Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

When Smashburger first opened here, I liked it quite a bit. The burger was really good, and there were lots of bun options, including a chipolte bun that was quite tasty. The booths were much more comfortable than 5 Guys steel chairs, and the ice-tea, which was also quite good, was attractively dispensed from clear plastic tubes which mimicked old-style hand-pump gas dispensers. The only fly in the ointment, and one that kept me from being a regular is that I didn't like the fries. They were well executed for what they were trying to do, but I didn't care for the idea they were executing.

So, I would go every now and then, but probably not more than three or so times a year. All that was before the pandemic. When I went back after the pandemic, everything had changed. All of the bun options were gone, and there were no ice-tea dispensers at all in the dining room. In fact when I asked about tea, the staffer looked at me like I was crazy, and apparently went off to brew one cup. There didn't seem to be much traffic there, and a couple of times when I came to eat at the adjacent Moe's, I thought the place had already closed.

In fact, that didn't happen until late december of 2022 as reported in The Post & Courier. The reason given there was that the rent was due to triple, but I think the business they were doing had to be a factor as well, or I would have expected Moe's to jump ship as well.

Commenter Larry reports that this spot is to become a Dave's Hot Chicken.

(Hat tip to commenter Trevin Montgomery)

UPDATE 27 June 2023 -- Now Dave's Hot Chicken:

This Zoe's Kitchen in the strip mall directly across from Sandhill and also housing The Fresh Market has now completed the conversion and is open as a Cava.

As of this time, I believe the one on Sunset is still converting, and the one on Lake Murray Boulevard is actually still open as a Zoe's.

I tend to hit his place, a follow-on to Pie-Tanza & Embers, around once a year as I forget about it in-between times, but I don't think I have been since the pandemic started.

Anyway, according to their signage and ColaDaily, they are stopping dinner service for the nonce, due to the staffing issues afflicting the whole restaurant sector.

I was not really aware of this restaurant as I go out that way so seldom. Apparently it was rather new, and started just in time to be hit by the pandemic. It probably didn't help either that a San Jose was just around one corner, and El Charro around the other.

According to their Facebook they do still have a location in Swansea.

(Hat tip to commenter Heath)

I noticed this Subway in Beacon Hill Block on Airport Boulevard the other day. There is not exactly a date on the closing note, but apparently it's quite recent, as google still has the closing as temporary, and all the decor and fixtures are still inside.

I'm a bit curious about the name for this plaza. Is "Beacon Hill" a real name for the area? Is it an aviation history thing? Was there a beacon?

This little Italian Ice shop was in the strip mall which also houses Very's, and was open, I believe, only this summer. I like the window art.

Palmano's was in the small building below KJ's, formerly occupied by Reds. Judging from the google reviews, it was open until a few months ago, but has since transitioned to another pizza place (with mostly the same signage): New York Pizza & Pasta Factory. Google suggests the phone number is the same for both pizza shops, so perhaps this is more of a re-branding.

Well this is unfortunate. While I wouldn't say I was a regular at this spot, I did like to get a JJ BLT and eat at the outside tables from time to time during good weather. I guess Groucho's will do that duty from now on.

UPDATE 14 November 2022 -- Add the first two pictures, of Jimmy Johns in operation from the First Cellular closing.

S & A is the follow-on in this much restauranted building to Uncle Ned's. According to their web site, S & A has another location in Blythewood. This location is now closed for construction (though I did not notice any going on). The signs say it is temporary, and hopefully it will be.

Here's another Zoe's Kitchen closed for the conversion to Cava.

I do like the facade on the endcap this one sits in.