Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Home decor store Madison Hall, in the old Greenbax Redemption Center building, either closed 28 February (as according to their web site, or is in the final days of operation. I suspect the later as when I went by last Saturday (2 March 2014) the Sale sign was still up, and there was no indication the doors had closed for the final time.

Doggone!

(Hat tip to commenter Mike d)

I'm sure someone will mention what this building was originally, bu the first specific memory I have of it is from when it was Club Cabaret. Like Heartbreakers, Club Cabaret was a strip club, but it had a much nicer roadside sign. It was a neon sign, and I wish I had taken a picture of it. As I recall, it was a very well executed portrait of an attractive woman's face underneath an elaborate and colorful hat. It was not, in fact, something that leapt out and said 'strip club', but on the other hand, in Columbia you probably couldn't put up a similar sign that did. I'm not sure when Club Cabaret closed. It was still listed in the February 1997 phonebook, so I'm guessing in the early 2000s.

After Club Cabaret, the place became Heartbreakers. I'm not sure if it was affiliated with the Platinum Plus chain from the beginning, or if it was bought out sometime later, but clearly by the time the owners made their deal with the City to close this club in order to be able to keep Platinum Plus in its current location, they were sister businesses.

The original plan announced was that Heartbreakers would move to the old Diamond Disco / Southern Gentlemans location on Old Dunbar Road. In fact, if you look at that post, you can see the new neighbors namechecking the club on their signs. At some point though, that plan went by the wayside, and the Dunbar location will be called Platinum West and will be a BYOB/full-nude club. I suppose that location is far enough from the other Platinum location so as not to cause confusion using a similar name. At any rate, I suspect the plans for the Heartbreakers staff and equpment aren't affected by not carrying the name over.

But as of now, this is Where the girls aren't.

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Commenter Brian says of Miss Mattie's in Lexington, Her red velvet cupcakes were the best I ever had.

The shop is in McCauley Square on Sunset Boulevard, north of Hudson's. This is the same strip mall that housed Yumilicious.

Commenter Brian also notes that the closing was originally flagged as temporary, but that was some time ago. All the furnishings are still intact, so that could still be the intention, but the flat Closed on the sign doesn't offer much hope.

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Here's an old-school, single island service station in Lexington. Just looking at it, I suspect it predates the BP era and probably goes back into the (original) Gulf age. This is the kind of place that used to exist to service cars -- which needed almost constant attention. Any thought to customer restrooms or any vending more elaborate than a soft drink machine was pretty much non-existent. Now, one by one they fall by the wayside as that generation of owners retires or they just can't compete against the new convenience store stations that use all the space that could have been bays to sell people stuff.

This one will be selling people Thickburgers soon.

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I have already done a closing for Huller's Black Forest in their final home on Saint Andrews Road. Before they moved there however, they occupied this Columbiana Drive building, up a flight of stairs from the Nathan's / Bruster's parking lot.

I thought I might as well do this one now, as the building has just reopened as The Tilted Kilt, a breastaurant a bit more upscale than Hooters and thankfully featuring no actual Scottish cuisine, most of which seems to have been created as a dare of some sort.

UPDATE 19 September 2022: Adding map icon.

You have to love the street name.

I ran across this defunct Irmo daycare center when I was turing around on Lake Murray Boulevard to go back and take pictures of something else (of what, I cannot now recall).

The way the toys are still out, waiting for children who won't return is rather sad.