Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Simply Mac was an Apple reseller whose strategy was to locate in smaller areas not having an official Apple store. Once part of the Gamestop chain, the brand was spun off in 2019, just in time to run up against the pandemic. Although the stores did re-open later, the damage had been done and a messy Chapter 7 bankruptcy followed. Or at least that is one story. Other stories have other issues compounding, or even overshadowing, the damage from COVID.

Here is The State on the opening of this Trenholm Plaza location, and here is a story from Apple Insider on the bankruptcy.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry, who says this particluar store may never have re-opened)

Here's a closing I just happened to notice during a drive-by the other day, but which happened late last year.

Lexington Jewelers in downtown Lexington closed on Christmas Eve of 2021 due to the retirement of the owner, who had been running the place for almost 40 years. You can read about it in The State or The Post & Courier.

This is another instance of a business moving due to the oncoming/ongoing work on I-26. It's not clear to me from looking at the signage just where Grier Roofing has gone, but their facebook is still active, so they're still around somewhere. I'm not sure if the adjacent Nimmer Sod will be moving -- they appear to have a lot more setback available on their lot.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

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.

I went to this theater twice this summer with my sister and niece, once to see Jurassic World and once to see Minions. Frankly those movies were not the best, but the experience was fine and my niece enjoyed playing the pinball machine in the lobby after the shows.

However, I figured that the writing was on the wall when I had a bit of unexpected free time on a Saturday in August, and, since I was already in the car, drove over to see what was playing. I got there about 8:30pm, and found that there were no further shows that day. So, if on a summer Saturday when the kids are still out of school, you are closing the ticket office at 8:30 -- that's not a good sign.

Sure enough, a few weeks later they locked the doors for good.

I have to say that after this, and Dutch Square, I would not place odds on the longevity of the Afton Court location in Harbison.

Here's The State on the closing.

(Hat top to commenter Thomas)

UPDATE 28 September 2023: The State reports that the adjacent Shandon Baptist Church has purchased the theater property.

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

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

I ate in this building a number of times when it was Chili's, but not since then. Krab Hut was part of the wave of crab-themed restaurants that has washed over Columbia during the past few years, leaving us, I suspect, a bit over-crabbed. (In fact, the Harbison Ryan's also became a crab eatery). Judging by the Google reviews, I think this place closed at the end of August, and is already setting up to be a Korean hot-pot & barbecue restaurant: Kpot.

(Hat tip to commenter Heath)

This building first featured here when it closed as a Pig in 2013. In late 2015 it re-opened as a KJ's IGA, lasting about seven years (which is longer than I had thought actually. WHere does the time go?).

I associate the IGA brand with smaller towns, but KJ's has brought several of them to the Columbia market, and as far as I know, the others are doing OK.

Now that two groceries have closed in this space, I would expect the next tenant to be something different.

(Hat tip to commenter Heath).

UPDATE 30 September 2022 -- Signage is down:

I've never been to a Del Taco, and had it in my mind that I would try this one someday. In the event, as happens all too often, I did not get around to it before it closed. The place has already been completely gutted, and is in the process of setting up to be a Taco Bell (which I will almost certainly not be visiting). The building was actually fairly new, with Del Taco being a completely new build after the Clear View Car Wash building was razed in 2014.

I see from Wikipedia, that Jack In The Box bought Del Taco, finalizing in March of this year. My guess is that closing this location probably has something to do with JITB's strategy for the chain.

(Hat tip to commenter Heath)

UPDATE 26 January 2023 -- Taco Bell is now open in this spot: