Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Growing up, Merita was one of our primary breads, along with Sunbeam ("It's batter-whipped!"). Gradually it seemed we moved away from white-bread a bit, and Roman Meal became our staple. Nowdays I tend to go with something denser like Arnold's. Still, I was rather shocked to find that Merita was part of the Hostess collapse (along with Wonder Bread and Butternut, which we never bought). I saw those diamond wrappers at the breakfast table many days in grade-school, with the scent of toast in the air..

This long little strip mall on Two Notch between the mall and Arcadia Lakes Drive has had more than its share of little storefront finance offices. I know of at least three, though they probably did not all operate at the same time. This one seems to have closed up shop about a year after its suite-mate, Cash N Go moved out.

I don't have a street number and so couldn't find out the name, but this little vacant lot adjoining Sunset Court was a used car operation in the not too distant past, though as you can see, their stock is now rather limited:

I would have thought this store and its enclosing little plaza were on Elmwood which these suites face, but web search matches the visible 2101-D street number to Main.

Other than that, I was able to find out very little other than that it was a clothing store, which was already pretty much apparent from the name. In particular, they weren't listed in any of my old phonebooks, so the closing date is a complete guess.

This little convenience store on the corner of Academy Street & Colonial Drive near the hospital has recently moved across the street to 3208 Colonial Drive. It appears to me that there is a re-zoning notice on the old location (though the pictures are quite blurry for some reason).

I'm pretty sure that the new location was a hand-service carwash before Q Mart moved in.

I noticed this vacancy just the other day, though a search through my phonebooks reveals that Color Imaging Solutions Group (quite a mouthful!) has been gone for a good while. I take them to have been a print shop, presumably specializing in color work.

I had thought that Eat More Tees had left Elmwood a good while ago (they are now located on Rosewood across from the Fairgrounds), but I see that the Elmwood location is still listed in the new (Feb 2013) phonebook, so I'm guessing they must have moved out sometime in mid-2012 (after phonebook entries are solidified..).

The building now houses a violin store, Palmetto Strings. It's rather an interesting building. In fact the whole area is interesting. To the best of my recollection, I had (somehow) never been in the Elmwood neighboorhood around Park and Gadsden Street. It is housing unlike most of the rest of Columbia, and strongly puts me in the mind of the historic district of Georgetown, parts of Charleston and downtown Fernandina Beach.

UPDATE 2 March 2013 -- Commenter Bo has some more information on this building, such as that it was a pharmacy and originally larger. Here's an additional view from the back:

A. C. Moore was the follow-on operation to the old Harbison Bi-Lo. I never went in, but had the feeling from the name that it was probably something like Hobby Lobby. Late last year they for some reason lost their lease and had to vacate the premises. They started a sale and clearance program almost immediately, and it appears to have been successful based on how little is left inside...

I find it curious that they were let go as the plaza is not completely sold, and it will take a special store to get shoppers to brave the traffic and make it a destination, something that that apparently did not apply to the grocery store.

I thought I had some daylight pix of the store after the closing was announced, but they seem pretty well hidden at the moment.

(Hat tip to commenter Tom)

With a name like Senor O'Malley's this place sounds like Columbia's answer to Charleston's Jaunita Greenberg's. I have to admit though that I was completely unaware of it, despite having been in the area multiple times recently.

From the local blogger reviews here and here, it souunds as though I probably would have liked it, though perhaps not when the college crowd was out strong.

(Hat tip to commenter MB)

I've done so many closings on Blockbusters that it's hard to believe there are still some around. It's kind of like finding one of those prehistoric fish that get dredged up every now and then. This one is on Broad River Road near the old G-E-X, and is already having their final clearance sale. It's amazing how far and how quickly a company which once had naming rights to everything and thought they were the future of entertainment has fallen..

(Hat tip to commenter William)

UPDATE 8 April 2013 -- As reported by commenter Andrew below, this place closed on 24 March, and the signs are down:

UPDATE 9 April 2014 -- Now a Buddy's Home Furnishings:

UPDATE 5 October 2020: Updating post tags, changing name in post title from "Blockbuster" to "Blockbuster Video", adding map icon.