Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I last wrote about Heroes & Dragons in 2016 when they moved from their standalone building further down Bush River Road back to Boozer Shopping Center (where they had been before, in the Manifest wing).

Now they have moved again, this time much further down Bush River Road, almost at I-20 in fact, and are, I believe in the old Power One / Sissy's Furniture building:

I've bought a number of things at the various locations over the years; I'll have to get by the new store as well.

(Hat tip to commenter Nobody)

UPDATE 7 June 2019 -- The new location:

Here's another store caught in the great Mattress Firm bankruptcy apocalypse of 2018. This one is right next to the Capital Bank and shares the same vast open spaces back overlook.

You can see it with the Mattress Firm signage still up here at the LoopNet listing

Back in March, I found myself driving to the beach on the North route, and much earlier than usual so that it was still daylight when I hit Florence. Just East of Aynor the road conditions sign was declaring heavy traffic ahead on US-501. I doubted that was really the case so early in the year, but decided to take the way-North route of SC-22 and finally get a chance to hit Rossi's Italian for dinner, something I had been meaning to do for many years, but, generally being on the South Strand, had never gotten around to.

Well, it seems I should have gotten around to it earlier as I found the place gone.

A media search found two stories on the closing, one from WFMB and one from The Sun News.

Apparently Rossi's closed in November of 2017 due to issues with the management of the Galleria plaza, where the restaurant had been located since its opening in 1983. The plan was to reopen at 7753 N. Kings Highway in April of 2018, but for some reason that never happened. I did find one Facebook reference to them pledging to "Try again", but nothing seems to have yet come to pass.

I guess if I have learned anything writing this blog, it's that when you think I ought to get around to that someday, you're asking for trouble if you don't.

Update 22 June 2023: Adding map icon and updating tags.

Domino's at Polo Plaza has moved across the parking lot and around the corner to the freestanding building at 9814 Two Notch Road, which used to house Blockbuster Video and then A Goodnight Sleepstore.

As you can see from the pictures, they are only occupying the north half of the building, and the south half is still for lease.

(Hat tip to commenter LD)

To the best of my memory, I have only eaten at the Korean/Southwestern Blue Cactus Cafe once, probably in the late 80s, when it lived up to its reputation of being quirky and slow, but with good food. Since then, it has changed ownership within the family, and has now finally closed.

The Free Times has the story.

The storefront is in an interesting location: A sort of sunken walkway along the front (back?) of a large building with many other tenants. It's not hard to get to, other than the usual Five Points parking issues, but if you are just driving by, you would never know it was there.

(Hat tip to commenter ED)

I got a couple of reports in June of 2017 that this place had closed. I actually did drive out there to get some pictures, and found that they were actually closed for upfitting as they were adding a Planet Smoothie operation.

In the event that must not have worked out for them, as they are closed for good this, with their Facebook page citing "Many factors" in the decision.

To me, the location appears pretty good as it is catty-cornered from the Sandhill movie theaters, and would be a good place to get a snack while waiting for your movie. Of course that only works if your movie is pretty early.

(Hat tip to commenter Sidney)

UPDATE 17 June 2021 -- Now a Poke Brothers:

Well, the situation for Jewelry Warehouse and its associated sports memoribilia stores seems rather confusing. Here is a State story on the situation, and here is one from Columbia Business Report.

I think the upshot is that while there are statements from the business that they will be back, those have probably been overtaken by events (and by the Department of Revenue). The sums owed seem quite large, and I suspect they were optimistically thinking they could turn the situation around, and overextended their resources without being able in the end to make that happen.

(Hat tip to commenter Jimmy)

UPDATE 17 May 2021 -- To be an East Bay Deli:

Also adding map icon.

The first pictures here were taken last October, when Tiffany's put up the moving signs. Apparently it was a more involved process than expected, because the signs came down for several months. Now they have finished the move to 9704 Two Notch Road, the site of the old site of The Movies At Polo, where a new building has been built in what was the parking lot for the theaters.

According to the sign there, Tiffany's will be open at the new location tomorrow: 3 May 2019.

There are two stories from The State, here and here, indicating that the new space is double the size of the old, and showing how much longer than expected it took.

Here's another Wells Fargo branch closed, this one by the Lexington Medical Center on Sunset Boulevard.

My sister is a WF customer, so she got word early and I took these pictures before it actually closed. Commenter JB later confirmed that it had taken place. Eventually I will get some pictures of the empty building if I can remember.