Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I get out to this part of the metro area very rarely as it's quite a pain to make it there from Forest Acres, or indeed from practically anywhere not in the neighboorhood. I did notice this little dessert cafe in the Publix shopping center some time ago when I was on Hardscrabble checking for another closing, and I recall thinking that it was a shame I had just had lunch. I think the little gazabo might have worked better on the rear of the shop, away from the heavy traffic in front, but still, it would have been nice to sit out in the Spring and watch the world go by.

(Hat tip to commenter Jason)

UPDATE 28 August 2020: Changing address in post title to "Hardscrabble" rather than "Hard Scrabble". Adding map icon, updating tags.

Women's apparel shop Round Robin at the corner of Devine and Maple closed early in the new year. Not being a frequent shopper for women's clothes, I'm afraid I was unaquainted with the store, though I have managed to mangle its name onto a certain hamburger chain a number of times..

Not to worry though -- after a month's hiatus the storefront will be reopening tomorrow under a new name (Devine Robin) and new ownership but with the same concept and staff.

(Hat tip to commenter Mary Douglass)

I'm pretty sure that when I first became aware of TCBY, their advertising slogan was This Can't Be Yogurt!. That's because at the time(I'm thinking maybe mid 1970s), yogurt, to the extent that anybody knew what it was at all, was thought of as a sour-ish dairy ingredient, something along the lines of sour cream or cheese. Certainly not something you would eat by itself, or for desert.

That certainly changed over the years, and gradually it seemed that the TCBY slogan became The Country's Best Yogurt!. Personally, while I like non-frozen yogurt, I never really was a huge fro-yo fan, and in particular if I walk into a shop and every spigot is "low" or "no" fat, I walk out again. Give me some high fat ice cream or soft-serv instead..

At any rate, this TCBY location hung on in the shopping center at the corner of Lake Murray Boulevard and Columbiana Drive for a good few years after the anchor Piggly Wiggly closed. I'm not sure of the exact date, but given that it was reported early in January 2013, the end of 2012 makes sense.

(Hat tip to commenter Soxinsc)

This spot at the corner of Main & Laurel Streets has been a number of things over the years, even over the recent years, perhaps most notably The Elite Epicurean.

I really wasn't aware of Chelsea's, having last written about the place in early 2011 when it had just quit being Club Dreams. Presumably, Chelsea's moved in sometime later in that year.

I'm going to take a flyer and guess it closed around Christmas..

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

I still miss when this Two Notch lot was Dick Dyer Toyota and I could drop my car off and walk home. Since then, they've tried a couple of concepts there. I think at one point it was a scooter store, then they had the Mitsubishi & Suzuki lot. I'm not sure how to characterize what happend to that dealership. The sign says it "moved" to Love Automotive, but I'm guessing a change in franchaise went with that. At any rate it now appears that the Dick Dyer Body Shop will be moving from the bottom corner of the lot into the main building.

It's really uncanny how many times this little locaation on Senate Street, tucked behind Food Lion and Cookout has opened and closed. In fact, I completely missed the closing of Your Mom's House (the follow-on operation to The Cock Lounge) and both the opening *and* closing of Good Times.

I have to say, looking in the windows, that for having hosted so many clubs, the interior looks quite Spartan..

One constant as the club names come and go, is the magnificent Magnolia tree in the side yard!

UPDATE 1 July 2014 -- It's to be Harambe Ethiopian Restaurant:

While I agree in theory that flame cooking burgers the way Burger King (and now Cookout) does is superior to griddle-frying them, for some reason that has never actually translated into my liking BK, or at least hasn't since I was in middle school or so. Perhaps I should give them another try as its been probably twenty years or so since I've had a burger there. At any rate, that won't be an option at this store on Sunset Boulevard by the Waffle House and I-26. Unlike the many remodeling BKs in Columbia, this one seems gone for good.

(Hat tip to commenter William)

UPDATE 15 June 2020 -- Now a Denny's:

I like Indian food, but somehow never got around to trying this new Indian place in Five Points. Of course the parking situation for that location is not ideal, which is perhaps why nothing seems to get a toehold there.

(Hat tip to commenter MB)

UPDATE 1 July 2014 -- It's now Fast Eddies Calzones:

Jasmine Deli & Cafe was the follow-on operation to Baker Brothers American Deli in the Addesso building at the corner of Main and Blossom. I'm unsure if it was connected with the Jasmine Buffet on Two Notch or not.

At any rate, they have moved out and Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint is moving in.