Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I last wrote about this space in 2008, on the closing of The Happy Bookseller. Even before that venerable institution closed, the Happy Cafe had been inside functioning as a bookstore cafe. After that they went standalone, and have had a good long run.

Unusually in this snakebit year, they are not closing due to the pandemic, but to move on to new ventures, including selling the cafe's well known caramel cake online. This ColaDaily article has the story and says:

Hodges and Reynolds said they would love to see customers dine-in, order to go and stock up on favorites like the pulled chicken barbeque, casseroles, and Sue's famous caramel in the coming months. They said their plan is to close the cafe on a celebratory note.

That would come near the end of the year. I really should try to get over there and eat lunch before 3:00 for once.

UPDATE 23 March 2021 -- As reported by The Free Times, this is to become burrito spot Boca Grande:

Years ago, my niece was enrolled in tumbling at The Little Gym in its old location on Beltline and had a good time. As I recall, the move to the old Sounds Familiar location came after a fire at D's Wings and damage from the water used to put it out.

This time the culprit is 2020's scourge COVID-19. As ColaDaily reports:

Angie Brazell, owner of The Little Gym of Columbia, announced Thursday that the facility will be closing Oct. 24, due to lack of revenue prompted by COVID. Despite new families joining the gym, Brazell said it is just not enough under the new way they have to operate in order to keep guests safe.

UPDATE 9 October 2020: Fixed mistaken Devine Street in post title address with Rosewood Drive.

The Blue Flour Bakery in the State House section of Main Street had been closed since 16 March due to the COVID-19 scourge, but as ColaDaily reports, they recently made the decision not to re-open.

I was not really aware of this eatery, but it sounds like it would have been a nice place to duck into for coffee & snacks, and while this storefront is closed, there remains one in Irmo at 7703 Saint Andrews Road, so perhaps I can still do that some day.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

As has been mentioned in Have Your Say several times today, Regal is re-closing its theaters Thursday after having reopened them (where it could) a month or so ago. The reason is pretty simple really: No Movies.

After the pulling of Wonder Woman, Black Widow, and as the last straw, James Bond, the theaters have nothing to show. Granted the box office of the few films that did limp out like Bill & Ted 3, New Mutants & Tenet was not good, but you have to keep the pump primed. It appears to me that the studios are cutting their own throats by letting the theater chains go under. Sure maybe you're not going to get your money back on the next few films, but you've got to keep people thinking about movies, and you're sure not going to get a billion dollar film over streaming.

In the meantime, I see that the St. Andrews bargain cinemas are doing what they can with screenings of classics like The Empire Strikes Back and Harry Potter.

Here's looking at you, kid

Solstice's web page says that they had been here 14 years; I don't know why I kept thinking of them as a new place. At any rate, during that 14 years, I never managed to make it out. I figured since I'm not really into wine, dinner might be overdoing it, but looking at their lunch menu from time to time, with some really nice looking soups, I thought I might try that someday. In the end, the hours and the distance never quite worked out -- now I wish they had.

Going by their Facebook farewell, this is another one in the COVID-19 column. There simply wasn't the money coming in, or the surety going forwards to carry on.

2020 strikes again.

(Hat tip to commenter Carlton Templeton)

Well, here's another picture heavy closing I don't have a lot to say about other than that google suggests the actual official business name was Horton Produce. I assume that buying "The Honor System Way" means the place was generally unattended, but it seems like a pretty high traffic area for that kind of trust.

I've noticed this lot on Old Bush River Road several times over the past few months, and finally stopped to walk over and get some pictures. The site is actually quite large, LoopNet puts it at 3.5 acres, and I can believe it. If you walk back past the big oak and the remnants of the shed, there is an open meadow area that I did not expect at all.

There's also an impressive pokeberry bush, but its well over knee high, so I don't guess there's any danger of anyone cooking it up. (Well, I gues that would be a danger..)

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Well, I don't have a lot to say about this. It was a carwash; it's closed.

But it was a bright sunny day, of which we have had too few lately, and it had an interesting look, so I took lots of pictures.

I *am* a bit bemused by the idea that you wouldn't bring a dirty car there...

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Crouch Distilling is the second alcholic beverage producer in this light industrial park off of Bluff Road that I have done a closing for. The first was for brewery Conquest Brewing Company.

Crouch was cooking up tipples of higher proof than beer, and The Free Times took time to praise their Jimmy Red Corn Whiskey while announcing the closing.

No Smoking

I was down at the far end of Rosewood last month, and noticed this fireworks store/warehouse. Looking at the google reviews, they were active up at least into May 2020. The company itself is still around, and it's not clear to me if this office has closed or just moved somewhere.

At any rate this building is for sale.