Sub Station II / Laundromat, 181 Harry C Raysor Drive (St. Matthews): 2000s 9 comments
I noticed this pair of co-located derelict businesses driving US-601 through St. Matthews towards I-26 this Spring.
I wasn't sure at first what the restaurant was, but a close look at the menu board pretty well pins it down to a Sub Station II.
I can't think of any obvious reason why both businesses in this building would have failed at what seems to be more or less the same time. While the restaurant market is fickle, laundromats are places where you must go. I'm guessing early 2000s for the timeframe here, but the building does seem rather enthusiastically vine encrusted, and if the realtor posting the sign does succeed in selling the place, I doubt there's much that can be done beyond knocking the place down and starting over.
UPDATE 31 March 2022: Updating tags. I can't add a map icon because I have no idea where this was now.
UPDATE 1 April 2022: Commenter Andrew has located this place on Google maps (it was apparently still standing in 2018), and following his lead, I come up with the address of this place as (probably) 181 Harry C Raysor Drive, St. Matthews SC 29135. With that, I am able to make a map icon. Also, I will put that in the post title. Harry C Raysor Drive is the local name for US-601.
9 Responses to 'Sub Station II / Laundromat, 181 Harry C Raysor Drive (St. Matthews): 2000s'
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Terry
8 Nov 14 at 10:32 am
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I know that in recent years, the old Hiltop restraunt at St. Andrews & Jamil has been razed and the lot still sits vacant and the same thing happened with a buffet building at 1111 Knox Abott Drive (several came and went) was demolished and to this day sits vacant...this building makes more sense than either one of those to do something along those lines with than either one of those two did...
Andrew
9 Nov 14 at 12:19 am
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@Terry -- nope, that's the way it was. They got their money's worth for that awning..
ted
9 Nov 14 at 2:51 am
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Strange... the prices on the substation menu look pretty recent, but building looks like it's been abandoned for 20 years.
Eddie In Irmo
9 Nov 14 at 9:14 pm
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I think I remember seeing this place open, probably around 2004, Those prices seem dated though. I love SS II, but their subs are probably closer to 8-9 bucks now.
MrBill
12 Nov 14 at 12:47 pm
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I drove through St. Matthews several times on US 601 for work and have had a time of it trying to place where this is exactly...
Andrew
14 Nov 14 at 11:09 pm
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I'm a little hazy on that. My memory is that I took Bluff Road all the way to 601 and went through St. Matthews on my way to I-26, but its possible I took a turn somewhere. Anyway, I definitely recall that the building was on the left side of the road as I headed for i-26.
ted
15 Nov 14 at 12:49 am
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So I strolled through Google Maps and it has become apparent to me that this is at the intersection of 601 & Mack Hill Drive...
Andrew
1 Apr 22 at 4:23 pm
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@Andrew-- Thanks that was enough to let me locate it and create a map icon!
ted
2 Apr 22 at 1:01 am
The blue LAUNDROMAT awning looks surprisingly in good condition vs. the rest of the building. Ted, you didn't photoshop that in there, did you?