Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

When I was growing up, we used to drive through Lugoff probably more than a half dozen times a year, visiting relatives in Hartsville. After I-20 came through, I went that way much less frequently, though sometimes I would drive the US routes to Fayetteville when I lived there, and the Interstates were still double-nickle. During the last ten or more years though I have probably only been there once or twice, and the only place I ever really remember is the building with the car on the roof.

Which is to say I had not heard of Dave's until it came up in the comments, but a nice sunny afternoon seemed like a good time to make the drive. It looks like it was a relaxed sports-bar right on the main drag. I met a resident while I was there, who has, I think has found a good home.

(Hat tip to commenter Jimmy Freeman)

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I noticed ths closed Chinese buffet in Batesburg-Leesville when I was driving through on US-1 recently. I can't quite place the fast food chain for which the building was originally built, but it looks to have been there a good while. The google reviews suggest this place struggled for a while before closing somewhere around late June 2020.

Pelican's was the follow-on in this building to a number of operations, including San Jose and Tomlinson's Used Furniture. They opened here in in 2016, but have now moved downtown to 442 Meeting Street.

In the meantime, this building seems to have been split into two units, with the righthand side now occupied by a financial services company.

I thought I was done with Bi-Lo closings, but as commenter Andrew reminded me, I had missed this one in West Columbia just East of I-26. I can only recall stopping at this store once when it was Bi-Lo. I was driving through late at night and for some reason got a hankering for cinnamon rolls, the kind that come in the little aluminum trays with the white frosting on top. I don't think I've bought any since then, but they did hit the spot.

I get the impression that KJ's is using the IGA infrastructure to build their own brand. This one, unlike the one near the flea market, doesn't even have the IGA logo on the front, though I did see IGA products on the shelves. I didn't buy anything, but it looked fine inside, probably a notch above Food Lion.

The plaza where this store is located is unusual in that it doesn't seem to have a name.

I have noticed this place off and on over the years while driving US-1 between I-26 & I-20, because teal is one of the only "non-guy" colors I know, and one that I actually like.

I noticed last weekend that it was closed. The facebook page has nothing since the start of 2020, so I'm just going to use 2020 for the closing date.

I noticed this evening that PK BBQ, the follow-on in this convenience store endcap to Kotas was gone.

A little google-work reveals that they have moved to the new Piggly Wiggly complex at 760 Highway 378. I have been meaning to get out there, as I believe that is another former Bi-Lo that I haven't yet done a closing for.

UPDATE 22 February 2021 -- Here is the new location:

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To the best of my memory, I've only eaten at a Maurice's Piggy Park once, last year at the Charleston Highway location. I thought it was fine, but the chain seems to have hit a rough patch in the last few years with several locations closing. COVID-19 can't have helped, but I don't know if it were the deciding factor here.

This one is on US-1 in West Columbia to the east of the I-26 interchange and across from the Wal-Mart. I see from google maps that it is next to a Ruby Tuesday I had forgotten about, and which I did not check to see if it were open.

(Hat tip to commenter Lone Wolf)

UPDATE 9 March 2021 -- Now a Take 5 quick oil change operation:

I kind of like the folklore quality of identifying liquor stores with red dots. I think it was more a legal thing, at least at one time, than were the barber pole, the pawnbroker's trio of balls and the medical cross & caduceus, but it falls in that category nonetheless. Anyway, this store, not far from the antique mall, is listed in the 2018 phonebook, so it either closed this year, or after listings closed last year.

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