Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

(I see a lot of folks from Facebook stopping by this page today. If you like this kind of stuff, go to the Alphabetical Closings page for lots more defunct Columbiana -- Ted 28 Feb 2014)

24 December 2013:

15 January 2014:

27 February 2014:

Well, that didn't last too long, I'm afraid. Sammiches was the follow-on operation to The Diner in the old Jesudi's building across from the Kmart. They opened in January 2014 and closed after about a month.

I only stopped by once, and I'm afraid I wasn't too impressed. First, I was expecting.. sammiches, and there were actually very few on the menu (and not ones I would normally go for) and second, the place was freezing. I had my sweater and my windbreaker the one buttoned and the other fully zipped up and I was still cold. The menu was some stapled laser-printed sheets, and I was the only one in the building. I had the feeling at the time (early Feb) that the place was not long for the world.

After commenter CayceKid mentioned that the place seemed closed, I rode by this afternoon (27 Feb) and there was a U-Haul van in front and the place was obviously being stripped -- something a look inside later in the evening confirmed.

(Hat tip to commenter CayceKid)

Melanie's was in the little strip mall by the railroad tracks on Two Notch just across from the Big Lots shopping center. As far as I can gather from their web page, it was a beauty parlor and hair salon.

Although the suite numbers don't match exactly, I'm pretty sure looking at the pictures that Melanie's was the follow-on operation to The Crate.

UPDATE 3 March 2014 --Commenter Steve points out that Melanie's has in fact moved to Sparkleberry, and with that info I'm able to google up a new address at 111 Sparkleberry Crossing, Suite 6, and a Facebook page. Looks like they just had their relocation Grand Opening.

Also, driving by again and specifically looking, I agree with commenter badger that this is not the old Crate unit in that complex.

UPDATE 12 March 2014 -- Here is their new Sparkleberry Crossing location:

After 75 plus years in business, Ritter Furs & Outerwear has closed its doors. Here's a bit of the history of the place, and it appears that it has been at this location since at least since 1955, which I would not have expected.

But, heaven help me, I cannot think about furs without this being the first thing that pops into my head:

Well, here's another Five Points froyo operation closing shop. Winter can't be kind to such places. This one was in a nice new brick building at the corner of Santee & Blossom on the former Kenny's lot.

(Hat tip to commenter Mike d)

Normally, I would split these two businesses up, but the building is so small they're both going to be in the pictures anyway.

At any rate, this little building on Saint Andrews Road is just in front of the old Cussin' Bill's, and under the hill from Fred's and National Mail Services.

I like the vintage Gull Wing style of the cleaning portion, and I'm not sure why they didn't just do the whole building that way.

It appears that Alabaster moved to Broad River Road around 2009, and Crown closed around 2010. I did not see any indication that the building is for sale, and apparently the Fire Marshall thinks someone may try to refit it, so we'll see what happens there.

UPDATE 12 July 2016 -- Now Best Catch Seafood Market:

I first wrote about Empire Grill in a closing for College Corner. Even at the point I took the first picture above for that post, I had to wonder what was going on, as the signage for the new place made Open Late a big selling point, and .. it was never open late.

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It looks like the follow-on restaurant to Macs On Main, CW's Grill has closed.

I was never actually sure that they had opened, as they never replaced the Mac's signage, but apparently they did, and it lasted a bit over a year.

The State story on the closing of Mac's mentioned that the owner wanted to concentrate on his cobbler business, and the sign on the door now proclaims Opening soon: World famous cobblers & catering, so it would seem that he must have kept ownership of the building.

And will, I presume, avoid this mistake:

(Hat tip to commenter Homer)

I find it a little curious that the CVS in Broad River Centre near Greystone Boulevard has closed. The co-located Food Lion does a good business (and does not have a pharmacy). In addition, there is only one other drug store in the general area, and that's a Rite Aid, and a) It's not that close and b) Why send them customers? (The actual CVS location that prescriptions are being redirected to is way down at Saint Andrews Road, probably not a good alternative for folks in this area).

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

UPDATE 6 February 2019 -- Now Beauty World:

UPDATE 5 July 2022: Update tags.

At one time Urban Thread was on both sides of Harden Street: Here and in the old American Apparel storefront as Urban Tread & More.

Then they consolidated the & More store with this one a bit more than a year ago, and now the consolidated (and original) store has closed its doors as well.

Interestingly, Urban Thread seems to be a Gainesville operation which I did not know. I had assumed it was Columbia based.

(Hat tip to commenter Mike d)

I first became aware of this strip-mall storefront on Garners Ferry when it was Ye Old Fashioned Ice Cream & Sandwich Cafe.

Next it became Anthony's Old Fashioned Burger & Fry Co.. When that closed, there was a sign for a time that it would be re-opening as Ma's House Of Pizza, but in the event the new concept was actually Pepper's Pizza, Burgers, Pasta & More aka Pepper's House Of Pizza.

As reported by MrBO, that seems to have closed sometime around mid-January 2014.

Through all the incarnations, a lot of the physical plant remained the same, including the neon sign for Fresh Salads. In fact, walking around the side of the building, I found the remains of the Ye Old Fashioned sign:

(Hat tip to commenter MrBO)
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