Piggly Wiggly, 3040 Charleston Highway: August 2014 14 comments
As usual, when I'm trying to shoot against the sun, the results aren't pretty, but this Piggly Wiggly on the Charleston Highway near the I-77/I-26 interchange is on the way out -- in fact, it may actually be closed at this point.
When I took these shots on 3 August 2014, the store was mostly still in full operation. There were a few signs that they were trying to sell off the whole stock, but really, if you had gone for most any normal grocery item, you would have found it and the discounts were pretty modest (I believe most signs said 20%, but only to Pig cardmembers).
With this closure, I'm not quite sure where the nearest replacement store is. There's an IGA in Gaston, but the Reid's which would have been the nearest store in the other direction recently closed as well.
Of course, the new State Farmers' Market is quite nearby for adventurous souls.
UPDATE 21 August 2014 -- The place is now closed:
UPDATE 14 December 2021 -- After seven years, this store is still vacant:
Also adding a map icon.
14 Responses to 'Piggly Wiggly, 3040 Charleston Highway: August 2014'
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MrBO
16 Aug 14 at 6:00 am
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@MrBO - I cant help you with Melvin and Thomas's sauces (I used to buy them as well) but if you want something very close the Maurice's sauce then go to Bi-Lo and get the Southern Home Carolina Gold (I think that's the name) Sauce. I can't really tell the difference on either chicken or pork.
Homer
17 Aug 14 at 1:08 am
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Actually the Charleston Highway Bi-Lo is the closest store in the other direction being just a tad closer than Reid's. There is still a Piggly Wiggly in Red Bank at Two Notch and Highway 6. If anyone has Greenbax stamps from the Pig they can be converted to a gift card dollar for dollar.
Mike L.
17 Aug 14 at 9:39 pm
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The Bi-Lo Mike mentioned at Edenwood Shopping Center is the main reason the Reid's at Cayce Commons next door closed. Reid's was sold off to Bi-Lo and the two being next door resulted in the closure of the Reid's.
In Aiken, there was a Bi-Lo and Reid's that were within walking distance of each other but the thign of it is, the Bi-Lo there closed and then the Reid's became a new Bi-Lo.
No telling what will become of either site but I know they can't stay vacant forever...
Andrew
17 Aug 14 at 11:13 pm
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MrBO - I have purchased a BBQ sauce somewhere recently, at a grocery store I shop at, and that would be BI-LO, Wally World (Once and a while) or maybe Food Lion, but the sauce is called something like "Carolina Gold" and if you look at the address on the back of the bottle it says something like, PO Box 1234, West Columbia SC. Now I can't help but wonder who in West Columbia is making BBQ sauce and selling it in grocery stores, that in my opinion, looks like and taste like Piggy Park BBQ sauce. I will try and find it again but all who think about it the next time you are grocery shopping, look for it. Right now I am thinking it was a strategic move by Maurice to get his sauce back into stores.
Rick
18 Aug 14 at 4:41 pm
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Rick - I think you are talking about the same sauce I mentioned in my post above. The sauce at Bi-Lo looks and tastes like Maurice's. Even the bottle looks the same. The only difference is the price. Never looked at the bottle to see where it was made.
Cattleman's also makes a decent mustard based sauce.
Homer
18 Aug 14 at 5:45 pm
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I'm very familiar with Maurice's sauce. I thought it to be a bit bland, but it was the standard bearer of mustard sauce in this burg. Then he got in trouble with that preacher's tape he was selling. Food Lion I think was the first to boycott his sauce, followed by Wal-Mart then the rest. A real shame since he was preparing a bottling plant to go nation-wide and would have employed hundreds of people.
This gave his brothers an in-road to this market. I found I liked Melvins better as it was spicier. Then I found Thomas's and it was even spicier. (I'm not a super-taster, it takes a lot to register flavor with me.) I settled on Thomas's as the best mustard-based sauce available.
Now it seams ALL the grocery stores in this area have abandoned Bessinger sauces altogether. (A shame really as Maurice is dead and his son who runs the place doesn't hold any of his interesting political beliefs any more.)
My sister in Wilmington NC found a stand that sells Thomas's Think I'll stock up there.
MrBO
18 Aug 14 at 6:47 pm
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Ignore that "Any more" part of the previous post. To my knowledge, Maurice's son never had any of his father's "Interesting political beliefs". (I really could use an "Edit Post" finction here.)
MrBO
18 Aug 14 at 6:58 pm
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Maurice's son Lloyd started taking over the day-to-day operations of the business in the last few years (even before Maruice's passing this past February) and I've read that Lloyd has decided to shift away from the political stuff in favor of focusing on running the restaurant.
They have bottles of his BBQ sauce you can buy at the restaurants if you ever get a yen for them...
Andrew
19 Aug 14 at 4:46 pm
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Yeah they have the sauce for sale, won't cost you a yen, but it will cost you a lot more than you will pay for the Southern Gold sauce at Bi-Lo that tastes just like it.
Homer
20 Aug 14 at 2:21 am
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The sauce sold at Bi-lo ( Southern Gold ) that I bought says Mauldin SC Nothing about W. Columbia.
Gary
20 Aug 14 at 7:52 pm
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@Gary - that makes sense since Bi-Lo was either headquartered or had regional offices in Mauldin at one time.
Homer
20 Aug 14 at 8:31 pm
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I think Bi-Lo's headquarters were in Mauldin prior to the merger with Winn Dixie...I think some of the corporate stuff has been shifted down to Jacksonville, FL (where Winn Dixie is now headquartered)...I'd love to see Bi-Lo rebrand as Winn Dixie but I ain't holding my breath for it...
Andrew
21 Aug 14 at 1:26 pm
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I've seen the Bessinger's sauce at the Food Lion in Edenwood Plaza. They have a little section near the produce area that has SC owned items.
Mr. Bill
9 Feb 22 at 2:14 pm
The pig use to carry the other Bessinger Bros. BBQ sauce. Melvin and Thomas's. Now noone seems to carry them and I have little reason to visit the Pig any more except.....
Once in a while the one on Garner's Ferry would offer .99/lb pork butt. (Will be looking for one today in fact). Don't think I'll see that price any more.
They also had these shrink-wrapped beef tenderloins from Mexico for 8.99/lb. When they'd run those, I'd stock up the freezer. We'll see what the Devine St. Location has today...