Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

What can I say?

The curse of 2630 Decker Boulevard continues.

UPDATE 18 August 2015 -- But hope continues to win against experience. This place is to now become Bosheen Mediterrean Cusine

Millwood Coffee was the followup operation to Cafe Millwood after a bit of preliminary tease that it would become a pizza pub.

For one reason or another, I never got around to trying the place out, though I like coffee. I believe I did take some pictures of the place in operation, but I cannot lay my hands on them today. When I find them, I will post them.

The Harper Insurance Agency sign sometimes has a sign for the current business at 2911 as well, but today I included it for the bird's nest.

(Hat tip to commenter Diane Anderson)

Old:

New:

Starbucks has now moved from its original Woodhill location by Panera Bread down to the corner formerly occupied by Qdoba.

The new location gives it a drive through window, but perhaps more importantly in my view, moves it away from Panera. It has never made much sense to me to have a coffee and pastry shop located... right next to a shop that sells better coffee and pastries in a more comfortable setting. Without the drive-through all they had going for them was staying open a little later.

UPDATE 30 November 2021: Updating tags and adding map icon.

As I headed for my morning coffee fix at the beach last December, I found myself rudely surprised as my go-to location, Latte Litchfield was closed.

The building itself has been there forever, but I cannot recall the last tenant. When I first became aware of the place, it was a Christian coffee shop. As far as I could tell, the only practical effect of this from a customer point of view (unless you opted to attend the gatherings listed on the bulletin board) was really pleasant baristas.

I'm not sure if the place changed hands or what, but gradually that aspect was dropped, and the Internet Cafe aspect came forward. During that period, I would often stop by to get my network fix, or to print work documents I had to deal with. As DSL and cable penetrated the area, I did less of that, and I think the same applied to others and the orientation shifted once again. Though the computers and wireless were still there, the place sort of shifted to being a working art gallery with various pieces on display and an artist occasionaly working on new ones.

For a long time, the cafe was connected through an interior archway to Eggs Up Grill and though they were run as separate businesses, you could drift out of breakfast at the one and into coffee and pastries at the other. When Eggs Up moved to the Litchfield Piggly Wiggly plaza, the archway was drywalled, and access to the new restaurant there was cut off. I suspect the Eggs Up move hurt business a good bit. Likewise (as is, I believe, gently hinted at in the closing notice), the plaza started bringing in other businesses that directly competed with Latte Litchfield. For instance, they served froyo as a sideline at one time, and the plaza brought in a separate froyo business right next door to them. Likewise for lunch items and a new restaurant two doors down.

I guess now I never will get the final punch on my free-cup card.

Last year, a work friend of mine and her husband were driving from DC to Florida with a sidetrip to Clemson, and would be coming through Columbia on I-26. She suggested we meet for lunch, and wanting to give her a fairly straight shot off of and onto the Interstate, I suggested Al Amir on Saint Andrews road with Harbison as the connector.

"You can't miss it," I told them, "the restaurant is kind of below street level, but just go to the strip mall with the coffee kiosk in the front of the parking lot!"

The punchline is, of course, that when I got out there to meet them, I saw the kisok was gone, and they confirmed when they finally got there that they had had a Dickens of a time with my directions, and that point in particular...

Now, the kiosk, or another similar one under the name of Loveland Coffee, is coming back.

I may well buy a cup there -- but I don't think I'll include it in my directions!

I've driven by Jamestown Coffee Company a good many times on my way to Pizzeria Uno, but on my way there, it would be a bad time to stop because I was about to have a meal, and on my way back, it would be closed.

Now they have moved from their Lexington-ish location to downtown Columbia. As story in The State details, they have reopened inside Cromer's on Huger Street.

The story mentions losing their lease as the precipitate cause, but you have to wonder if the drive-through espresso kiosk across the street wasn't a factor as well.

(Hat tip to commenters Andy & Matt)

UPDATE 16 October 2013 -- The old location of Jamestown Coffee is now Tropical Smoothie Cafe:

As mentioned in this State story, longtime State Street fixture Cafe Strudel is.. staying on State Street. They have however moved south two blocks to 300 State Street (certainly within easy walking distance from the former location), and have re-opened ahead of schedule. In fact they were still painting the new marquee sign as I walked by, but underneath the ladder were open for business.