Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

This restaurant storefront near New Brookland Baptist has been a number of home-cooking themed operations over the years, most recently previous to this I believe it was JackSon's Southern Kitchen.

Olde Country Buffet moved here from the former Happy China location in the Food Lion plaza further down sunset. That was written up here, as was the August 2022 Grand Opening here.

Then in October of 2023, the Lexington Chronicle noted that the restaurant appeared to have been closed for at least a month.

And finally, it appears that the owner got into some legal trouble over taxes and was arrested as detailed here, though the restaurant was closed well before that happened.

(Hat tip to commenter Matt)

I believe that of the local brewpubs, I've only hit Hunter Gatherer and the Old Mill in Lexington (if you don't count Aiken as local), but I would notice the River Rat from time to time driving by and think it might be somewhere to go on a nice evening. As usual, I waited too long.

It appears that market saturation & changes in local laws hastened the closure. As the owner told The Free Times:

You'd think that would've equated to more business at places like River Rat and, in some ways, it did. What started as a production brewery became a brewpub, offering things like trivia and Sunday brunch. But it meant that businesses like Tourville's and ones like Swamp Cabbage, which had built their facilities in less-busy areas were fighting an uphill battle to get customers to their side of town. The idea had been that they'd focus more on production and distribution and less on outfitted taprooms and food offerings.

"The Stone Bill changed everything because it just meant everyone wanted to get into the business, everyone wanted to open up a brewery. Everybody saw it as a cash cow," Tourville said. "You just don't have that revenue stream without being a restaurant and getting people in your door... it's just not a sustainable business plan to be a production brewery and a brewpub."

There have been a lot of changes on Shop Road lately -- we'll have to see what happens to this location next.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

It seems like Dunkin' as a chain is doing a lot of remodeling now, and the Forest Acres location is now caught up in that. I haven't parked to see if there is a sign with an ETA for re-opening, but it looks like there's a way to go.

I will say that this place has been a bit flakey for a while -- often the lobby would be randomly closed when I would stop by though the drive-through would be open. I suppose it's staffing issues.

It's possible they moved to another part of the store -- I was just running in and out, but it appeared to me last week that the Starbucks in the Sparkleberry Square Kroger was gone.

UPDATE 16 September 2024 -- Apparently they closed their existing kiosk to remodel and make a larger in-store space, whic is now open:

My memory is that when this theater opened, it was a Dollar Cinema with every ticket for every show priced at $1.00. In the beginning, I think there were also a large number of video games and pinball machines associated with the operation. I don't seem to have done a closing on it, but at some point that operation went under, and the place came under the Spotlight Banner, still operating as a second-run theater, but with higher (though still very reasonable) prices. The Lexington Chronicle suggests that the transition was about eight and a half years ago, so around 2015.

I do remember going here several times while it was Spotlight, but cannot now recall exactly what titles I saw. At any rate, it was fine, and a much cheaper way to get the full theater experience if you didn't have to see a movie when it was on its first legs.

Movie theaters have certainly had it hard the past several years and we have lost a good number of them in the Midlands. This closure leaves only full price first run houses in the area (not counting Nickelodeon, I suppose).

Here's a bit more from The State.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

UPDATE 24 January 2024 -- To be Elevation Church:

(RIP Jeffrey Foskett, 11 December 2023)