Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Well, that didn't last long.

Rum Runners replaced Jungle Jim's in Five Points early in 2012. Now, in late 2012, it has been replaced with ConCOCKtions sports bar.

So far, it appears the nautical mural remains.

UPDATE 24 June 2019: Add tags and map icon.

Grandma's replaced China Garden in the old Kesters Bamboo House building back in late 2009, when the first two pictures above were taken.

In the event, it seems to have lasted about three years (and to never have gotten a finished sign as seen in the third picture taken around July 2012).

The next, and current, iteration is Kildare's Irish Pub.

UPDATE 24 June 2019: Add tags and map icon.

Though I never went, it seems to me as though Jungle Jim's was there forever. I think I can remember seeing it when I visited The Parthenon in the 1970s.

As you can see from these pictures, it at least made the transition from the China Garden era to the Grandma's era as the front part of the building in which the bar is located changed concepts. (I believe that the whole building at 724 is under one ownership). Notice how the sign on the north side of the parking lot morphed from

China
Garden
Parking
Only
Towing
Enforced

to

Parking
Only

I'm not sure when Jungle Jim's closed, but it is listed in the February 2012 phonebook, so I am going with "early 2012". The follow-on operation, Rum Runners switches from a jungle theme to a pirate concept, supported by deck murals.

UPDATE 24 June 2019: Add tags and map icon.

Well, it looks like commenter Mike D was unfortunately correct when he predicted back in January that Fruiti Cup on Harden Street would not be re-opening despite the hopeful Closed Until February 15th sign you can see in the first set of pix.

As of early March, there is a Vacate or Show Cause writ on the door, and it looks like the place has been somewhat cleaned out. That's a shame. I recall that my niece and her daycare class all walked down to Fruiti Cup one summer day, and it was a big deal for them. (Though I myself would prefer a chocolate dip at Zesto..).

This location outlasted the Sparkleberry Square location by about four or five months.

(Hat tip to commenter Mike D)

Well, this little Harden Street storefront has had more activity over the years than I was really aware of.

I vaguely recall Leon's Bookstore and think I went in there once or twice, though I can't recall actually buying anything. It seems that Leon was a last name, not a first name and technically has an acute accent over the 'o'. This record from the Secretary of State's office indicates that the store set up shop (or filed papers at any rate) in December of 1989, and dissolved through forfeiture in November of 1994.

I know nothing about Moxie Gift Gallery other than it comes up in google searches for "631-C Harden"

The Oops Company is a catalog clothing store which apparently moved to 601 Harden Street, and is still there. I figured from the name that it was a factory-seconds store, but that appears not to be the case.

Finally, the current vacancy is due to the closing of Five Points Nails and Spa. According to The Columbia Star they filed for a zoning variance on 8 September 2009, giving them a run of a bit over two years in this spot.

(Hat tip to commenter Mike D)

I'm not sure what Disorderly Conduct was. Google seems to think it was either a gift shop or a hookah lounge (or the arrest of a USC football player). I suppose if you combine those you would get something like a head shop (any mention of "hemp" always points in that direction as well..). At any rate, it was entirely off my radar though I must have seen it numerous times.

I hope the neon peace sign finds a good home, that looks as though it would be nice.

(Hat tip to commenter Mike D)

Eat Boogie's Grill

That was the memorable exhortation that adorned the west wall of this vanished Gervais Street "soul food" restaurant when I was in middle and high school.

In fact, the place was so well known from that slogan, that I thought I would be able to find out more about it than I did. Here is the meager information I was able to come up with from old phonebooks:

Boogie's Grill apparently started in 1966, first showing up in the January 1967 Southern Bell phonebook at 509 Childs Street, a place I had never heard of, but which is in a neighboorhood west of Bluff Road.

Sometime in 1972 they moved to the iconic 2124 Gervais Street location, listing there in the December 1972 phonebook.

By 1977, they were back in the same Bluff Road area, listing at 1717 Zion Avenue in the January 1978 book.

As far as I can tell, they never bought a yellow pages ad, and in fact, dropped out of the yellow pages entirely after leaving Gervais Street.

2124 is on the block of Gervais betwen Harden and Pine Streets. There is currently no building at that address -- I think it must have been at one of the curb cuts between Holman's Barber Shop and the next building up (which looks as though I should probably do a closing on it). This surprised me a little bit, as I had been sure, before looking it up, that it was further down Gervais towards Millwood.

Surely someone out there has a picture of Boogie's and the west wall sign?

And to drift the subject a bit, how about that mural of the USS Enterprise blasting phasers down at a planet that adorned the west wall of a nearby building on the other side of Gervais Street?

I wasn't sure when I took these pix that Locals on Harden Street next to Sharky's was actually closed, but driving by this evening (15 December) confirmed that the place is dark, and that the windows are now covered over.

I am way older than the college bar demo, and really never hit them when I was in it anyway, so I never went to Locals. It does look like the rooftop area would be a nice place to hang out and people watch over Five Points..

The web site is still up, though the latest photos seem to be from September 2010.

College Bar Scene says

Deserves a bigger crowd than it gets.

which may be some indication of what happened.

(Hat tip to commenter Jordan)

UPDATE 3 March 2012 -- Now open again as Pinch. Some of the flatbread pizzas on the menu look pretty good:

This little building at the foot of Senate Street by the Five Points Food Lion seems to have been a revolving restaurant/night-club site of late. When I first did a closing on it, it was for Ribby's & Gilligan's.

The next time I mentioned it was when the follow-on, The Cock Lounge closed. In that closing, I noted the opening of Your Mom's House.

Now it appears that Your Mom's House is gone, and the follow-on to *that* will be The Shack, a barbecue joint.