Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

This place sits beside and behind the local San Jose restaurant, and most of these pictures are from the parking lot there since it was raining. I get out this way very seldom and know pretty much nothing else about Helping Hands

This is the second time I've been here however as someone said a few years ago that this place was closing then, and I took a few pictures (which I can't now find), but they ended up staying open. This time seems to be definite, as the closing sale is being advertised and there is a real-estate sign. LoopNet has a map, showing that the property is much more extensive than I had realized.

(Hat tip to commenter Ellen)

I tried the Philly Pretzel Factory on Rosewood shortly after it opened (it was fine), but was unaware of this location in the Publix plaza on Broad River Road. Judging from the Google reviews, this place opened in February 2020, possibly the worst time in the last 100 years to open a restaurant, and the door sign pegs the closing at 30 October.

(Hat tip to commenter Ellen)

UPDATE 15 March 2022: Updating tags.

UPDATE 23 January 2023: Updating tags.

This little shaved ice emporium is in the parking lot of The Ole Timey Meat Market in Irmo, and I'm not really sure when it closed, but I can't recall ever seeing anybody there -- though I certainly don't drive that stretch of road more than once or twice a week, if that. At any rate, I'm sure Pelican opening in the old Tony's Party Shop, can't have helped, and as that was in 2017, I'll put that in the post title.

This old Hardee's building has had a number of incarnations over the years. I apparently totally missed the Top Shelf Tavern phase which commenter Andrew pointed out in the Hardee's comments, but now the follow-on operation to that, Home Team Tavern is also gone and the place back on the market.

Judging by the Facebook Page, they were still doing events on 15 February 2020, so I'm marking the closing as "Mid February".

UPDATE 15 September 2020 -- As mentioned in the comments, this place is working to open as Amora Sports Bar & Grill:

This attractive stone-accented building up the hill from Columbiana Drive on Lake Murray Boulevard has featured here several times. First it was Atlanta Bread, which closed in May 2008, and then re-opened around September 2011, finally closing again in May of 2014. Next it was Urban Cookhouse, which closed in October 2018.

Seafood Connection, which was a second location for a Charlotte restaurant, opened here in August 2019. The State had the story celebrating the "Lowcountry boil", and "secret spice". They also had the story on the closing, putting in in context with a number of seafood openings, but with no details on the reasons.

I don't see any obvious reason why this spot is not a good one for a restaurant, but history seems to suggest it is not. We'll see what goes in next.

(Hat tip to commenter Mr. Hat)

UPDATE 22 June 2021 -- To become an El Jimador Mexican restaurant:

I had this store confused with Michael's on the corner of Saint Andrews & Piney Grove, which is still open. This spot is a bit further up the street.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

UPDATE 6 April 2022 -- I'm not sure what happened in the intervening period -- I guess it must have opened again, but this place is going out of business once more:

I admit to having been completely underwhelmed the two (I believe) times I visited a Fatz. In theory I wanted to like a local chain made good, but in the event I just was not impressed. This location, on Broad River Road past Lake Murray Boulevard, was not one I had been to, though I was aware it was there. As commenter Heath (who provided some of these pictures, including the one showing that the power meter has been pulled) noted, there was no sign on the door, or any indication that the store was closed except for a makeshift barricade at the front, and the total lack of cars.

On the side of the lot there is a real estate sign, but it appears to pertain to the property behind Fatz, and as commenter Tom notes, the Fatz web site still lists this location, so I am not sure what is going on.

(Hat tip to commenter Heath for heads-up & pix)

UPDATE 31 August 2020: Update tags.

UPDATE 24 April 2024: Now an Konnichiwa Japanese restaurant:

Apparently, Hall Marine was bought out by MarineMax. The link does not give a date for the sale, but commenter Mitch reports that the local Hall closed on 30 September.

With Lake Murray in the area, I would have expected this meant that they were consolidating at another nearby MarineMax, but instead it appears they have exited the Columbia market entirely. From their store finder, it looks like the closest (and only SC) outlet is in Charleston.

I find the 7459 Broad River Road address a little curious as the place is obviously well off Broad River Road and appears to be on Western Lane.

(Hat tip to commenter Mitch)

Apparently the company is still around, but it appears that the Irmo location has closed up shop. Looking at the site, some of the homes are quite nice, though I think you really need a good setting and a big piece of property to make it work -- there's the old story about Abe Lincoln's father moving whenever the neighbors got close enough that he could see their chimney smoke.

LoopNet has a nice aerial view of the property

One of the congratulatory graffiti on the windows of this Murraywood Centre personalized gifts store mentions that they have been in business for 26 years, which is certainly a good run and prelude to a well deserved retirement. Their Facebook page has some of the details.

It looks like the final sale is already ongoing, so you'd better get down there soon if you want to check it out.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)