Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

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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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Longtime Leesville barbecue landmark, Jackie Hite's will be closing down on 23 September 2018.

According to The State's encomium for Jackie Hite on his passing in 2016, the roots of the restaurant go back to the 1950s, and

On Hite’s passing, High said it is not necessarily the end, but “it’s sad to lose the old hands that did it right, the old fashioned way ... whole hog over coals. There’s a big difference between whole hog and butts only.

“Jackie Hite was (one of) the last in all of South Carolina to barbecue a whole hog over wood. He would start the pig on Thursday and lay it out on Friday for a pig picking at the restaurant,” says High. “And when I would go out for barbecue on my own, I would always choose Friday night for Jackie Hite’s pig picking.”

Now, according to WLTX the family has elected to wind the buisness down on the anniversary of Mr. Hite's passing, but there's still time to get out there once more.

(Hat tip to commenter ED)

Judging from their Facebook page, Holly's Famous Hot Dogs sadly had a death in the family last summer, and have not reopened.

(Hat tip to commenter Kc)

UPDATE 15 February 2022 -- Now (Tameleria) Taqueria La Poblanita:

Also adding map icon.

Somehow after all these years, I've never made it into a Piggie Park. Probably because I convinced myself at an early age that I didn't like barbecue (I've revised my opinion a bit), and didn't really realize they had other Southern items.

The State says the property is to become a car dealership. I would guess used cars.

The Clemson Road and Dentsville locations remain open.

(Hat tip to commenter Harry etc)

UPDATE 22 September 2020: Updating tags, adding map icon.

I've never had a Larry's sub, and now I guess I won't, or at least not in Lexington. According to their Facebook page, their franchaise agreement had run its course and they opted not to renew for a 15 year term.

(Hat tip to commenter ED)

If you look closely, you can see the Walgreens directly across the street at 423 West Main Street that put paid to this Rite Aid location.

I'm not sure how the other locations are doing it, but it appears this one closed for two days (13 & 14 June) to get ready for a liquidation sale on 15 June. I'm marking that as the closing date, though I suppose it could last several days.

UPDATE 3 November 2020 -- This building was razed some time ago, and construction on a new Murphy's is now well advanced:

Also adding map icon.

UPDATE 6 March 2021 -- Now open as a Murphy's Express:

I was unaware of this Lexington establishment until commenter James R pointed out that it had closed. It's a ways out on the Western outskirts of Lexington where Pisgah Church Road hits US-1.

The State says they were there for four years, which really is not bad for a non-chain restaurant.

(Hat tip to commenter James R)