Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I was at Sandhill the other day and noticed that this Regions Bank on the outer perimeter was closed.

I see a google review from four months ago indicating it was already closed then, so I'm putting the date as January 2017 though that may be after the actual date. I've always thought Regions Bank was an odd name. It was especially odd when BOA was still Nations Bank because then it sounded kind of copycat. Now it just seems nonspecific.

UPDATE 26 June 2017 -- As reported in the comments, almost open again as a Navy Federal Credit Union:

Based on news from commenter Jason, I went out to Columbiana Centre to get some pictures of Bebe. By the time I got there, I found it already closed and with a mall promotional display in the windows.

Bebe is the latest retail casualty in a year that has been pretty brutal. Their original plan was to close only 28 stores, but in the event, they ended up deciding to close all 168 by the end of May 2017. According to this list, the Columbiana store was the only one in South Carolina.

So I guess the old question, "Bebe or not tobe?" is now answered..

Well, this is Columbia's other H. H. Gregg, closing as part of the same liquidation as the Sandhill store. Goody's is the most prominent former holder of this spot -- I'm not sure who could take on this much floor space now.

Northern Style Pizza replaced Touchdown's Wings & Things in this little Broad River Road endcap location, which had previously been a Sammi's Deli and probably a few other things before that.

The last Yelp review is from June of 2016, so I'm going with a "Summer 2016" closing date. The replacement operation, Papa Gio's, is also a pizza & Italian restaurant. Their sign says "Established 2007", so they must have moved here from another location, but not one I am familiar with.

There's been a bit of speculation on Have Your Say about whether D. L. McLaughlin's in Irmo is closed or not. Judging from the signage on the building, both of the practical "For Sale" and the sentimental "Thanks for the memories" type, and adding in the Facebook page, I think I can say that it definitely is.

In the event, I think I only ate here once. I was a fan of the old Sub Cabin in West Columbia, and this was either the follow-on or sibling to that operation, but even though it was good, it was just too far for me to go.

Anyone know the story of the archer on the coat-of-arms?

Just a reminder that Saturday is Free Comic Book Day 2017. Click the link or image to find local stores participating.

I think I have actually had service at this Jiffy Lube twice over the years, and I did stop there last summer when I needed the AC recharged in one of my cars and they were having an AC special but in the event they couldn't help me as the car was too old.

As commenter Matt mentions, the lot is definitely tight, and I too had trouble turning around and getting out that last time.

Somewhat, if not tremendously, interesting is that this building and the adjacent Kangaroo Express seem to share the same street address without any "suite" differentation.

(Hat tip to commenter Matt)

They're still crabs, and it will be a tough interview. Prepare accordingly.

Commenter Bart Laber reports that this whole company is gone as of February, and indeed their website is now just a "parked" page, though the old page can still be found on the Wayback Machine. Judging from that, it appears to have been an SC company as the initials would imply.

The address given on the door sign is the old Shoney's etc building in Dentsville.

(Hat tip to commenter Bart Laber)

Speaking of Myrtle Beach megastructures, one of the most iconic was knocked down last fall: The Hard Rock Cafe pyramid at Broadway At The Beach.

There are tons of articles about this online. Here's one about time time capsule, here's one about the final days, and here's one about the demolition. I've seen it claimed in more than one of them that nothing was wrong with the pyramid, but you have to wonder: to abandon such a well known landmark just seems odd if there were no pressing issue.

In the event, I only ate there once, probably a year or so after it opened, and to be frank, I remember very little about it -- just that I thought it was overpriced for a pretty standard burger given that sitting close to Joan Jett's pants or whatever didn't do much for me. Sort of like Planet Hollywood in that respect I guess.

The new location a few doors down opened on 7 October 2016, but I have not seen it yet.