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)

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.

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.

Zoe's Kitchen (more properly spelled with double dots over the 'e') was the follow-on in this creekside lot to Frans in 2008.

Being that it was creekside, they took a big hit in the Great Flood of 2015 and were closed for a while regrouping after that. In fact, I thought they were never quite as good after the flood as before, and whereas I had eaten on the patio fairly often in good weather previously, I more or less gave that up.

Recently the entire chain was bought out by Cava which appears to have the exact same concept as Kairos, and this location is currently closed for the conversion.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

Beltline Grill was the follow-on operation in this Bradley Plaza storefront to long-time stalwart and pandemic casualty Alehouse Lounge. They announced on their Facebook on 29 July that they were closing up shop. Looking at that page, I think I might have enjoyed lunch there, but for some reason it was never on my radar.

(Hat tip to commenter Heath)

I was unaware of this bin based discount operation in East Forest Plaza until commenter Kody mentioned that it was gone. According to The Free Times they closed due to the high cost of fuel as shipping was eating into their small margins. I suspect there may have been more to it than that, but at any rate, they shut down at the start of June.

Interestingly, the same guy who started this chain started the Zoe's Kitchen chain.

(Hat tip to commenter Kody)

UPDATE 26 September 2022 -- Now the conceptually similiar Where Ya Bin:

Once in the 1970s, when some out of town cousins (who I had never met) were coming through town, my father checked out all the hotels in the vicinity (not that many then), and decided that this Marlboro Inn (which was at that time fairly new) had reasonable prices and acceptable quality and suggested they stay there while visiting us. There's no punchline to that story: Apparently the place was OK, and there were no issues.

Since that time, the place had become obviously not new, and was renting out one suite to an accountancy to bring in some extra money or provide a familiy member a reasonable office. I never heard of any trouble there, but with many newer motels, with national reservation systems, in town in recent years, I suspect the writing was on the wall.

According to commenter Larry, the property was bought by Lexington Medical as was the adjacent building. Perhaps that means they will merge the two lots and build something large there.

I think the motel in the triangle where Wildcat Road runs into Fort Jackson Boulevard was also a Marlboro Inn at one time, but I don't recall ever seeing another, and as far as I know, there as no connection to the cigarette brand.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

UPDATE 23 February 2023 -- All gone now:

This building, next door to the Forest Acres City Hall, was a dry-cleaner for many years, starting as Gillespie's and then as Burnette's. For many of those years, the right-hand side of the building had a coin laundromat though that closed some time before Burnette's left for Forest Park, a block or so away.

The building sat empty for several years, until demolition started in late June of 2022. The building is now completely razed, which, with the old Russell & Jeffcoat lot adjacent to it also now bare gives a surprising amount of open space in central Forest Acres for new construction.

(Hat tip to my sister)

After Steak & Ale closed, this building was split into two suites. The suite on the right side was Buster's Bistro and then I believe a health insurance brokerage while the suite on the left side was The Turning Pointe danceware. Now they have left for a new home at 1030 Harden Street, the old Cribb's Bakery location.

Cottle Strawberries maintains a produce stand on the lot during the Spring, but otherwise I believe the property is now untenanted though it does appear to have been sold so something new should be coming soon.

UPDATE 27 September 2022 -- This building is gone. The motel next door is also behind fencing, but has not yet met the excavator:

There isn't any sign on the door that I can see, but google agrees with commenter Justin that The Carousel A Chic Kid's Botique in Forest Village is closed. I believe this space would once have been part of The Happy Bookseller, so probably 2009 is the earliest they could have opened.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)