a sign that says "Closed July 28." I assumed it meant just for the day, but I don't think they've been open since. I was hoping it was just vacation, but I just called their listed number, and it says disconnected.

    badger

    4 Aug 10 at 3:55 pm

  973. My sister kept telling me that something was going on there, but it always looked open when I would check it out. Granted this was before the 28th.

    ted

    4 Aug 10 at 8:54 pm

  974. LaBrasca's is near the Kroger at 4305 Ft. Jackson Blvd. they closed back in November 2007. Shortly thereafter, I was read that Edens & Avant was going to raze the former Kroger and redevelop it much like they did with Woodhill but nothing ever came of it..my Aunt Polly (who lives in Forest Acres) doesn't know any more about it than I but LaBrasca's apparently closing indicates that they might be doing something and LaBrasca's decided to cut their losses and close up...but we'll have to see what comes of it...

    Andrew

    4 Aug 10 at 9:00 pm

  975. Tons of great memories on the site for a Columbia native now living in KY-many thanks!

    Also, with all of the great places that have come and gone over the years, glad to see Russell and Al still thriving over at Very's Great Philly Food on Two Notch for over two decades...

    Jay Gabbard

    5 Aug 10 at 12:55 am

  976. At lunchtime today I called LaBrasca's number, which apparently isn't disconnected, but there was no answer so I guess they're (still) closed.

    I wonder if the Little Caesar's over on Rosewood is affecting their business?

    Mike

    5 Aug 10 at 5:57 pm

  977. Slightly off the topic of closings, but folks might enjoy these old color pictures. A few were taken in South Carolina.
    http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/07/26/captured-america-in-color-from-1939-1943/?source=ARK_plog

    E.J.

    6 Aug 10 at 6:08 am

  978. Very nice! Interesting how well slides hold their color.

    ted

    6 Aug 10 at 11:29 am

  979. LaBrasca's was open tonight when I drove by.

    Mike

    6 Aug 10 at 9:51 pm

  980. Damon's on Senate in the Vista is closed.

    Steve

    6 Aug 10 at 10:55 pm

  981. Is there a good collection of old Columbia photographs available online?

    joel

    6 Aug 10 at 11:53 pm

  982. Thanks for sharing the site E.J. That was great.

    Jeff

    7 Aug 10 at 12:17 pm

  983. I recently went into the Equitable Arcade building with the goal of checking out this 'Columbia Downunder'. I found the staircase(s) outside locked, but the elevator has a basement button that took me right down. After seeing how dark and creepy it is, I waiting until I had a few friends and flashlights and came back.

    We walked the entire length both ways and went into many of the old shops/bars/etc. It was very interesting, each bar seemed to have its own theme. The floors, walls, doorways, etc. would all change depending on where you were. It was pitch black in most of the places so make sure you've got lights.

    It appears as thoough it has/is been used as storage for a while now, some of the rooms have boxes with files in them while others have old computers, telephones, printers, etc.

    It is certainly worth checking out if you're into urban exploration, just don't go alone, there was evidence of homeless activity down there.

    Chris

    12 Aug 10 at 7:36 am

  984. Did you get pictures?

    ted

    12 Aug 10 at 12:10 pm

  985. Bull Market is definitely closed--and pretty much cleaned out.

    badger

    13 Aug 10 at 6:34 pm

  986. Interesting -- another case of "optimistic" signage then.

    ted

    13 Aug 10 at 9:59 pm

  987. Ace Hardware at Two Notch and Brickyard is closing. Judging by the signs in the windows, they're well into their going-out-of-business sale.

    Jason

    15 Aug 10 at 12:17 pm

  988. I've noticed a couple of notable closings over the past week. Superpetz in the Staples shopping center on Decker. The Old Navy in Columbia Mall must have closed a while back because it doesn't even show up on their web site.

    Matt

    16 Aug 10 at 8:42 am

  989. Underground Columbia - I did not realize they had the elevator unsecured. I've been down before and think that unfortunately its condition and current fire codes mean it will probably never reopen. I've been told that it was originally stables for parking when the building opened in the early 1900s altho that could be apocryphal. I may have to go check it out again.

    Larry

    16 Aug 10 at 3:34 pm

  990. I think we need to form a "ColumbiaClosings Expedition Team" grab a few pints at the Main Street Tavern (Old Sherlock Holmes) for some liquid courage and take a trip to the Underground, since each of us wants to go, but not by ourselves!

    Jonathan

    16 Aug 10 at 3:42 pm

  991. I would hate to get stuck in the elevator if it most likely failed.

    joelc

    16 Aug 10 at 11:50 pm

  992. @Jonathan - Sounds good to me! I miss the Sherlock Holmes Pub. I didn't realize a new place opened.

    I'm not sure if Ted wants this kind of thing discussed on here, but does anyone do any urban exploration? There used to be a group called Underground Columbia that had a really nice website and was fairly active. They even contributed to UER . C A (spaces inserted on purpose to confuse bots). Wonder if they found this place. I never have done any myself because I'm really non-confrontational and don't want to deal with security/police/squatters, but I'd be open to doing some during the day.

    Ted, if you don't want this kind of thing on your board, feel free to delete it, and if you do delete it, I apologize in advance for posting it.

    Matthew

    17 Aug 10 at 11:08 am

  993. @Matthew -- no prob!

    ted

    18 Aug 10 at 7:06 pm

  994. OK, then. Friday afternoons work better for me, but directly after work would work for me as well. I'm not sure what time they lock the building, but that would definitely be an issue. Ted, feel free to give Matthew my email address if he asks and we can set something up!!

    Jonathan

    19 Aug 10 at 8:29 am

  995. This may come too late, but when visiting the arcade mall, unless things have changed, it's a last person out locks the doors kind of place. Also, when I was there, you needed a key to get out. So be careful. Wouldn't want any embarrassing calls to the police -- "Um, yeah. We're locked inside the Arcade Mall. What were we doing? Um, studying architecture!??"

    Larry

    23 Aug 10 at 12:23 pm

  996. Does anyone remember Moxies on St Andrews road? It was the building where D's was recently. We loved the burgers, onion ring loaf and the condiment stand they would bring to the table. I loved the relish for the burgers. It was a chain. It must have closed here in the early to mid eighties.

    jamey

    24 Aug 10 at 5:02 am

  997. Does anyone remember a mobil hot dog truck in chicago. It cruised around in the neighborhhod. at night just selling, hot dogs and pop. It was called the Putt, Putt. Around Divison & Paulina. It was in the late 70s Its top speed was about 5mph. Thanks!

    Daniel Komosa

    26 Aug 10 at 3:46 pm

  998. Does anyone remember Meri's Record Shop in Richland Mall, also the Caramel Korn that used to be there?

    Richland Mall when it was an open air mall also housed the first incarnation of the late great Happy Bookseller.

    Christina

    27 Aug 10 at 8:35 pm

  999. I certainly remember Meri's. I specifically recall getting The Beach Boys "Honkin' Down The Highway" 45 there (not one of their better moments) as well as an unexpected find in "Green Plant" by The Tokens (or produced by them, I forget). I know I got others but I specifically recall those.

    The popcorn store was Mr. Popper's and seems to have fond memories for a number of folks.

    ted

    27 Aug 10 at 10:19 pm

  1000. Christina is right. The popcorn store was called Caramel Korn (or some similar spelling) before it became Mr. Popper's.

    Jim

    28 Aug 10 at 12:31 am

  1001. there used to be a service we called "the drunk bus". i have no idea what the real name was. it would ferry you from 5 points to one of several dorms late at night. i used to live at Whaley's Mill and would use it. i would just hop a ride to Bates and then walk the one block home. WAY better than hoofing it the whole way. Does anyone remember this? What was it really called?

    KEE

    28 Aug 10 at 2:31 am

  1002. The Little China restaurant/buffet near Rush's on Decker Boulevard appears to be temporarily or permanently closed. There have been no cars there for at least two weeks. Signage is still up but no activity whatsoever. It would be a shame if this is closed...it's been there forever!

    Christina

    28 Aug 10 at 6:13 pm

  1003. sure looks that way..

    ted

    28 Aug 10 at 10:54 pm

  1004. @Jim... Was it Karmelkorn? Those places were in all the malls back in the 70s/early 80s. I even remember one making an appearance in an 80s movie. I want to say Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but I can't be sure and I can't find a reference.

    As far as Decker Blvd. goes... last one to leave, please turn off the lights!

    Matthew

    30 Aug 10 at 9:01 am

  1005. It looks as though Paul's Philadelphia Eatery in the Vista (to the left of the Flying Saucer) has closed. That's three within a stone's throw of each other recently: Damon's, Bull Market, and Paul's.

    badger

    2 Sep 10 at 10:07 pm

  1006. Paul's Philadelphia Eatery in the Vista has closed. That's three that are practically door to door with each other.

    badger

    3 Sep 10 at 9:06 am

  1007. Shame for Paul's, but I can't say I frequented it. Seems like it should have been a good location as Flying Saucer and Monterrey's get lots of traffic. But on the other hand the one time I did get a sandwich there - it was good but not phenomenal and the price to portion ratio was a little bit off for getting lunch there.

    Larry

    3 Sep 10 at 4:14 pm

  1008. I think I have a few pictures of the original El Menchaca building. Would you like for me to scan them in and send them to you to post. I will need an email address to send them to.

    Ken

    3 Sep 10 at 4:54 pm

  1009. Matthew, I was thinking Karmel Korn, more like this:

    http://www.shs58.org/graphics/karmel_korn.jpg

    but I just can't remember for sure.

    Jim

    3 Sep 10 at 8:43 pm

  1010. Ken,

    Sure:

    closings at columbiaclosings dto com

    ted

    3 Sep 10 at 10:32 pm

  1011. is there anyone posting or reading anymore???????

    Rondo 13

    23 Feb 11 at 10:04 am

  1012. @Rondo this is the archive page. Click the "Have Your Say" on the top tab for current posts. Also, on posts about the individual closings, you can find some interesting discussions at times as well

    Andrew

    23 Feb 11 at 12:42 pm

  1013. Anyone remember the following:

    - Red Derby - Rosewood Drive (late 60's)
    - Golden Cue - pool hall on Assembly near Star Lanes -
    late 60's
    - Gittman's Book Store - Main Street ( 50's/60's)
    - European Health Spa - late 60"s Forest Drive across from
    Richland Mall
    - Campus Club South - South Main Street

    Don

    15 Jan 13 at 2:29 pm

  1014. I kinda remember the Hotel DeSoto. The bellhop was quite accomodating, in 1961, in assisting me in losing my virginity. Only cost about $20. Her name was Sue, or so she said.

    Gene Wade

    20 Sep 14 at 9:46 pm

Leave a Reply

Tags

Beltline Boulevard Broad River Road Bush River Road business cars Cayce clothes commentary Decker Boulevard Dentsville Devine Street entertainment events Five Points Forest Acres Forest Drive Garners Ferry Road Gervais Street Grand Strand groceries hamburgers Harbison Harbison Boulevard Harden Street historic I-26 Irmo landmark Lexington main street mexican nightclub out-of-area pizza restaurants Rosewood Drive Saint Andrews Road stores Sunset Boulevard Trenholm Road Two Notch Road US-1 US-17 US-378 West Columbia

Recently Updated Posts

Blogroll