Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I have to admit that the one time I tried Rita's (the one in Harbison) I was not impressed. I had the Key-lime ice, and it had such an after-taste that I eventually had to buy a salty snack to chase it with. Perhaps I would have been happier with custard.

At any rate, the one at Sandhill is now gone, leaving just the Lady Street location locally. Of course as there is now apparently a Pelican's on every corner, your options for slushes are still pretty good.

UPDATE 30 August 2021 -- This is surprising: Bruster's ice cream is using this vacancy to re-enter the Columbia market:

Back in March, I found myself driving to the beach on the North route, and much earlier than usual so that it was still daylight when I hit Florence. Just East of Aynor the road conditions sign was declaring heavy traffic ahead on US-501. I doubted that was really the case so early in the year, but decided to take the way-North route of SC-22 and finally get a chance to hit Rossi's Italian for dinner, something I had been meaning to do for many years, but, generally being on the South Strand, had never gotten around to.

Well, it seems I should have gotten around to it earlier as I found the place gone.

A media search found two stories on the closing, one from WFMB and one from The Sun News.

Apparently Rossi's closed in November of 2017 due to issues with the management of the Galleria plaza, where the restaurant had been located since its opening in 1983. The plan was to reopen at 7753 N. Kings Highway in April of 2018, but for some reason that never happened. I did find one Facebook reference to them pledging to "Try again", but nothing seems to have yet come to pass.

I guess if I have learned anything writing this blog, it's that when you think I ought to get around to that someday, you're asking for trouble if you don't.

Update 22 June 2023: Adding map icon and updating tags.

Domino's at Polo Plaza has moved across the parking lot and around the corner to the freestanding building at 9814 Two Notch Road, which used to house Blockbuster Video and then A Goodnight Sleepstore.

As you can see from the pictures, they are only occupying the north half of the building, and the south half is still for lease.

(Hat tip to commenter LD)

To the best of my memory, I have only eaten at the Korean/Southwestern Blue Cactus Cafe once, probably in the late 80s, when it lived up to its reputation of being quirky and slow, but with good food. Since then, it has changed ownership within the family, and has now finally closed.

The Free Times has the story.

The storefront is in an interesting location: A sort of sunken walkway along the front (back?) of a large building with many other tenants. It's not hard to get to, other than the usual Five Points parking issues, but if you are just driving by, you would never know it was there.

(Hat tip to commenter ED)

I got a couple of reports in June of 2017 that this place had closed. I actually did drive out there to get some pictures, and found that they were actually closed for upfitting as they were adding a Planet Smoothie operation.

In the event that must not have worked out for them, as they are closed for good this, with their Facebook page citing "Many factors" in the decision.

To me, the location appears pretty good as it is catty-cornered from the Sandhill movie theaters, and would be a good place to get a snack while waiting for your movie. Of course that only works if your movie is pretty early.

(Hat tip to commenter Sidney)

UPDATE 17 June 2021 -- Now a Poke Brothers:

The first pictures here were taken last October, when Tiffany's put up the moving signs. Apparently it was a more involved process than expected, because the signs came down for several months. Now they have finished the move to 9704 Two Notch Road, the site of the old site of The Movies At Polo, where a new building has been built in what was the parking lot for the theaters.

According to the sign there, Tiffany's will be open at the new location tomorrow: 3 May 2019.

There are two stories from The State, here and here, indicating that the new space is double the size of the old, and showing how much longer than expected it took.

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I like Smashburger burgers, and their choice of buns (espically the chipolte one), but the fries are so bad that it's not really a competitor to Five Guys in my mind. Nonetheless, every few months I do eat at the Devine Street location.

This particular location is in the new shopping center that was built after tearing down the old Cherokee Trail Veterinary Hospital. I believe that Smashburger was the initial tenant in this suite, and the first tenant of the strip to exit. (Even its Mattress Firm still survives).

(Hat tip to commenter ED)

UPDATE 17 January 2023: Update tags.

I was not aware of Tin Lizzy's, else I might have gone sometime. The menu looks decent.

When I first heard that it had closed, and was at 700 Gervais Street, I went to the building you see in the first shot, which is not, in fact, the location. Apparently 700 Gervais encompasses the whole arc of buildings around the parking lot there. WLTX has a (very) little more.

Apparently, the only non-Georgia locations of Tin Lizzy's left are in Greenville and Tallahassee.

(Hat tip to commenter JamesR)

UPDATE 11 May 2021 -- It's now Crafty Crab (although nobody has changed the streetside marquee yet):

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