Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Bestway Inn was another of the US-1 motels which lined that route coming into and going out of Columbia as we discussed recently. Actually I suppose they were all on the "coming into" side of Columbia, just depending on which way you were going.

This one lasted, in reduced circumstances, until 2017 at which point they surrendered their buisiness license to avoid being declared a public nuisance .

I don't think closing the place really brought that stretch of the road up any. It's still sitting there and now it's not maintained at all -- I forbare turning off into the lot to get any closer pictures.

This LoopNet listing helpfully mentions that the property has 32767 rooms, a number which will bring a smile to any computer programmer.

As with the Circle K on Garners Ferry, this one, on Bush River Road just north of I-20 is undergoing some kind of pump-plaze remodeling.

I have stopped at this location a number of times, and I recall thinking that in the beginning it was a bit upscale for the chain, but the rest of them have passed it now with the latest upsizing and updating. One novel feature it has or had was the the extra wide sliding glass doors.

I still think of this store as fairly new, but according to all the closing stories, it's been here about 20 years now. I also had it in my head that it stayed open later in the evening than the other local stores, but I can't verify that now, and for the final run, it's only open to 6PM, which is kind of ridiculous for a coffee bar in an entertainment district.

The company hasn't given any specific reasons for closing this stor, but I do note that it has no drive-through. You can read the story in The State, or at WLTX.

I'm trying to think if I ever stopped at this store, and I believe I did, once, about five years ago. It was your standard Starbucks experience.

(Hat tip to commenter Russell)

Urban Air was to open a trampoline & "adventure" park in the old H.H. Gregg & Steinmart spaces in Columbiana Station on Bower Parkway sometime in the Winter of 2019/2020. You can see the announcement on the company site here and the coresponding story in The State here.

Well, these things always run a bit behind, and as it turned out, early 2020 was possibly the worst time since the Depression to open such a venture, and it never happened, although they were still trying as late as 2021.

There is still a Facebook page for the proposed attraction, but looking inside the two storefronts, either nothing has happened (which seems unlikely), or all the infrastructure has been ripped out. In the meantime, Altitude has opened on Garners Ferry, and Stars & Stripes on Lake Murray Boulevard, so I don't hold out much hope for anything happening here.

(Hat tip to commenter Lone Wolf)

UPDATE 31 August 2023: Found two pictures with the branding on the storefront and added them in positions 1 & 2.

I think I had only a vague idea that this Quincy's location existed while it was open, even though I really liked the chain -- in fact I used to keep a promo brochure with all of their locations in my glove compartment so I would have a sure thing on business travel. Generally though, we went to the one on Two Notch, and rarely got to this part of town.

I'm not sure when it closed and became a San Jose, but it was presumably while I was living out of town, so I've just guessed "1990s" in the title. They haven't changed the distinctive look of the building, though the murals are nice.

This place, abuting the former National Pride Car Wash, was the follow-on operation in this spot to Buy & Save Tire Center. They opened in early 2017, and judging by Google reviews, probably closed around the end of last year. The messaging on the building is that they intend to renovate and re-open. I certainly hope that happens. I am wondering if the construction on the former Car Wash lot is a new building for them -- it looks rather small for that purpose:

This building, a former Lawyer Lisa office (she moved in 2022), and several other things (click the address tag below) is not long for the world now. I presume it will go as part of the I-26 construction project, but for whatever reason, it is already half torn down internally. What I can't speculate about is why anyone would would have tacked up U-Haul Storage sliding doors on the left side, or what the white board notations on the front mean.

Lawyer Lisa continues in business at several other locations, most notably 5175 Sunset Boulevard.

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Longtime Seven Oaks stalwart, St Andrews Seafood Market is currently closed. Unfortunately the owner has been having some health issues, but, judging by the posted signs, is thankfully doing better now. Nonetheless, she is taking the opportunity to retire, and the business is up for sale.

So, if you're feeling pescatory, you might want to reel in this catch.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

I was getting gas at the Murphy's in the old Eckerd site at the corner of Broad & Bush the other day, looking at an accident at the stop light when I noticed that this TitleMax was apparently closed.

I didn't drive over there because the intersection was wholly blocked (which is why, I think, you see people turning around in the lot in the second picture), but the sign was definitely blacked out. LoopNet also lists the building as "For Lease" (and has a nice picture), but I'm getting a bit of a conflicting signal from the store's Facebook page, which still has posts from as late as today. Of course they're pretty generic, so they could be pre-scheduled.

Anyway, I think it's safe enough to do a closing, but next time I drive by I'll try to see what the front door says.

UPDATE 23 March 2023 -- Definitely closed:

I always wondered about this place on US-501 in Marion heading towards the beach. From the signs, it sounded like it should be a big deal, but I never saw any activity there, or heard about any shows scheduled.

As it turns out, the complex started as Carolina Ampitheatre, opening some time in the early part of the century, I guess, and closing in 2009. It was revamped and re-opened as Swamp Fox Entertainment Complex in 2015, but never got a lot of traction due to the location being prone to storms and cancellations (as well as being rather out of the way), and closed again in 2020.

At that time, the plan was to redevlop it as housing, but it was early 2020, and the pandemic was coming on, so as far as I can tell, that never got off the ground and I am not sure of the current status of those plans, though *something* happened in 2021.

During the whole life of the Swamp Fox, the area also housed a locally popular bar called the Fox Hole Bar & Grill, which closed in March of 2021.

You can read about the complex in these stories from WMBF, and WBTW. If I ever go by there in the daytime, and it's not locked down, I may try to see what's left.