Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I don't think I've ever seen another setup like the one Thee Whiskey Tavern had: A strip club running inside a former hotel suite, in a hotel which was still a going concern. Of course it's not exactly unusual for hotels to have active and sometimes rowdy bars (see for instance The Wicked Witch Lounge or The Pirate's Cove), but those are generally in facilities designed as lounges and part of the hotel business proper (whatever it says on the business license).

However the situation came about Thee Whiskey Tavern survived the reflagging of the hotel from Budget Inn to Hawthorn, and an associated major remodel. It also survived an onsite stabbing in 2016. In fact, going by the closing story in The State, it's not crystal clear exactly what *did* close the place down. The article and linked RCSD twitter cite aren't very forthcoming other than operating illegally as a sexually oriented business. If anyone was arrested, or if there was a particicular incident that triggered things, it's not mentioned.

In these two shots, you can see the sign now crumpled behind the hotel, and the sign that used to sit by Bush River Road:

(Hat tip to commenter palmettoconnection)

This 9 May 2017 State story is a bit inspecific, but we can conclude two things from it:

1) Tuesday Morning is opening a store in the old Hancock Fabrics location on Harbison, and

2) As of May 2017, this store on Saint Andrews Road was still open.

What they *don't* say is that *this* store was moving to Harbison, but given that the Harbision store is apparently now open, and has the same phone number that this one did, I think we can safely conclude that.

Also somewhat interesting, is that the story still refers to this plaza as The Clusters of Whitehall.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

UPDATE 9 October 2017 -- Here is the new location of the store in Harbison Court:

UPDATE 22 June 2018 -- The old Tuesday Morning is now HobbyTown USA:

UPDATE 2 March 2023: Updating tags and adding map icon.

These photos come courtesy of commenter Homer, whose gentle reminder prompts me to finally post them. Looking at them, I can certainly see the former Hardee's that both he and commenter Andrew mention. I am pretty sure I took some photos of my own when the place ceased being The Wild Hare, but apparently I never did a closing on that operation, and don't now have them to hand.

I've often wondered at this intersection where Old Bush River Road branches off from Saint Andrews Road. Given the odd way the main stretch of Bush River turns into Tram and the way the road picks up again here, some major work must have been done once.

Anyway, I'm guessing the Tiki Bar is *not* open.

(Hat tip to commenter Homer)

UPDATE 15 February 2017 -- Remodeling is underway:

UPDATE 11 March 2020: Added map icon.

UPDATE 19 June 2021: Update tags.

Furniture stores are generally kind of invisible to be, so I'm not sure exactly how long Havertys has been across from Dutch Square, but cerainly for decades. Now, like everything else, it is moving to Harbison.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

UPDATE 21 March 2018 -- The Harbision location is now open:

This little Wal-Mart outparcel in fact predates Wal-Mart and may have actually existed while the late, lamented Bush River Mall was still going.

At any rate this was one of several Butterfly Life locations in the metro area. The Feb 2008-2009 phonebook actually lists four, though they were all gone by the Feb 2010-2011 book. As best I can determine, Butterfly Life was some sort of a day spa.

The marquee says Fields Home Fashion Center but the phonebook and internet suggest Fields Home Fashions as the formal name. At any rate this storefront is on the Dutch Square side of Boozer Shopping Center, to the right of Manifest and Dollar General. From what little I can find, this was a decor store, with a specialty in window treatments.

I noticed driving by the other day that the old Howard Johnson's on Zimalcrest Drive at Bush River has closed for remodeling. I believe it has most been under a number of flags since the Hojo days, but most recently, it was a Budget Inn.

This place is a bit unusual in that it has a strip club Thee Whiskey Tavern operating out of a suite of rooms. I have never heard of such an arrangement elsewhere (and don't know if the club is closed during the remodel). You will also remember that the attached restaurant Punjabi Dhaba suffered a fire in early 2014, and has since been torn down.

UPDATE 28 June 2016 -- Renovations continue:

UPDATE 30 August 2016 -- Well this place is open again, now as Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham which at least sounds a bit more upscale this time. I will have to check to see if Thee Whiskey Tavern is still co-located or not:

UPDATE 11 September 2016 -- Well Thee Whiskey Tavern is still there, something of an anomaly in a property that's trying to go a little bit more upmarket than Budget Inn:

The postings on the Facebook page for this Boozer Shopping Center consignment shop suggest it closed in early 2015.

This particular storefront was previously the Boozer location of Dem's House of Diamonds, now on Lake Murray Boulevard.

Great Ceasar's Ghost!, I was sure I had done a closing for comic store Heroes & Dragons when they moved from their Boozer Shopping Center location next to Manifest and down the hill to 501 Bush River Road, but apparently not as it's not in Alphabetical Closings and google has no record of it. Maybe I just remember taking some pictures of it. At any rate, that's what they did, and now they have come almost full circle, moving back to Boozer, albeit not to exactly the same spot (which is now Dollar General).

Where they are moving to is the old Nutrition Warehouse spot I mentioned a few days ago.