Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

As I was out looking for Shealey's PDQ Too, I ran across this old "Pure" sign, and had to get some pictures. I figured it was a remnant from the distant past, as I haven't seen a "Pure" station, well, ever, but maybe not so fast.

It turns out that the "Pure" brand was resurrected in 1996, and is now actually headquatered in Rock Hill. Google maps tells me that this sign is actually associated with a "Pure" gas & convenience location just to the north which apparently closed around 2023, and if I ever get out there again, I will get some pictures of that as well. Anyway, I still like the sign.

This is one of those places that I was never sure if it were still open or not. It certainly appeared not, but there are reviews up until a few months ago.

At any rate, it appears to be closed now, joining a long line of former restaurants in this building on the spur of Bush River Road sometimes known as Old Bush River Road.

I don't know anything about Belly's other than that it is a barbecue place, and is currently listed by Google as "Temporarily Closed". Their Facebook hasn't been updated since 2023, so there's no clue there, but according to commenter Beth reporting on some other Facebook traffic, they may not be coming back.

(Hat tip to commenter Beth)

This Harbison Court storefront has been a number of things over the years. Most recently previous to Fresh Poke, I believe it was Yoghut.

Judging from their Facebook, this location packed it in around last Thanksgiving, though there are other locations int the Midlands. I don't believe she's tried the poke, but my niece likes the bubble-tea at the Forest Acres location.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

UPDATE 21 May 2024: The State says this is to become the second Midlands location for Handel's ice cream.

This is quite a way from my usual rounds, so I was not really aware that Social Grill existed until commenter Robert mentioned that they were closing down for a QT to be built on the lot. 9 March was their last day, and looking at their Facebook, they have already had an auction for the restaurant equipment.

The owners plan to open a pizza restaurant called Cheesy Pint in the former B's in the Publix Plaza on North Lake Drive.

(Hat tip to commenter Robert)

This building is the former home to The Ballistic Cener, TJ's and Videos & Beyond, the last of which closed in 2011.

I don't recall anything being here between that and Michael's, but I could be wrong. At any rate, Michae'ls was here by 2019. Judging by the Google reviews, they had decent food, but it tended to come a bit slowly, and they weren't filling up the whole space (though room rentals were available).

I can't pinpoint the closing time from the reviews, but commenter Gypsie suggests it has been around a year by now. As she also notes, there is some sort of construction or gutting going on with the building, so perhaps we will see something new soon.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

New location:

I never ate at this Subway though I'm sure it would have been fine, but I had noticed it over the years, using Bush River Road to cut-through between I-20 & Saint Andrews Road. This little plaza is a bit awkwardly located though, right as Bush River goes from four lanes to two, and people are suddenly having to cut over. It also has to be said that Subway was the upscale tenant here, and were probably glad enough to move a little up the road.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

I was aware of Burn Boot Camp in this location, but I was never really sure what it actually was. Judging by the corporate website, it is a gym chain focusing on shorter, 45 minute, workouts to get you in-and-out and off to your day with no wasted time. There remain several in the Midlands, with the next closest one probably being at Sandhill.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

"Flowers by DeLoache" is the way I recall the advertising being done when I was growing up, but now this longtime Columbia florist is gone. After a 70+ year run (incorporating Branham's since the 1970s and consolidated since 2011), the owners decided it was time to take one of the offers for the property and retire. You can read the story in The State, or watch it on WLTX or WIS.

For some reason, these pictures didn't come out very well and I meant to go back for some more, but that's not going to happen now, other than getting some post-closing shots perhaps.

Columbia's only TGI Fridays closed back in 2013, with the building to bite the dust sometime this year probably, but the Grand Strand continued to have several locations.

I ate at this one back in January of 2024, and it was fine: A decent burger & fries an hour after most other places were closed. I did notice that it wasn't actually open as late as I expected from a Fridays, and that the customers were pretty sparse, but in general it seemed in good order, and I was surprised to see the signage down on my last visit.

This continues the trend of Inlet Square losing national chain restaurants, some thing that has included Hooters, Applebee's & J. Peters & Spinnaker's. In the case of all of those except the last, local operations have moved in after the chains shut, so we will have to see what happens here. I do know that some sort of redevelopment for Inlet Square is supposedly in the cards (of course that has been the case before with nothing materializing..)

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