Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I really can't remember the Columbia East Theaters. I think their heyday was when I was living in Fayetteville, and when I came home during that period, I had plenty of go-to theaters closer than these. Various commenters have described how they started out as a twin theater, later expanded to a quad-plex and ended life as a $0.99 cent venue.

Commenter Dennis mentions that the building pre-existed the theaters and was once The New South Music Hall, a live music club.

Currently the building, and surrounding defunct shopping plaza, is part of the Word Of God Ministries, a church which has also rehabilitated the old Intersection Center / Sam Solomon plaza on Diamond Lane.

7351 Garners Ferry Road is an approximate address, taken from a listing for former plaza business The Talk Of The Town Hair Gallery.

(Hat tip to commenter Brent Carter)

12 March 2012:

11 March 2013:

11 March 2014:

I took an annual trip to Aiken last week, and was amazed at the amount of storm damage over there. I had though all the "worst tree kills since Hugo" headlines were a bit of hyperbole since I didn't see anything like that here in Columbia.

Not that that has anything to do with this post. While I was there I also noticed that the Blockbuster in the Bi-Lo parking lot on Silver Bluff Road is finally getting a new tenant. Given how many Blockbuster closings I've done here, I figured I might as well add this one too. (Eventually, I'll get the Litchfield Beach store as well).

UPDATE 5 October 2020: Updating tags, adding map icon.

Originally, I was describing CanMan Dew's as being in the same location as Casa Linda.

This was confusion on my part engendered by looking at some closeup pictures of Mushi Mushi and noting that the storfronts and lighting looked the same, which it naturally would in the same strip mall.

So, anyway, I have taken the CatMan Dew's text out of the Casa Linda entry and put it here.

Thanks to commenter badger for setting me straight.

CatMan Dew's was the follow on operation to Mushi Mushi in this strip mall adjoining the Garners Ferry Wal-Mart. It came and went rather quickly, and I never actually saw it in operation. Commenter badger describes is as a burger and wing joint, and WLTX did a video story on it. (I don't have flash working right now, so I haven't been able to watch it yet).

UPDATE 25 October 2018: Add map icon.

Originally, I had a section on CatMan Dew's here, but as commenter badger pointed out, that was a different storefront.

You can see in this long-shot that this wing of the strip mall does have some similar locations, and I let the red awning and placement of lights to either side of the entranceway fool me:

Anyway, I have moved CatMan Dew's to its own post.

The Casa Linda location here was operating until quite recently, and seems to have closed at about the same time as their Lexington location. Currently the place is still a Mexican restaurant, Taco Time.

UPDATE 25 October 2018: Add map icon.

This clothing storefront in Landmark Square has apparently been vacant since circa 2006. There is currently a Simply Fashion in Edens Plaza on Beltline (the Piggly Wiggly plaza), but it looks to have shown up a few years after this one closed, so I don't think it counts as a move.

Currently Landmark Square does have a fashion shop, It's Fashion Metro which moved into the old Jo-Ann Fabrics location.

I don't know anything about Fashion Cents other than a google search on 6860 Garners Ferry brings it up. If it really was here, it must have been prior to the February 2005 phonebook.

It appears from their facebook page that a commenter saw this location as Pancho's on 8 March, so I'm using that as a date, though it would have been a bit earlier.

I never ate at this location, but in general do like the one on Beltline. From the name, I suppose this is now a second location for Pancho's on Forest Drive in the old Redbone Alley building.

(Hat tip to commenter TahoeChic)

Clearly, I really like that sign.

This building sits at the corner of Garners Ferry and Old Veterans Roads. It's actually a little hard to get in and out of, though you can cut down Old Veterans to Veterans and then come out at the light. As of now, Prudential has moved to 3200 Devine Street. I don't yet have a picture, but it is the building adjoining the old Rice Music House location.

UPDATE 2 May 2016 -- It appears that this is now CubeSmart self-storage.

These pix from 27 February 2016 show the new building almost done, but with the Prudential sign still out front:

These pix from 25 April 2016 show the new signage up, the old signage gone, and the place either open or ready to open:

Home decor store Madison Hall, in the old Greenbax Redemption Center building, either closed 28 February (as according to their web site, or is in the final days of operation. I suspect the later as when I went by last Saturday (2 March 2014) the Sale sign was still up, and there was no indication the doors had closed for the final time.

Doggone!

(Hat tip to commenter Mike d)

I'm sure someone will mention what this building was originally, bu the first specific memory I have of it is from when it was Club Cabaret. Like Heartbreakers, Club Cabaret was a strip club, but it had a much nicer roadside sign. It was a neon sign, and I wish I had taken a picture of it. As I recall, it was a very well executed portrait of an attractive woman's face underneath an elaborate and colorful hat. It was not, in fact, something that leapt out and said 'strip club', but on the other hand, in Columbia you probably couldn't put up a similar sign that did. I'm not sure when Club Cabaret closed. It was still listed in the February 1997 phonebook, so I'm guessing in the early 2000s.

After Club Cabaret, the place became Heartbreakers. I'm not sure if it was affiliated with the Platinum Plus chain from the beginning, or if it was bought out sometime later, but clearly by the time the owners made their deal with the City to close this club in order to be able to keep Platinum Plus in its current location, they were sister businesses.

The original plan announced was that Heartbreakers would move to the old Diamond Disco / Southern Gentlemans location on Old Dunbar Road. In fact, if you look at that post, you can see the new neighbors namechecking the club on their signs. At some point though, that plan went by the wayside, and the Dunbar location will be called Platinum West and will be a BYOB/full-nude club. I suppose that location is far enough from the other Platinum location so as not to cause confusion using a similar name. At any rate, I suspect the plans for the Heartbreakers staff and equpment aren't affected by not carrying the name over.

But as of now, this is Where the girls aren't.

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